Does commercial insurance cover expenses if my business is temporarily closed?

The only thing you can count on in the world is that everything has risks. One of the risks many business owners don’t account for is the possibility that the business will be temporarily closed due to circumstances beyond their control.

While the business is closed, it cannot earn money. However, your bills still need to be paid, including:

  • mortgage or rent
  • utilities
  • insurance premiums
  • employee wages
  • taxes
  • loans

Your business may also have other regular needs that you need to keep paying for. Asheville Insurance Center can help you ensure you have the coverage you need in case of a business closure.

How Much Coverage Do You Need?

When setting up your policy, you will need to figure out your regular expenses. The amount of coverage you are eligible for depends on how much you normally need based on your business records. 

Business interruption insurance also typically has coverage in case you need to temporarily operate out of another location.

How Does Business Interruption Insurance Work?

A specific event, such as a fire or storm, will trigger a claim. Your policy will describe what kind of events qualify, and it is important to understand the limitations. Some events are not covered, such as flooding. 

You may need to have extra coverage for certain kinds of circumstances. For instance, you might need to pay extra expenses when operating out of another location. You might also need coverage to get your building up to code while rebuilding.

Contact Asheville Insurance Center for More Information

Make sure your Asheville, NC, small business has the protection it needs. Call Asheville Insurance Center today so we can give you your options.

Your Business Liability Exposure – Can Umbrella Insurance Help Protect Your Assets?

If you’re a business owner, chances are you have a significant stake in your business that you’d like to protect. At Asheville Insurance Center in Asheville, NC, we’ve been honored to follow the long-term growth of many clients’ businesses. We’re skilled at helping them choose insurance coverage that matches their growing success and expanding activities. In addition to specific coverages that we recommend for most businesses, umbrella coverage helps protect your business assets.

Reasonable Premiums, Wise Protection

Umbrella coverage comes into play when your company’s exposure extends beyond basic coverage, placing valuable assets at risk. As your business grows, these assets may even be personal in origin, brought into the business to help it succeed. You probably considered the decision based on your business’s future, but did you consider the unexpected? That’s where umbrella insurance steps in to ensure your wise or ambitious business decisions don’t have an unexpected downside.

When Your Business Is Also Personal

One of the primary goals of your business is likely to be asset-building over time, and you’re putting in a lot of effort and dedication to make it happen. Partnering with your insurance agent helps keep your business on track. Many small businesses operate out of homes or garages or otherwise combine personal property and business activities in ways that could have liability consequences. At Asheville Insurance Center, we can help you with your Asheville, NC business. Our team ensures you have the right combination of business and personal insurance coverages to keep your success on track. Call us, and we can get to know you and your business. Then, we can provide the information and insurance guidance to help you succeed!

Who needs commercial insurance?

Commercial insurance is an essential part of any business. It provides financial protection to businesses against various risks and losses. This type of coverage helps protect the business in the Asheville, NC area from potential lawsuits, property damage, liability claims, and other financial issues that may arise from doing business.

For any organization–from a large corporation to a small home-based business–purchasing commercial insurance is essential for protecting its interests. Commercial insurance covers many areas, including property damage, general liability, errors and omissions (E&O), product liability, workers’ compensation, cyber security, professional indemnity, and more.

Business owners who are just starting should be particularly proactive about obtaining adequate commercial insurance coverage. Having the right coverage can help protect a business from financial losses if something unexpected happens. Even established companies need to review their policies regularly and ensure they are up-to-date on any changes or regulations in their industry.

Commercial insurance is also essential for business owners who employ staff, as this type of coverage can provide protection for the employer’s legal obligations and liabilities related to employee injury or illness. Employers should ensure that their commercial insurance policies cover all liability aspects, including workers’ compensation, disability benefits, and unemployment insurance.

Businesses that operate in different states will often require separate sets of policies depending on the state laws that apply to them. Companies with employees working in multiple states may find it beneficial to consult with an insurance professional at Asheville Insurance Center who is knowledgeable about each state’s different regulations.

If you have additional questions, call us at Asheville Insurance Center today. We proudly serve the Asheville, NC area.

4 Benefits of Commercial Insurance in North Carolina

Owning a business is a dream come true for many. While it’s a good way to earn a living, it comes with many risks. Fortunately, you can mitigate these risks by having commercial insurance in place. That said, there are several benefits of purchasing quality commercial insurance. Here are the benefits you will enjoy when you buy commercial insurance from Asheville Insurance Center in North Carolina.

