Dry cleaners insurance

Public liability insurance

In case your business and products cause an injury or property damage.

What’s typically covered by public liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• damage to someone else’s property, caused by your work
• injuries caused by you at work, or afterwards because of your work
• accidental injury or damage caused by your employees (if you have any)

For example:

• you accidentally knock your client’s car when parking outside their house, causing damage to the paintwork on one side
• a customer trips on a loose cable while on your premises, falling and breaking their arm in several places
• an employee is mopping the floor, but forgets to put up a safety sign, causing an electrician to fall and injure their back

**If you do employ anyone, you’re usually required by law to have employers’ liability insurance too.**

Read more about public liability insurance

Employers’ liability insurance

In case anyone gets ill or injured while working for your sweet shop

What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• an injury to someone you employ, including contractors and temps, that happens as a result of working for you
• a member of staff (including casual workers) falling ill due to your business

**Employers’ liability insurance is usually required by law if you employ anyone – including part-time staff, temporary workers, and in most cases, volunteers. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 for every day you don’t have cover in place. A main exemption is unincorporated family businesses where all your employees are family members.**

For example:

• one of your employees falls down some stairs in your business premises, and makes a claim against you for chronic shoulder pain
• a temporary employee traps their hand in a door at your premises, causing several fractures
• a member of staff trips on a ledge on their way to a meeting, injuring their hip

Buildings insurance

In case something happens to your business premises.

What’s typically covered by business building insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• repair and rebuild costs after damage caused by a storm, fire, or vandalism
• fittings and fixtures that get damaged
• underground pipes and cables, if you’re responsible for them

For example:

• someone tries to force entry into your shop, damaging the door, which needs replacing
• a burst pipe causes water damage to floorboards and walls – they need to be replaced
• equipment catches fire and damages your building, which will need to be completely rebuilt

Read more about business buildings insurance

Contents insurance

In case something happens to your fixtures, fittings, or operational equipment.

What’s typically covered by business contents insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• damage and destruction caused by flood, fire, vandalism, or theft
• cover for your contents and the equipment needed to run your business

For example:

• a flood spreads to your office floor and means you need to replace several desk chairs
• your photocopier and fax machine are badly damaged during a break-in
• four business smartphones are stolen from your premises

Read more about busines contents insurance

Stock insurance

In case something happens to your products and consumables.

What’s typically covered by stock insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• loss, damage or theft of essential stock
• destruction of stock caused by fire or flood
• the cost of replacing items that you’re going to sell

For example :

• a fire in your shop destroys key stock
• your stockroom gets flooded by a leaking pipe
• someone breaks into your shop, stealing stock and damaging stock they leave behind

Read more about stock insurance

Business interruption insurance

In case something is stolen or damaged and you lose income.

What’s typically covered by business interruption insurance?

• you can’t trade because of stock, contents, or building damage

For example:

• your inventory is damaged and you lose income because you’re unable to sell
• your work laptop is stolen or damaged and you can’t run your business

Read more about business interruption insurance

Business legal insurance

In case you’re hit with legal expenses connected to your business.

What’s typically covered by business legal insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• VAT disputes
• theft of your company’s identity illegally
• compensation under data protection legislation

For example:

• HMRC is investigating your VAT affairs, triggered by seemingly incorrect figures on your return
• a fraudster steals your company’s bank details and buys goods to set up a new line of credit with banks or retailers
• a client is claiming you didn’t process their data in accordance with GDPR, and is seeking compensation

Read more about business legal insurance

Personal accident insurance

In case anyone you’ve covered is accidentally injured, at work or away from work.

What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?

• compensation if you or an employee are injured in an accident, including weekly payments if you or they are unable to work for two weeks or more
• virtual Medical Care service with unlimited 24/7 access to medical advice, consultations, referrals and prescriptions
• 24/7 access to myStrength emotional health support app

You can buy this cover for:

• yourself
• your employees

For example:

• imagine one of your employees breaks their leg in an accident and is out of work for six weeks. Personal accident insurance would provide £300 for the broken leg diagnosis. After the employee’s second week off, you’d receive four weekly payments to assist with costs during their absence. You could use the money as you wish – whether for loss of earnings, hiring a temporary replacement, or compensating the injured employee.

What’s not covered?

• issues caused by sickness, illness, or disease
• conditions that develop over time without a direct connection to an accident
• mental illness, even if triggered by an accident
• self-inflicted injuries
• accidents that occur under the influence of drugs or misuse of medication
• deliberate exposure to danger, except when attempting to save a life
• injuries caused by taking part in a professional or semi-professional sport

Read more about personal accident insurance