What Insurance Does Your Ice Cream Business Need?
Every year entrepreneurs decide to follow their dreams and open a small business. Around 5.4 million new businesses were launched in 2021. Starting your own business is a great way to follow your passions and be your own boss.
Owning your own company can be exciting, especially if you're operating an ice cream business. Who doesn't love a delicious scoop of their favorite ice cream flavor on a hot day? However, as a business owner, you should ensure your business can be protected against unforeseen circumstances.
One of the best ways to do that is by getting insurance policies for your company. It can be overwhelming to figure out what types of insurance you should consider. This guide will discuss what policies you may want to choose when owning a business and how PolicySweet® can help.
Business Owners Policy
A Business Owner Policy (BOP) includes multiple insurance policies rolled into one package. It's a convenient, one-stop option for the business insurance policies you may be considering. You'll likely make a single premium payment on one policy instead of individual payments for each type of coverage.
At PolicySweet, there are three main types of coverage included in this type of insurance package. They are:
- General liability insurance
- Property insurance
- Cyber-risk insurance
BOP coverage can protect your businesses from several liabilities, but there are some exclusions. You may want to add additional coverage on top of the BOP. We'll go into more detail later about what those types of policies could be.
Why Would I Want a BOP?
You may want to protect your business when you sell ice cream. A BOP could help reduce the amount you may have to pay out of pocket for an unexpected expense. You might consider a BOP if:
- You have customers that visit your ice cream shop
- You have assets that need protection
- You retain private customer info
BOP coverage typically isn't required by local or state governments. However, it is not a bad idea to obtain general liability insurance to help protect your assets and business in the event of a lawsuit.
General Liability Insurance
There are a couple of other terms for general liability insurance. They include:
- Commercial general liability insurance
- Business liability insurance
Most ice cream shop owners have general liability insurance. It could provide you with coverage for various claims that happen during your business operations. This could include third-party bodily injuries and property damage.
If you don't have general liability insurance, you may have to pay for the cost of claims and damages out of pocket. Some of the claims general liability might cover, in addition to the things mentioned above, include:
- Advertising injuries
- Reputational harm
- Accusations of slander or libel
- Medical expenses for injured third-parties
Keep in mind that general liability insurance typically only helps cover claims for third parties. It won't provide coverage in a scenario where one of your employees gets injured. You'd have to explore another policy, like Workers' Compensation.
Why Should I Consider General Liability Insurance?
There are a couple of reasons you might consider this type of policy. They are:
- If you or your staff interact with customers in person
- If you market or advertise your company
- If you or your staff work at third-party locations
Property Insurance
Property insurance could help protect the physical assets at your ice cream shop. Some of the things that could be covered include:
- Tools
- Fixtures
- Furniture
- Equipment
The insurance coverage applies to items that are rented or owned by your business. It might compensate you for items that were damaged, lost, or stolen. This could include replacement or repair costs.
Business property insurance is one of the coverages included in our BOP policies. It could be beneficial for an ice cream shop if you have a large amount of inventory or expensive equipment that may need protection.
Cyber-Risk Insurance
Another term for cyber-risk insurance is cyber liability insurance. This coverage can protect your ice cream store against cyber-related losses and crimes. Examples of these types of scenarios include:
- Network security attacks
- Data breaches
- Technology-related risks
Your business could be held liable for costs related to a cyberattack that compromised your customers' data. It could provide compensation for legal fees and notifying affected customers.
You might want to explore cyber insurance policy if you store information electronically like:
- Bank or credit card information
- Addresses
- Names
- Email addresses
- Drivers license information
- Social security numbers
- Phone numbers
As an ice cream business owner, you likely accept digital or credit card payments. You might use computers or other devices to accept these forms of payment. Cyber insurance can help protect you in the event a hacker accesses your network.
Workers' Compensation
As we mentioned earlier, general liability coverage won't help you if one of your employees gets injured. Workers' Compensation is designed to provide you and your employees with a safety net if an unfortunate event occurs. These policies help protect workers if they become ill or injured at work.
Some of the costs this type of policy might cover include:
- Injury or accident
- Missed wages
- Illness
- Disability
- Ongoing support
A Workers' Comp policy can help your workers recover and return to work quickly.
HomeHQ
Our HomeHQSM policy is designed for businesses that operate out of a home. There might be some aspects of your ice cream company that you do at your house. This coverage can provide you with protection for liabilities that your renters or homeowners insurance plan may not cover.
For example, if your ice cream business operates from a cart or kiosk then our HomeHQ policy is for you. The coverage included in this policy are:
- Business property insurance
- Business liability insurance
- Business stock insurance
Learn About Your Insurance Options for Your Ice Cream Business
Running an ice cream business can be a fun and exciting venture. You can brighten people's days with a hot fudge sundae or ice cream cone. Preparing yourself for the future can help you avoid unforeseen circumstances that might happen to your business.
Business insurance policies from PolicySweet can give you "peace of mind". We offer a wide range of coverage that could protect your business. Get started on a free quote today.