Katrina Terry
Making sure that the commercial insurance needs of your new business are being met can be one of the more important responsibilities that you can have. Despite the importance of this task, many business owners will fail to consider a handful of tips that can help them to maximize the protection that they get from these policies.
1. Understand The Full Scope Of The Risks To Your Business
Many individuals will simply focus on fires, crime, and other obvious sources of damage. However, there can be many threats that may go overlooked. For example, individuals will frequently fail to invest in any flood protection due to being far from a body of water. Yet, this overlooks the sizable damages that can come from flash flooding. Additionally, businesses that are located near hills or mountains may be at a risk of being damaged in a landslide. While performing a comprehensive threat analysis will be a significant investment of your time, it can be worth the effort to ensure your business is protected against all of the hazards that it may experience.
2. Protect Yourself Against Costly Interruptions
It is possible for your business to face the prospects of being closed in response to damage from severe weather, fire, or other potential hazards. In these instances, you may find that the lost revenue and profits can be a devastating blow. Fortunately, there are business interruption policies that will provide at least a portion of the lost revenue for covered sources of closure. This coverage can be especially important for small and medium-sized businesses that may lack the capital reserves to weather these losses. These claims will be calculated based on the average revenue of the business, and you will need to present proof of the revenues you claim. For this reason, you should keep copies of your business's financial records in a safe location.
3. Set A Formal Schedule For Reviewing Your Insurance Coverage
Many business leaders will make the mistake of being careless when it comes to reviewing and updating their coverage. This can have the consequence of leaving the business drastically under-insured. When this is the case, expansions and equipment upgrades can dramatically increase the losses from major damaging events. In fact, this can result in the damages far exceeding the policy limits. To prevent this, you should review your coverage at least once a year to make sure that it still reflects an adequate amount for your enterprise. If your business is going through a period of rapid expansions, it may be worthwhile to perform this type of evaluation twice a year.
When you start thinking about getting insurance, it can be overwhelming to hear the advice from family and friends. While some people might encourage you to stockpile money and insure yourself, others might warn about the expense of paying for car repairs or a stay in the hospital. However, even the most conservative financial experts talk about the importance of having sound insurance. Because it can be difficult to find the right policies, I decided to create a website completely dedicated to providing free information about insurance. Every situation is different, but if you are like most people, you will need a decent homeowners, medical, auto, and life insurance policy to protect you from unforeseen circumstances.