Liability protection

Liability claims can be costly to the point of leaving you with debts. Any business selling a service or a product attracts a certain amount of liability. For example, you will be held accountable when a customer gets hurt by using your products or service. Thankfully, commercial insurance protects you against these risks.

Asset protection

Every business has some valuable assets that are costly to replace. And it would help if you had a good plan to protect these assets. Fortunately, commercial insurance is a great option. In an unthinkable event like fire or theft, the policy steps in and pays you to replace the lost assets.

Employee protection

Employees are your greatest asset. Not even your products or service can replace your employee’s worth. The law requires that you get workers’ compensation insurance if you have employees. This coverage protects your employees against injuries and illnesses. Plus, it covers partial loss of income and final expenses.

It gives your business an added advantage

Many investors want to associate with a business proactive in risk management. The same principle applies to customers and contractors alike. Commercial insurance boosts your business reputation, setting it apart from other businesses.  

Commercial insurance in Asheville, NC

We can conclude that the future is unpredictable and that every business needs commercial insurance to back it up. If you are in Asheville, NC, and its environs shopping for commercial insurance, look no further than Asheville Insurance Center. Contact us today for an affordable quote.

Types of Commercial Insurance

Historic Asheville, NC offers many exciting things to do and see. If you own one of its businesses or plan to start a new business, you have a few extra steps to go through, such as obtaining permissions from the historical society if you want to locate your business in a historic building or location. It would be best if you also had business insurance, also referred to as commercial insurance.

More than ten commercial insurance versions exist, including E&O for manufacturers and commercial auto for fleet vehicles. That makes it tough to decide which policy to buy. With business insurance, there is not a one-size-fits-all policy. You must obtain proper insurance to reduce the financial risk of your business. You should obtain a free consultation from Asheville Insurance Center to determine which type of commercial insurance your business requires.

Even those running a home business need special commercial insurance such as a commercial auto policy to protect their vehicle while doing business. Let’s take a commercial auto policy as an example. You would probably not guess that three types exist – a full coverage general policy, public hire livery insurance, private hire livery insurance. The general policy a business owner needs for the auto they drive to meets, worksites, etc. Livery insurance applies to drivers of passenger carrying vehicles. A taxi or cab driver needs public hire livery insurance, while a limousine driver requires private hire livery insurance. The wrong policy does not cover loss or reduce the risk associated with doing business. Only by meeting with your insurance agent and conferring with them can you determine which of the following policy types your business needs:

  • Tenant’s policy
  • Law or ordinance
  • Officers’ and directors’ liability policy
  • Professional liability, also called malpractice.
  • Inland marine
  • Glass
  • Errors and omissions (E & O)
  • Debris removal
  • Crime
  • Commercial auto
  • Construction, also called builder’s risk.
  • Business interruption
  • Business owner’s policy (BOP) combines the four most necessary policy types.
  • Boiler and machinery are also called equipment breakdown.

Call or stop by Asheville Insurance Center today. We serve the Asheville, NC metro with the insurance it needs to do business with reduced risk. Let us help you find what you need.

Why Commercial Insurance Is Necessary

Every business in Asheville, NC needs commercial insurance to protect itself from lawsuits, random accidents, and more. You never know what is going to happen. There are different insurance policies to consider, depending on your business risks, with an agent at Asheville Insurance Center.

Accidents Can Always Happen: You can never guarantee that no one will slip on your walkway or trip over a cable inside the business. Accidents are always a possibility in Asheville, NC. If someone gets hurt, you may not have enough money on hand to pay for medical bills. With the right insurance, you can see your customers as customers and not just accidents waiting to happen.

Disaster Strikes When You Don’t Expect It: You may think a disaster will never happen to you but disasters will strike when you least expect it.  Are you prepared to open up one morning to see your business door smashed or an unexpected fire? These disasters can cost thousands of dollars in expenses and aren’t costs that are usually covered.

One Incident Can Ruin the Business: All it takes is one irate customer to ruin a business. Over 100 million lawsuits are filed every year in the U.S. If the case goes to court, liability cases could cost a lot of money and small businesses don’t usually have that kind of money.

Others May Not Have Insurance: What if someone else causes damage to your business? Ideally, the other person would pay for it with his or her own insurance or out of pocket, but we don’t live in this ideal world. If someone without insurance rams into your business with their car then you still have to foot the expensive repair bill.

Expect the Unexpected: Commercial insurance allows you to expect the unexpected so you can focus on what you do best: running your business.

Contact Asheville Insurance Center to get a quote on commercial insurance.