What Insurance Do I Need for a Small Business? (2024)

11 Types of Insurance Needed for Small Businesses

What Insurance Do I Need for a Small Business? (1)What insurance do you need for a small business? We hear this question often, but there’s not a simple answer. That’s because the types of business insurance coverage that you need for your small business depends on what your company does and the state you’re in. In fact, state laws require some small business insurancepolicies and it’s up to you to make sure you have the right coverage.

Without the right types of small business insurance, you may have to pay out of pocket for claims. Many small businesses don’t have the resources or capital to cover claims, which means they may not survive. That’s why small business insurance is an important investment for protecting your company.

The 11 most common types of insurance that small businesses need are:

1. General Liability Insurance

General liability insurancehelps protect your business from claims that it caused bodily injury or property damage to someone else. For example, if a customer slips in your store, this coverage can help pay for their medical expenses.Liability claims from work done away from your location can also be covered under a coverage known as products-completed operations coverage.

Many small business owners also get a general liability insurance policy that includes product liability insurance. This can help protect their company from claims of bodily injury or property damage that their products cause.

2. Professional Liability Insurance

professional liability insurance helps cover claims related to mistakes in the professional services that your business provides. Let’s say your accounting firm makes a mistake on a customer’s financial statement and they have to pay a penalty. If they sue your business, professional liability insurance can help cover your legal costs. Investing in this coverage can help you save money in claims costs. This coverage is also known aserrors and omissions insurance or E&O insurance.

3. Business Income Coverage

Business income coverage, also known as business interruption insurance, can help replace lost income if you can’t operate because of covered property damage. This includes damage from fires, storms or theft.

4. Commercial Property Insurance

Commercial property insurancehelps protect your owned or rented building and equipment used to operate. So, if someone breaks into your building and steals your business computers, commercial property insurance can help cover the replacement costs.

5. Workers’ Compensation Insurance

Workers’ compensation insuranceprovides benefits to employees if they get a work-related injury or illness. For example, if an employee gets carpal tunnel syndrome from years of typing and poor ergonomics, this insurance can help pay for their treatment costs. Most states require businesses to have this coverage if they have employees.

6. Commercial Auto Insurance

Commercial auto insurancehelps cover property damage and bodily injury claims if you or an employee gets into an accident while driving a company-owned vehicle for business. So, if your employee swerves off the road while making a delivery and hits a mailbox, this insurance can help pay for the damages.

7. Data Breach Insurance

Data breach insurance helps your business respond to a breach if personally identifiable information gets lost or stolen. It can help cover your costs to:

  • Notify impacted customers or clients
  • Run a public relations campaign to improve your business’ reputation
  • Offer credit monitoring services

Some insurance companies may call this coverage cyber liability insurance.

8. Commercial Umbrella Insurance

Commercial umbrella insuranceextends the limits of certain liability policies that your business has. So, if a claims cost exceeds your policy’s limits, commercial umbrella insurance can help cover the difference.

9. Employment Practices Liability Insurance

Employment practices liability insurance, also known as employers’ liability insurance, helps protect your business from employment-related claims. This includes claims of:

  • Discrimination
  • Sexual harassment
  • Wrongful termination

10. Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)

ABusiness Owner’s Policy(BOP) is one of the most popular types of insurance. It combines:

  • General liability insurance
  • Commercial property insurance
  • Business income insurance

11. Hazard Insurance

Small business hazard insuranceis another name for commercial property insurance. It helps protect the owned or rented business property, like your building and equipment.

Do I Need Liability Insurance for My Small Business?

What Insurance Do I Need for a Small Business? (2)The quick answer is yes. Most businesses need liability insurance for small business. But there are several different types of liability coverage to choose from. The most common are general liability and professional liability.

Getting the right business insurance coverage isn’t any different than protecting your home with homeowners insurance – they’re both some of the most important investments you’ll ever make.

Combining insurance with bonds like surety bonds can add to your protection. To learn more about the business insurance coverage you should have, get a quotetoday.

We make it easy for you to customize your policy to get thebest small business insurance coverage you need.If you need more customization to your base coverage, insurance riderscan help you do that.Learn about the cost of small business insurance.

What Insurance Do I Need To Start My Own Business?

When you’re starting your own business, some types of coverage you should make sure to have are:

  • General liability insurance
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Workers’ compensation insurance

The actual types of insurance and whether you need additional coverage depends on what your company does and thestate laws where you are.

Get answers to small business insurance frequently asked questions.

Do All Small Businesses Have Insurance?

