Entries Tagged 'Commercial Insurance' ↓

Think you don’t need to worry about product liability? If your business manufactures, sells or even distributes products, you do, because the awards for liability suits can be high, making consumers more and more litigious. But you can head off the damage with product liability insurance.

Product claims can vary, but they generally involve one of three complaints: a design defect, which means your product design is unsafe; a manufacturing flaw, meaning your production process resulted in a defect that made the product unsafe; or a defective warning or instruction, meaning your labels provided insufficient information regarding the risks related to your product. If you were involved in placing the product in the consumer’s possession, you can be held legally liable for its failure.

That’s where product liability insurance comes in. Product liability insurance is a business policy that protects your company against claims for loss or injury due to defects in the products you manufacture or sell or the failure to provide proper warning about your products. It generally covers legal fees, medical costs and awarded damages.

The product liability insurance coverage a business needs depends on many factors, such as your industry, the products you design, produce or distribute and your location. To ensure your coverage is appropriate, you should provide accurate and detailed information to your insurance provider. Don’t underreport!

While getting product liability insurance may seem cumbersome, it’s important to plan ahead for possible problems. Give us a call today to see how we can support you on your journey!

To briefly discuss a critical and complex topic for small business owners, let’s do a quick overview with an analogy to something simple we can all enjoy: pizza!

Business Owner Insurance (BOP) is like a standard Domino’s pizza. Its preset bundle of ingredients is designed to meet the needs and requirements of most small businesses and is practical in terms of cost and coverage.

A Commercial Policy Package (CPP) is more of a build-your-own, à la carte menu of options for those with more specific appetites or dietary requirements when there are unique risks within that business’s industry that necessitate extra coverage. This might sound expensive, but because it can be built from the ground up, it facilitates nearly unlimited options and has the capacity to be more cost-effective (rather than purchasing a standard BOP policy and adding additional menu items to your order).

Keep in mind, while BOP and CPP packages cover the majority of the gamut of coverage business owners need, they often do not include vital coverage for other key ingredients, such as commercial flood insurance, workers’ compensation and other crucial liability insurances.

Also, with the impact that COVID-19 has had on many brick-and-mortar businesses, it is critical for those now operating businesses out of their homes to know that homeowners insurance policies specifically exclude liability coverage for all business operations.

We’re here to help you painlessly place your order; we’ll assist you in understanding and confidently deciding which policy type is best for you. Our goal is to help you navigate toward options that make the most holistic sense for your business in terms of risk management, budgets and bringing you a personal sense of stability.

When you think of insurance for your business, you may think of the more obvious policies, such as property insurance, workers’ compensation and general liability insurance. But if you provide a service to customers or clients, errors and omissions insurance is also a must.

What is errors and omissions insurance? Errors and omissions insurance, also known as E&O insurance and professional liability insurance, provides protection for your business from lawsuits that claim you made a mistake in your professional services. E&O insurance protects your business from claims of inaccurate advice, negligence, potential errors in services provided, misrepresentation, omissions or other applicable claims. This insurance can help cover your court costs, attorney’s fees and administrative costs to put your defense together. E&O insurance can also help cover settlements or judgments, which can be a few thousand to millions of dollars.

Who needs errors and omissions insurance? Business owners or operators whose clients depend on their judgment or services to accomplish goals need errors and omissions insurance. While some may believe this only applies to professional services such as medical, legal and accounting services, businesses such as website service providers, barbershops, advertising firms, consulting companies, pet groomers, engineering firms and many others could benefit from errors and omissions insurance. If you have a business that provides a service to customers, errors and omissions insurance should be part of your coverage.

Let us help you review your policies and determine what specific coverage is best for you and your circumstances. Call or email us today. We are always here for you.

Millions of Americans scrupulously guard their identities and personally identifiable information for fear that their bank accounts will be compromised, identities stolen and a parade of difficulties will follow them at the hands of those who wish to steal their identities. However, they will often not exercise the same care with their business “identities.” Even for small businesses that try their best with free tools, professional identity thieves can evade this type of protection and gain access to lines of credit or accounts. Here are some of the ways businesses can protect their identities.

