SPONSORED POST: Run your own business? Then ensuring you have sufficient cover when working with clients is essential - Follow these steps to ensure you're covered
The breadth of the green economy means that environmental businesses engage with their clients in multiple ways. From engineers working on innovative renewables projects to consultants spending time at clients' offices, green professionals work with a host of customers and partners in many different ways, all of which bring varying levels of risk that need managing through insurance and effective risk mitigation practices. Consequently, when finding the right insurance for your business, it is vital to consider how you interact with yourclients and where you meet them.
Clients you visit
If like most green businesses you're out and about meeting clients, you need to ensure you have sufficient public liability insurance. It is especially important if you meet clients face to face. Are you a solar panel installer or green builder for instance, undertaking a project in a client's house or office? You have a duty of care to your clients if you cause damage to their property when you're carrying out work.
One step you need to take to ensure you're covered when working with clients is to confirm your public insurance covers 'Licensees' - that's employees or contractors working for you, who are carrying out jobs on other people's premises.
Clients visiting you
Secondly, you need to confirm that your insurance covers clients visiting you on your business premises. Do you have customers coming into your offices or facilities? If they do, you need to ensure your insurance covers 'invitees'.
Clients you don't meet
Perhaps, in the interest of curbing emissions and travel costs, you run an online business and rarely meet your customers. In this case, your public liability may be lower - but you still need to ensure you cover all eventualities. You may need to consider product liability too, for instance.
Uninvited guests
Unfortunately, even if you have all these third party risks covered businesses still have to contend with uninvited guests or 'trespassers' from time to time, and you need to ensure you're covered for this eventuality. Check that your insurance covers people you haven't invited onto your premises - just in case.
If you want to speak to other business owners to discuss your concerns, then consider joining the Federation of Small Businesses.
The scope of your insurance
When considering your business insurance, ensure it has sufficient scope and covers all of the following:
- Medical bills
- Compensation
- Repairs
- Loss of income
- Business disruption
Perhaps a customer has fallen over on your premises, or you've accidently caused damage to a client's property. If you're not sure you have the right insurance; then speak to an experienced insurance advisor to discuss your needs and ensure you're covered.
Do you need public liability insurance?
If you run a business, you're strongly advised to have public liability insurance. In fact, it is increasingly becoming a prerequisite for contracts - especially in the public sector - so having insurance may improve your competitive edge and help grow your business.
Do you have employees?
Public liability insurance is about protecting the public including your customers - but not your employees. If you have employees, you'll need Employers' liability too. If you're just setting up business and need advice on recruiting an employee, then read this handy Acas guide.
We hope these easy steps have helped you to ensure you're green business is fully covered when meeting clients - giving you peace of mind.
This post was provided by Be Wiser Insurance