If you’re still wondering, “Do I need insurance for my small business?” The answer is yes. Most small businesses need some type of coverage for protection from various risks, like:

  • Bodily injury
  • Property damage
  • Car accidents
  • Lawsuits

Without coverage, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for claims reported against your business. Having to pay these costs out of pocket can cause severe financial losses that can shut down your business. We have been helping small businesses like yours for over 200 years, making sure you get the kind of coverage you need. Let us help make sure you’re protected. Get asmall business insurance quote today.

Last Updated: May 14, 2024

Additional disclosures below.

What Are the Different Types of Small Business Insurance?

Watch this video for more information about how this coverage protects your business.

What Insurance Do I Need for a Small Business? (2024)

FAQs

What Insurance Do I Need for a Small Business? ›

Small business insurance, sometimes called commercial insurance, helps protect a business's assets, property, and income. A business owner's policy (BOP) is the most common insurance product for small businesses, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III).

What is small business in insurance? ›

Small business insurance, sometimes called commercial insurance, helps protect a business's assets, property, and income. A business owner's policy (BOP) is the most common insurance product for small businesses, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III).

Do all businesses need to be insured True or false? ›

Most types of commercial insurance are not mandated by law. However, depending on the state laws where your business operates, you might be required to purchase: Workers' compensation insurance if you have employees. Commercial auto insurance for a business-owned vehicle.

What is the basic business model of commercial insurance? ›

The essential insurance model involves pooling risk from individual payers and redistributing it across a larger portfolio. Most insurance companies generate revenue in two ways: Charging premiums in exchange for insurance coverage, then reinvesting those premiums into other interest-generating assets.

What type of insurance is best for a small business? ›

The most common are general liability and professional liability. Getting the right business insurance coverage isn't any different than protecting your home with homeowners insurance – they're both some of the most important investments you'll ever make.

What type of insurance should you choose? ›

Most experts agree that life, health, long-term disability, and auto insurance are the four types of insurance you must have. Employer coverage is often the best option, but if that is unavailable, obtain quotes from several providers as many provide discounts if you purchase more than one type of coverage.

What can generally not be insured? ›

An uninsurable risk could include a situation in which insurance is against the law, such as coverage for criminal penalties. An uninsurable risk can be an event that's too likely to occur, such as a hurricane or flood, in an area where those disasters are frequent.

Are all business risks not insurable? ›

Many pure risks can be handled through insurance, while most of the speculative risks are not generally handled through insurance. So business enterprises must find their own ways of handling specualtive risks. Risks can also be classified as dynamic risks and static risks.

Why do all businesses must have liability insurance explain in detail? ›

Liability insurance is an essential coverage for small business owners. It helps protect you from claims that your business caused bodily injury and property damage. The importance of liability insurance is that every business faces claims that can come up during normal operations.

What is the most basic form of business insurance? ›

Commercial General Liability (CGL) is the standard commercial liability policy used to insure businesses. There are three primary coverage sections that make up a CGL policy: premises liability, products liability and completed operations.

What are the three 3 main types of insurance? ›

Although there are many insurance policy types, some of the most common are life, health, homeowners, and auto. The right type of insurance for you will depend on your goals and financial situation. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

How does business insurance work? ›

Business insurance can help pay the costs of property damage, lawsuits, lost business income and other covered losses. To help protect against specific risks unique to their situation, businesses often buy multiple coverages and combine several in one policy.

What is commercial insurance for dummies? ›

Commercial insurance, also known as business insurance, protects businesses from losses due to unexpected events during normal business operations, such as lawsuits, natural disasters, or accidents.

Is there a difference between business and commercial insurance? ›

Commercial insurance (also known as business insurance) is an insurance product that protects you from any unforeseen problems that could affect your business. Commercial insurance protects both the business owner and their employees from risks of injury, business interruption, and other risks.

How to make money with insurance? ›

4 ways to use whole life insurance as an investment
  1. Withdraw or take a loan on the cash value. ...
  2. Create generational wealth. ...
  3. Collect dividends. ...
  4. Surrender the policy (but only if you no longer need it)
Sep 6, 2023

What is considered a small business? ›

It defines small business by firm revenue (ranging from $1 million to over $40 million) and by employment (from 100 to over 1,500 employees). For example, according to the SBA definition, a roofing contractor is defined as a small business if it has annual revenues of $16.5 million or less.

How many employees is considered a small business for health insurance? ›

According to the ACA requirements for employers, business owners with fewer than 50 full-time and full-time equivalent employees are considered “small businesses.” So, if your company falls within the small business classification, you have the option to offer group health insurance or not.

What is considered a valid reason for small businesses to insure? ›

Commercial insurance can protect you from some of the most common losses experienced by business owners such as property damage, business interruption, theft, liability, and worker injury.

What type of insurance is sold to small businesses? ›

At minimum, you should start with these types of small business insurance: General liability coverage. Workers' compensation coverage. Commercial auto coverage.

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