Monitoring service. Businesses can enroll in monitoring services that continuously monitor any activity on their companies’ credit reports, looking for any red flags.

EIN. For many small business owners, using their Social Security numbers and establishing sole proprietorships are the easiest things to do practically. However, this could lead to exposure for both your personal and business finances if either is compromised. Small business owners should obtain Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) to separate both and reduce risk.

Data protection. Keeping your passwords in a safe, protected place is a crucial part of protecting your data. Use anti-virus and anti-malware software in addition to a secure password manager.

Insurance. A cyber insurance policy can make all the difference in recovering from significant loss related to identity theft in the unfortunate event it does happen. Call or email us today, and we can review your insurance coverage to make sure your business is protected. We are always here to help.

One company manufactures golf balls. Another builds golf courses the balls are used on. These companies have very different needs. Despite their businesses being intertwined, the businesses’ needs vary greatly.

This is also reflected in what they should look for in insurance coverage, as not every company faces the same risks. For some companies, liability is a priority. For others, workers’ compensation is top of mind. While it’s essential that all companies carry insurance coverage, not every policy is the right fit for every company. Some common policies span industries, but each business’s unique priorities contribute to its insurance needs. Here’s a breakdown of the most common needs by industry:

Home and building services: If you offer home or other building services, it’s important to ensure you have commercial auto, workers’ compensation, property and liability insurance. You should have insurance coverage for tools and equipment.

Office: Companies that rely on offices have to protect their assets, employees and intellectual property. With a focus on Internet-necessary services, these companies place a premium on auto, workers’ compensation, property, liability and cybercrime insurance.

Manufacturing: In manufacturing, worker and consumer safety must be guaranteed; thus, liability is high. There are many moving parts, and they must all have proper insurance coverage. Manufacturers must require auto, product recall, property, workplace injury, workers’ compensation, liability and equipment failure insurance.

Education and nonprofits: Organizations that serve others need insurance. Business owners in this field should focus on workers’ compensation, counseling liability, auto, liability, property, and tuition and fees policies.

Retail stores: Retailers are at high risk when it comes to property, liability, commercial auto, and workers’ compensation claims, and they must secure coverage for these issues. Retail store owners should also secure coverage for income loss and crime in addition to business interruption insurance and protection against theft and fraud.

Religious organizations: For this industry that people rely on for crucial decisions, it’s important to cover any property involved and leadership as well. Religious organizations should obtain solid coverage in pastoral professional liability, business liability, business property and business crime insurance.

Hospitality: Business professionals in this industry have many different needs when it comes to insurance. It’s vital to obtain policies that provide business property insurance, business personal property insurance, workers’ compensation insurance and business liability insurance to properly insure your business and your guests.

Real estate: There are unique risks in the business of selling real estate. Make sure you’re covered by policies for business property insurance, business income insurance, sale and disposal liability insurance and rent guarantee insurance.

Restaurants: Your business model poses risks of employee injury and medical issues as well as fires and other accidents that result in property damage. For proper business coverage, it is recommended you obtain restaurant property insurance, restaurant liability insurance, restaurant crime insurance and workers’ compensation insurance.

As you can see, each business is unique, even within its own industry. Speak with our office today to determine the exact needs for your company and how we can help you.

Certificates of insurance are often something you see required by contract but not something many people typically talk about. Below, we’ll detail what a certificate of insurance is, why you need one, when to ask for one and what one typically entails.

What is a certificate of insurance?

A certificate of insurance is a document from an insurance company demonstrating that you have a current business insurance policy.

Why do I need to provide a certificate of insurance?

A certificate of insurance shows proof that you have insurance, and some businesses or customers may request to see this proof before they consider working with you. Some may have that as a requirement or condition of doing business with them. Insurance protects your business from risks and can protect your clients and customers, too.

Why should you ask for a certificate of insurance?

Any informed client will ask their contractor or other business they work with for a certificate of insurance to make sure the right insurance with the necessary limits is in place for the work.

