7. Insurance And Contracts

Insurance And Contracts Overview

Framing The Question Of Contract And Insurance

Insurance is all about moving risk from you to the insurance company, so that in the event of an unfortunate circumstance, your business will emerge unscathed. The more risk you move, the safer you are - but the more you will pay in protection up front.

Contracts are about ensuring everyone involved has a clear understanding about what will happen, and legally binding all parties to keep their word.

Should I Just Skip Insurance?

If you have any assets worth protecting or that you would prefer to keep out of bankruptcy, the answer to this question is “no”. You should not skip insurance, even it is just an add-on to your current homeowner’s policy or basic liability policy.

Insurance is about shifting risk, and you want to move the big risks away from you and onto the insurance company so that if something like a lawsuit or injury takes place, you and your business will be protected.

What kind of Insurance do I need?

The short is answer is this: we don't know. And while you can become reasonably informed about business insurance by doing some independent research, you are going to need to talk to an insurance agent to get the information you need. There is no other way around it.

Small Business Insurance Basics

Insurers often combine a number of insurance coverages into a package that is sold as a single contract. The most common policy for small businesses is the Businessowners Policy (BOP). The BOP combines coverage for all major property and liability insurance risks as well as many additional coverages into one package policy suitable for most small businesses.

www.iii.org

What Insurance Do I Need to Start a Business? | The Hartford

Business insurance helps protect the investment you've made in your business. It can also help provide financial benefits to your employees if they get hurt or sick from their job. Most commercial insurance policies are optional. Your state may require you to carry certain coverages.

www.thehartford.com

Best Small Business Insurance Of 2022

If you're a small business owner, you have plenty of options when it comes to business insurance. And no small business owner wants to navigate trouble when it comes to their insurance. We evaluated the complaint records of more than 20 companies to find the best small insurance.

www.forbes.com

Introduction To Contracts

The goal of a contract is to ensure that each party’s expectations are the same, and then to compel the parties to meet those expectations in some reasonable manner.

All small businesses will enter into a legal contract at some point in time, and it is in your best interest to have an attorney look over every contract to provide insight into its soundness and ethicacy.

Here are a few contract tips:

• Read ALL of the contract. Don't skip, skim, or scan the contract.
• Get everything down in writing. Work under the operation that “If it's not in writing, it didn’t happen.”
• If you are writing a contract, consider using a preexisting template or having an attorney look it over to ensure it is reputable.
• If you don't understand what is happening at any point in te process, ask questions. Do not sign anything until it has been made clear to you.
• Contracts apply don’t solely to what is captured in written form. If you express something verbally, that can be a form of contract, too - but it is not likely to be legally enforceable.

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