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CCV Insurance Offers Hassle-Free Small Business Insurance

Running a business is no cakewalk. In a constantly shifting economy, starting and operating a small business is not something for the faint of heart. For business owners to succeed, they must hone their business plans, remain competitive, promote innovation and get insured. 

As a small business owner in Ontario, getting the right insurance is crucial to ensure your company’s profitability isn’t compromised in the event of a claim. At CCV Insurance, we work with our insurance partners to get you the small business insurance that fits your operations — not the other way around. We take the guess work away and provide you with detailed and easy-to-understand coverage. 

Small business insurance is an investment in your business’ longevity; so, if you’re thinking of becoming an entrepreneur or if you already have a small business in the works, insurance is a critical step. Many businesses fail before they’ve even gotten the chance to fully prove themselves to the world because of a small incident — whether that’s a slip-and-fall lawsuit or an unexpected fire that burned down their mom-and-pop corner shop.  

 

What is Small Business Insurance? 

Small business insurance is a grouping of coverages, designed to protect your business from financial devastation if something should happen unexpectedly. Accidents happen, mistakes happen, and those incidents could impact your business’ ability to operate. Without the right small business insurance, your business could fail before it has even had a proper run. 

Small business insurance is paid for via a premium, which is a pre-determined amount of money that a company pays to its insurance provider in exchange for staying insured. This amount can vary depending on the kind of business you run, what you sell, your industry and other several other factors. 

Small business insurance is an umbrella term for multiple different types of business insurance. Commonly, a business might have a policy that consists of small business liability insurance (or general liability insurance), commercial property insurance, business interruption insurance and so on. Every business has different needs. Small business insurance can be customized depending on those needs, and CCV Insurance’s small business insurance brokers are here to help your business get what it needs. 

Insurance Products for Your Small Business 

It’s inevitable that mistakes will happen, and those mistakes may affect some aspects of your business, such as your employees, your customers or your reputation. Small business insurance is designed to cover an individual business, which may mean that your coverage could look different from another business’. If everyone had the same business insurance policy, then not everyone would be getting the coverage that they truly need. That’s why there are so many options and so many different things to choose to truly customize your small business insurance. Here’s a list of the most important coverages for your small business. 

General Liability Insurance 

General liability insurance, or business liability insurance, is critical coverage for any business that interacts with clients on any level. It covers you and your employees if your business activities result in someone’s bodily injury or property damage, or if a person is injured on your business premises (called premises liability.) This insurance covers legal expenses, settlements, medical bills, judgement awards, administrative fees and so on. It’s also referred to as commercial general liability insurance. 

Professional Liability Insurance 

This type of insurance isn’t needed by all businesses. But professional services or occupations— like lawyers, consultants, medical professionals and so on — may need this form of small business liability insurance to protect themselves from being sued by dissatisfied clients who allege errors or omissions. This form of insurance is also sometimes referred to as errors and omissions insurance. 

Product Liability Insurance 

If your business sells a product and that product is determined to be faulty, causing illness or injury to the customer that purchased it, product liability insurance can offer protection for your business for the ensuing costs you are held liable for. 

These three coverages are just a few types of the small business insurance you could be needing. In truth, there’s a wide array of other coverages that can be discussed further with the help of one of CCV Insurance’s small business insurance brokers. Other coverages you may want to consider, depending on your business, include: 

  • Commercial vehicle insurance 
  • Pollution liability insurance 
  • Directors and officers insurance 
  • Equipment breakdown insurance 
  • Business interruption insurance 
  • Workers’ compensation insurance 
  • Product recall insurance 

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Why Do I Need Small Business Insurance? 

Every business has a variety of assets ranging from office space to inventory, including you and your employees. Think about it: What does your business need to run successfully? What would happen if one or more of these elements are impacted? What does that do to your income and your ability to pay your staff? Insurance is your best protection against risks that could negatively impact your business. Our small business insurance brokers are experts in identifying these risks and finding the insurance that will best protect you in the event of a loss. 

A question we often get asked is, “Is small business insurance mandatory?” You can operate a small business without insurance— but we highly advised that you don’t. Since many small businesses begin with very little financial cushioning, and many might still owe money to their lenders and financial institutions, having insurance is a way of protecting your operations from the risks you could encounter just by simply doing business.  