What should a typical certificate of insurance include?

A typical certificate of insurance should identify the person who has the policy (the “insured”), the mailing address, type of policy, policy limits, insurance company contact information, and additional insured, if there are any. Double-check the certificate matches the name of the company or person you’re working with, has the correct coverage (which will not expire before the work is completed), lists coverage amounts and is issued by an actual insurance company.

Whenever you need a certificate of insurance, we’re here for you. We can also help you review any certificates you receive and make sure they have what’s needed.

Your business insurance is vital to ensuring that any potential losses or liabilities are covered if the worst happens. It is entirely too important to just scan quickly and pay when it comes to renewal time. It’s a good idea to review your business annually without the stress of impending expiration dates. Preparing for this annual review is one of the most important things you can do, as missing a crucial part of your coverage could cost thousands of dollars. Below are a few tips on what to ask for your business insurance review so you can save time and a potential future headache.

What do you need to protect?

Many parts of your business may change year after year: property values, equipment, machinery, technology, product lines, personnel, and the list goes on. These changes can all impact the types of insurance you need or the amount of coverage you need. Consider these categories.

Premises: Have you remodeled or made any additions? Have you added or taken away equipment?

Business personal property: Have you upgraded your computers, electronic equipment and other equipment that is vital for the functioning of your business? Do you have new office furniture?

Vehicles: Have you made any changes to your fleet?

Loss of income: Are you covered if your business suffers property damage and cannot operate temporarily?

Technology and data: Are you covered should your company suffer a cyberattack or breach of data?

What liabilities should you consider?

Any business runs the risk of lawsuits. It is crucial to review where your company may have potential exposures and ensure you have insurance policies to cover these. These questions may help you.

Products: Does your company sell, distribute or manufacture goods? You could be sued if you are any part of a chain of distribution.

Workplace injuries: Is your workers’ compensation adequate?

Professional liabilities: Do you have appropriate errors and omissions insurance to cover what is not included in your general liability insurance?

Catastrophic claims: Do you need an umbrella policy to cover unexpected events?

Can you save money on your premiums?

There may be opportunities to save, such as multiple policy discounts or new programs that may lower your insurance costs. When considering how much insurance to obtain, you should also think of your business and your personal financial situation. You may be able to make changes to your policy that will lower your premiums. If your financial situation is solid, you could consider having larger deductibles and lower your premium.

Time and effort are needed for your annual insurance review, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be complicated. We are here to help you along every step of the way. We can review the answers you uncovered and catch any questions that you may not have considered. We can help you look at the big picture and add or make changes to your policies to ensure your business is adequately protected. Call or email us today and we’ll get you set for your annual review.

Supply chains are a vital part of many businesses that operate. Whether its sourcing parts and materials or reselling goods made in other countries, supply chains make the world go around.

But what happens when that supply chain is interrupted by a natural disaster or other unforeseen event that throws your business into chaos? Pointing fingers, blaming suppliers or transporters, or even trying to make alternate arrangements can cost lost credibility, time, money, and, most importantly, clients. Companies need protection against broken links in their supply chains. The right insurance can’t stop the chain from breaking, but it can stop the business from falling apart if it does.

There are two main coverage options: contingent business interruption insurance and supply chain insurance.

A contingent business interruption insurance policy reimburses lost profits and extra expenses caused by the interruption of someone else’s business. If you rely on one supplier to get you your materials, depend on one manufacturer for most of your merchandise or purchase the bulk of your products from one business, this may be the way to go. The policy is limited, though, in that it only provides coverage if your supply chain is interrupted due to physical property damage at a supplier’s business.

Broader coverage is offered by supply chain insurance. It too covers supply chain disruptions caused by property damage to your supplier’s business, but it can also cover road closures, political upheaval, regulatory action, financial issues, public health emergencies, natural disasters, industrial accidents, riots and labor issues.

If you have any confusion about these policies, please call or email us today. We will look at your options and guide you to the best policy for you based on the supply chain that serves you. We’re always here to help and make sure you have the coverage that’s right for you.