A loss from an unexpected event or a natural disaster can leave your business at a standstill. How do you protect your livelihood? After a disaster, you have so many things to consider—business expenses, employee salaries, vendor obligations and other operating expenses. If you are not prepared in advance, you may have to close your doors, at least temporarily. Business interruption insurance can give you peace of mind that your business can continue normal operations after an unexpected loss.
There are a couple ways to get business interruption insurance. You may be able to add the coverage by endorsement to an existing business owner’s policy (BOP) or you can buy a stand-alone policy. Here are a few things this policy will cover for you:
- Business operating expenses (employee salaries, loan payments, rent, etc.)
- Relocation expenses to temporarily move if your building or office, fixtures and furniture need repairs
- Lost business income while your business is closed
There are a few things that a business interruption policy does not cover. These exclusions from coverage may include any losses resulting from flooding, utility outages, earthquakes/hurricanes, glass breakage, fire, theft, or vandalism. In some cases, however, coverage for excluded items can be added to the policy by an endorsement.
If you have extensive damage to your business and won’t be open for some time, you can check into an extended coverage endorsement, which adds additional time to the business interruption coverage if you are going to be closed for longer than 12 months.
Wondering whether business interruption insurance is a good idea for you? Give us a call to review your business coverage. We are here to help! http://sharedalliance.com/
