Business insurance in Long Beach
Most small businesses start with a business owners policy (BOP), which bundles three things: property coverage for your space, equipment and inventory; general liability for injury or damage you're responsible for; and business income, which replaces revenue if a covered loss shuts you down.
Additional coverages a BOP doesn't include are workers’ compensation, commercial auto, professional liability, and commercial umbrella coverage.
What it covers
Workers’ compensation is not part of it. In California, workers’ compensation is generally required as soon as you have even one employee. If you've hired anyone, this is not optional, and it's the first thing we check.
Vehicles are not part of it. Not the delivery van, and not the employee's own car while they're running your errands. That's commercial auto, and a personal policy will usually deny the claim.
Professional liability, cyber, and employment practices coverage. Whether you need them depends on what you do, and we'll tell you honestly when you don't.
What a BOP doesn't cover
If you lease your space, your landlord almost certainly requires specific liability limits and wants to be named as an additional insured on the certificate. Getting that wrong holds up lease signings, and it's the thing we get called about most often at the last minute. Send us the insurance section of your lease, and we'll read it before you sign, not after.
Another important consideration is business income coverage. For a restaurant or salon, the income lost during a month of repairs can be more damaging than the equipment loss itself. It's usually an area where owners often have too little coverage.
Additional Facts
