Biggest Business Insurance Mistakes

Insurance Broker


Have you ever made a key mistake when purchasing your business insurance policy? If so, you are not alone, as most business owners make mistakes when buying their policies. No matter what kind of insurance you carry, there are a few things that you should know about the biggest business insurance mistakes that you can avoid. Whether you are a homeowner, auto owner, or business owner, there are a few things you must know about insurance in order to avoid big mistakes.

Common Errors

The biggest business insurance mistakes include the following.

1. Not knowing what your business really needs.

2. Not being cognizant of the coverage you are actually buying when purchasing a policy.

3. Not reading the policy and understanding it fully.

4. Not reviewing the policy on a regular basis (at least every three years) to be sure it is what you need.

5. Being fooled by fancy but extraneous insurance add-ons that appear necessary, when actually they are not.

6. Not understanding that often what you already have in your business or home is adequate coverage and that additional insurance may be unnecessary at the cost it will command.

Prince Insurance is here to support your business.

Always Consult Your Broker

Don’t make any mistakes with regard to your insurance coverages; always consult your broker so that you don’t accidentally get in trouble with your insurance provider. Depending on the broker you choose, the information you ask for may be different from the information you need to know.

Buying yourself without consulting an insurance broker puts you more at risk of making any of the mistakes listed above. A good broker knows your business and its needs very well. A good brokerage also has a network of companies that it works with, and the industry contacts to help find the best deals for you.

Contact Prince Insurance for a quote and avoid making the biggest business insurance mistakes.

Essential Insurance to Start a Business

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When starting a new business, securing it with a solid insurance policy should be one of the first things on your list. You need to cover yourself, your employees, and your commercial property against potential damage, injury, and other potentially serious issues. 

There are several types of essential insurance to start a business. Here are a few to consider when you’re opening a business. 

Workers Compensation 

These kinds of benefits are payments that cover injuries related to the work you’re doing. It’s a no-fault type of payment that’s paid regardless of whose fault it was that caused an injury. If work is the cause of severe pain or disease you’ve contracted, you’re eligible for workers compensation. 

General Liability Insurance 

Also called business liability insurance, this essential insurance to start a business protects you from a wide range of claims, including personal injury and property damage that happens during business operations. 

Auto Insurance

For any vehicles used for your business, like delivery trucks for postal services or food establishments, it helps get comprehensive auto insurance coverage in an accident. 

Property and Casualty Insurance 

This kind of insurance focuses on property and possession loss while also including liability coverage for instances where you’re deemed legally liable for an accident that injures someone or damages belongings. 

Choose Prince Insurance for Your New Business Insurance

Every business is unique. Our brokers can help you find insurance that’s tailored to your specific needs and gives you better protection. 

Plus, we’ll have insights into additional insurance that may be necessary depending on your industry or location. 

Need essential insurance to start a business right now? Look at our business insurance options and get yourself a free quote. With Prince Insurance, you’re guaranteed business insurance that covers various scenarios and prevents your bottom line from being affected. 

Risks of Running a Business Without Insurance

If you’re starting a new business, one of the first things you’ll want to do is consider the different types of insurance coverage you need. A business owner can protect against a number of common risks, including property damage, injury, and liability. You’ll need to protect your personal assets (your home, car, and personal belongings) from business-related liabilities, and you’ll also need coverage to protect your business assets from claims by customers and other entities.

Risks Without Business Insurance

Running a business without insurance is never a good idea. Not only can you potentially put your personal assets at risk, but you may also be putting your business at risk as well. There are several risks to running a business without insurance, including the risk of lawsuits, property loss, and liability issues. In case anything goes wrong, having business insurance could save your business.

While you may think that protecting your assets would be enough to get your business started, you can’t afford to overlook the other legal obligations that comes with opening up shop. For instance, you may need to cover your employees with workers’ compensation insurance, which is a state-mandated insurance plan that covers medical expenses and replaces lost wages in case of work-related injuries or illnesses.

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Insurance gives you peace of mind that you, your employees, and customers are all protected in the event of an accident occurring on the physical premises.

Business Insurance Benefits

Business insurance is not only necessary for protecting your personal assets, but there are many financial benefits of owning a business that can be protected by insurance. Business insurance protects your company’s physical assets and financial assets, including your building, equipment, inventory, and income. And it protects you from liability for personal injury and property damage.

Get a quote for a business insurance policy today.

Insurance For Small Businesses With Remote Workers

Remote Working

As people work remotely more and more, it’s becoming important to think about how to protect your business from the risks associated with remote work. The risks are not just limited to things like liability and property damage. There are also social risks that need to be addressed. One risk is the worry that an employee will get hurt while working at home or traveling for work. That is why it is especially vital to make sure you have the right business insurance policy in place.

Business Owners Insurance

Business owners insurance is not a single type of insurance policy or product. Instead, it is an umbrella term for a number of different types of policies and products.