If an accident occurs and a business is uninsured, the company will remain liable for any injured parties or damages and must pay all compensation, legal costs and so on out of its own funds. Unfortunately, in many cases, this could result in a business ceasing operations altogether and going bankrupt. 

Ultimately, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Small business insurance is a necessary business expense, and the money you’d save by skipping out likely won’t be worth it in the end.  

 

How Much Does Small Business Insurance Cost? 

Small business insurance ranges in cost. The costs for small business insurance may be based upon several different variables, but what it comes down to for the most part is your business’ risk appetite, and what influences that risk. You might find that an amusement park with dozens, if not hundreds of rides and thousands of customers each day will probably pay a great deal of money for its insurance, whereas a small retail store that sells art supplies will pay a lot less. Both businesses need insurance, but they have very different risk profiles. The factors listed below can impact your small business insurance rates: 

  • Your business’ location. Similar to residential property insurance, where your business is physically placed will affect its costs. Foot traffic, crime rates, weather events and more may contribute to how much you’ll pay. 
  • Your business’ annual revenue. This helps to determine the levels of lost income your business will need for business interruption insurance, if it’s ever faced with a loss which forces it to close its doors temporarily. 
  • Your business’ size. The larger your business is, physically or otherwise, the more likely a risk is to go unnoticed and later cause potential issues. Typically, the smaller the business is, the less expensive its insurance may be. 
  • Your business’ industry. Some industries are simply more prone to risk than others. Businesses that sell silverware may pay less for their insurance than businesses that manufacture memorials for loved ones who have passed.  
  • Your business’ experience. Newer businesses with less experience are likelier to make errors, simply due to the nature of what they do. You may expect these businesses to pay more for their insurance than a business that’s been around for a few years. 

 

Working with a CCV Insurance small business insurance broker is undoubtedly one of the best ways to get an affordable price. If you’re looking for further advice to get the best possible rates, see these tips: 

 

How Can I Get More Affordable Small Business Insurance? 

Our team at CCV Insurance is comprised of dependable experts who have the connections and knowledge to help you get a competitive rate on your small business insurance. Our experienced brokers work on your behalf and will help you find all the right solutions.  

We advocate for you first, so you’ll get all the possible options rather than being pushed to purchase from one specific insurance company. We don’t love the word cheap when in context with insurance, because that would imply cutting corners — and for your business, that’s a lose-lose situation. We would prefer you get affordable small business insurance that is comprehensive rather than the cheapest policy available.  

Part of getting more affordable small business insurance is implementing proper risk management strategies. Depending on your small business, this might look like: 

  • Only hiring individuals whose backgrounds have been checked. Your business needs a strong team to see success, and human error is one of the biggest reasons for loss. 
  • Training employees appropriately. Have employees re-take an orientation course each year, if possible and applicable. If any new protocol or strategies are implemented, inform each employee on what their responsibilities and roles look like. 
  • Clean and inspect equipment before each use. Your equipment may be vital to your business, and having poorly maintained tools could mean an unexpected breakdown or even shoddy workmanship. It could even cause injury to a customer or an employee. 
  • Have every employee aware of their responsibilities, roles and who to report to. This ensures a smooth chain of communication. 
  • If incidents occur, make sure every member of your team knows to file an incident report and what to include in that incident report. 
  • For businesses that offer a service, have each customer or client sign a waiver which clearly states the risks and potential outcomes of the service you provide. Make sure everyone is aware of what their responsibility is, what they’re to do and so on. 

 

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Insurance is only one aspect of a larger risk management strategy, and it’s not something you should fall back on each and every time something goes wrong. Having adequate risk mitigation strategies in place can reduce the chances of a lawsuit or loss, which, in turn, can help you get more affordable small business insurance. Insurance is just a part of risk management, not the whole thing! Be sure you’re looking after your business from every possible angle so you can foster innovation and growth for many years to come. 

Get the Right Insurance for Your Small Business Today

Getting business insurance does not have to be a hassle. Our team of experienced and knowledgeable brokers will do the work for you. We have access to the top insurance markets in the world, which means we can provide you with affordable and flexible insurance solutions for your unique business needs. Get a free, no obligation quote today!

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