What insurance do
you need?

What if I make a mistake?

Professional indemnity insurance helps if a client says they’ve lost money because you made a mistake or didn’t do what was agreed. Or maybe a third party says you used their content without permission. It pays to fix your mistake(s), pays for any damages, and pays for legal experts to fight your corner. That’s important because you have to defend a negligence claim against you – valid or not.

You need professional indemnity insurance to protect your reputation, save your client relationships and free you up to run your business.

What if someone falls down my stairs?

Public liability insurance pays legal costs and compensation if someone’s injured or their property’s damaged when visiting you (and it’s your fault). It works the other way round too – if you’re out and about on business and cause an accident, say.

You need public liability insurance because ‘where there’s blame there’s a claim’ has an inconvenient ring of truth about it.

What if something happens to my stuff?

Office contents insurance pays to replace all your office fixtures, fittings and equipment if it’s damaged, lost or stolen. So that’s chairs, desks, computers, printers, stock and everything else, down to the last teaspoon. Only personal items aren’t included.

You need office contents insurance because you’ve got better things to spend time and money on than fitting out your office. Again.

What if where I work is out of action?

Business interruption insurance keeps you up and running when your usual workspace is damaged or inaccessible – say, if there’s been a fire or flood. It pays for you to set up shop elsewhere and it covers any income gaps until things are back to normal.

It goes hand-in-hand with your office contents cover. One takes care of replacing what’s needed, the other keeps you working while that’s happening.

You need business interruption insurance because, well, what’s your plan B?

What if I leave my laptop on the train?

Portable equipment insurance covers loss of, damage to, and theft of things your business owns and takes out and about. That could be tech such as phones, tablets, digital cameras and so on, or specifics such as survey equipment and event banners.

You need portable equipment insurance because butter fingers and light fingers cause expensive and inconvenient problems.

What if one of my employees is hurt?

Employers’ liability insurance is a must-have by law for any business with permanent or temporary staff, interns, work experience students or volunteers. If one of your team is injured or ill, and they say it’s because of their work, they have the right to claim against you for damages.

If that happens, employers’ liability insurance pays for legal costs and for any compensation you’re liable for.

You need employers’ liability insurance because the law says you do. And that’s probably a good enough reason.

What if I’m hacked?

Cyber liability insurance helps your business recover quickly following a cyber-attack. It pays for IT experts to investigate and fix your systems and websites, and covers ransom payments to unscrupulous crims. If personal data you hold (or held) has gone missing in a breach, it helps with contacting everyone affected and picks up the costs and compensation if you’re sued for the loss.

It also covers lost income if your downtime means you can’t work as normal, and pays for a PR agency to help keep your hard-won reputation in one piece.

You need cyber liability insurance because, these days, it takes more than a decent lock to keep criminals out of your business.

What if someone in charge makes a mistake?

Did you know, as the boss, you’re personally liable for the business decisions you make? That means you have to pay if a shareholder, regulator, competitor, employee or member of the public alleges mismanagement, a health and safety breach, discrimination and so on.

If that happens, directors’ insurance fights your corner, covering your legal fees and paying any compensation.

You need directors’ and officers’ insurance because you don’t want to have to sell your car to fund your day in court.

What if someone has an accident and can’t work?

Personal accident insurance pays your business a lump sum if you or an employee is permanently injured, or killed, in an accident. It also helps with recruitment costs if you need temporary cover, and picks up the tab for medical expenses.

You need personal accident insurance because people are fragile. And that means your business is too.

What if my office burns to the ground?

Buildings insurance covers the cost of repairing or rebuilding where you work – if you own it – and it’s damaged by fire, flood, or an accident.

You need buildings insurance because the nearest coffee shop is no place to run a business.

What if something I sell causes a problem?

Product liability insurance covers you if someone’s injured or their property’s damaged by something they bought from you. Like, say, a chair collapses and the person sitting on it breaks their wrist. It pays to defend you if there’s a claim for damages, and it also covers any compensation.

You need product liability insurance because compensation culture is rife and there’s always someone to blame.

What if my stuff stops working?

Equipment breakdown insurance comes in handy if you rely on certain kit to run your business. If something unexpectedly doesn’t do its job (and it’s not down to plain-old wear and tear), your insurance pays to repair or replace it.

You need equipment breakdown insurance because out-of-action tech often means a bigger cost to your business than just the bill to replace it.

What if there’s a problem with my business, not my work?

Legal expenses insurance pays for expert help if you have to deal with a dispute, complaint or other business-related problem. That could be anything from getting advice on chasing outstanding invoices, to handling a disagreement with your neighbour.

You need legal expenses insurance because specialist help of any kind always costs.