The purpose of any business owners commercial policy is to protect the business from losses. There are a number of categories of commercial insurance: commercial property, commercial liability, commercial auto, workers compensation, and business interruption. For remote work, the most important insurance policy to have is general liability insurance.

  • General Liability Insurance: Liability coverage is very important for businesses that work with independent contractors. This type of coverage will pay for legal fees and other expenses related to your company in the event of a lawsuit.
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Prince Insurance can advice you on the appropriate insurance policies you should be looking at to make sure your remote employees are covered.

Insuring Remote Workers

Getting a business owners policy is the best method for insuring remote workers. For at-home workers, make sure that your homeowners policy will allow you to operate your business from home. For businesses, have remote workers agree to work-from-home protocols, including implementing safety measures, having the proper equipment, and using a secure network.

Contact an agent at Prince Insurance to find the right business owners insurance, such as liability insurance for insuring remote workers.

How to Find the Right Insurance Agent to Handle Your Business

There are very few businesses that don’t need some type of insurance to protect themselves, their employees, and their clients. Insurance agents are trained to help businesses find the right insurance policies to fit their needs. But how do you find a good agent? There are many to choose from, so it’s important to know what factors to consider when choosing an agent. Here are a few tips for finding an insurance agent for business insurance.

Initial Steps for Finding an Insurance Agent for Business

To get the job done right, you need to do your homework. First, get word-of-mouth referrals, if possible, for local businesses in your area and in your industry. Be sure to check the agent’s license and insurance rating. The state insurance department can tell you if the agent has any outstanding complaints or violations. Next, you should talk to other agents and anyone else that may know the agent you’re considering. To ensure your business gets the proper coverage for your industry, find an agent who is specifically in tune with your type of business. Local agents will understand the risks you face in general because they will be more familiar with the specific area.

To feel confident that you are receiving proper coverage, find an insurance team that specializes in your industry.

Final Steps for Finding an Insurance Agent for Business

Finally, once you’ve created a shortlist, interview a few prospective agents. Come prepared with questions specific to your business and industry. See if they seem knowledgeable and trustworthy to handle your business’s needs. Do they have options for coverage, and do they pick coverage based on the best value for your situation?

When finding an insurance agent for business, contact the team at Prince Insurance, who can give you a quote.

Avoid Liability Risks When Employees Return to Work

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As the pandemic’s at-home restrictions are lifted, many businesses, including restaurants and offices, are re-opening their doors to both customers and employees alike. Even though businesses are doing their best to comply with the government’s regulations regarding COVID-19, some are still concerned about the liability risks associated with the pandemic. Fortunately, having proper protection is possible through business insurance, including business liability insurance.

Liability Risks

Business liability insurance is essential because there are more liability risks associated with bringing employees back to work after the pandemic. The first step is getting the office ready to re-open by having the space professionally cleaned and disinfected to remove pathogens and bacteria. Businesses must exercise proper sanitary measures to help prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Since specific businesses have higher traffic levels, such as those in the hospitality or retail sectors, they have to be creative and safe in implementing new ways to welcome back their staff and employees.

No matter your industry, your business needs to be extra careful to make sure they are prepared to handle the ripple effects of the pandemic, such as having proper business liability insurance.

Discrimination and Harassment Claims

Be careful about deciding layoffs if staff reduction was or will be required because of the pandemic. Even if these decisions are made carefully, employees may respond with discrimination claims. Further, employees may retaliate with potential harassment claims, if they suspect that they were let go because of reasons associated with the pandemic.

Be careful not to discriminate against employees as you decide who to bring back. Don’t judge by age, race, gender, or supposed health risks. If employers are not careful about the way they make decisions, they might face discrimination or harassment claims in the future.

Contact an insurance agent at Prince Insurance to get more information on business liability insurance for your business.

Getting Insurance That is Specific to Your Industry

commercial auto insurance

Many people get insurance based on a recommendation or what their friends or family have. But what if you are in a field that you need industry specific insurance that covers your particular needs? As there are many industry specific insurance options, the smartest route to go is to speak with an insurance specialist to ensure that your business is getting the right business insurance coverage it requires according to your industry.

Why You Need Industry Specific Insurance

For example, if you work in construction, you need business insurance that covers your employees in the event of an injury. Or, if you work with chemicals, you need to make sure you have the right kind of coverage for lab work. That’s where an insurance policy that is specific to your line of work comes in. There are innovative insurance solutions to protect every industry and every business, regardless of whether they are in an established or new industry.

Having industry specific insurance will ensure that your business is receiving the correct coverage suited to your business.

How Getting Generic Insurance Can Put Your Business at Risk

Too many business owners put off researching insurance for another time, but it’s not uncommon for small business owners to end up with a policy that isn’t really suited for their needs. That’s because they may not know what questions to ask or how to spot a policy that’s bad for them. A lot of the time, these small business owners ended up with a “bare bones” business insurance policy that has a high deductible, doesn’t cover any of the “perils” they need, or doesn’t cover their employees.

To get the correct business insurance for your industry, contact Prince Insurance to start speaking with an agent today about industry specific insurance.

Pandemic Insurance Risks for Retail and Brick and Mortar Business Owners

Insurance Brokers

Brick-and-mortar stores, a major player in the insurance industry for the past century, are on the brink of extinction. With the rise of e-commerce, stores like big-box stores, specialty stores, and small mom-and-pop stores are all closing down at an alarming rate. Additionally, brick-and-mortar businesses were some of the hardest-hit establishments during the pandemic. As a result, these businesses have increased pandemic insurance risks and require specific business liability insurance.

How to Safely Reopen

The pandemic has increased the need for business liability insurance risks for brick and mortar and retail shop owners. When reopening, businesses have to move forward responsibly by mitigating liability exposure. This means ensuring that the business stays compliant with government regulations and by paying extra attention to changing policies, developments, restrictions, and reopening timelines. As there are increased pandemic insurance risks, merely following the rules might not be sufficient. Businesses will be expected to uphold a higher standard of care due to the serious nature of the health crisis.

As businesses begin to reopen their doors, employers have to take the necessary steps reducing liability risks related to the pandemic.

Re-evaluating Exposure

With stores reopening, it’s time to re-evaluate your business’s exposure. Due to less customer traffic and closure, exposure may have diminished, reducing rates. However, general liability may increase as you begin to open up again. Either way, businesses must reopen according to COVID-19 guidelines, with safety and health in mind to reduce exposure and pandemic insurance risks. For example, businesses must ensure that their premises are as safe as possible, and to warn of the spread of COVID-19 if their business becomes aware of cases through their contact tracing.

Contact Prince Insurance to start planning your business insurance and for advice on how to mitigate pandemic insurance risks.

Mitigate Business Insurance Risks of Working From Home

Business Insurance

With the increased popularity of remote work, companies are faced with a dilemma: do they allow employees to continue to work from home to save on overhead costs, or do they require employees to work in office environments? Either way, there are risks and benefits associated with both choices, and both choices require adequate business insurance coverage.

With remote working, there is a new wave of legal issues arising in regards to workers compensation and liability insurance for remote workers. For example, If your employees work from home, or at coffee shops, or in other remote locations, you need to make sure they protect themselves from hackers. They are more vulnerable than if they were sitting at their desks, and they need to know that their actions have real consequences.

An employer may still be found liable for events that occur to an employee in the course of employment. With the right business insurance accounting for remote workers, an employer can feel confident that their business is properly protected — regardless of where their employees are.

Working From Home Safety Risks

There are numerous safety risks associated with working from home, including the following:

  • Unsafe at-home work environments, such as environments vulnerable to events like fires, theft, and flooding
  • Injuries that occur in the home office
  • Cyber-security risks increased as remote workers may be viewed as soft targets to cybercriminals
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Unlike in the office space illustrated above, employers do not have control over the safety of an at-home work environment.

How to Mitigate Insurance Risks

There are many ways for employers to mitigate insurance risks and workers compensation claims:

  • Enforce at-home safety protocols
  • Instate cyber protocols to prevent cyberattacks
  • Enforce cybersecurity measures to prevent data from being compromised

Working from home for good? Discuss how to mitigate insurance risks and business insurance options with a trusted agent at Prince Insurance.

Essential Insurance Every Business Should Have

commercial building insurance

If you’re starting your own business, you may be thinking that you don’t need insurance for your startup. After all, you’re the boss, and you don’t need insurance, right? Wrong. If you’re planning to open a business, no matter the type, you need to have coverage. Adequate coverage is vital if you want to protect your business against financial loss. It protects your hard-earned assets and income against unforeseen events like fire, theft, and lawsuits. Your business insurance policy can cover your property, employees, products, and more, as well as offering liability protection.

Risky Business

The biggest reason to get business insurance for your business is to protect your assets. Even if your company is small, you still have valuable assets that should be protected, including your equipment, your building, and your data. If you have a storefront, your inventory is part of your assets. Aside from protecting yourself, additional business insurance will also protect your employees if they are injured while working. As your business grows, you’ll acquire more assets, and you’ll need to add more coverage for protection. But when you’re just starting out, figuring out what’s right for you can be tough, which is why you should meet with an insurance specialist to discuss your options.

Types of Essential Business Insurance

In a nutshell, these are the types of essential business insurance:

Protect your company with essential business insurance.
  • Professional Liability: protects your business from lawsuits related to the services you offer.
  • Property Insurance: insures your business’s property.
  • Workers’ Compensation: covers employees for any on-the-job injuries.
  • Product Liability: protects business owners from lawsuits regarding manufacturing defects.
  • Business Vehicle Insurance: covers your business’s vehicles.

Confused about which types of essential business insurance your company requires? Contact an agent at Prince Insurance to discuss your business’s needs and to receive a quote.