Whatever the size or type of business you run, you will likely need various kinds of insurance. Many risks can put your business at financial risk. It could be accidents as a result of your operations or by having clients or workers on your premises, product defects that harm or cause loss to customers, and much more.

When these kinds of unfortunate incidents occur, you may be compelled to make compensation and pay other costs. Paying out of pocket can devastate a business, hence the benefit of insurance that mitigates these risks. Commercial combined insurance provides a way for businesses to cover the different risks they face under one policy and thus end up paying one premium.

What Is Commercial Combined Insurance

Even for small businesses, there are often multiple insurance policies that need to be taken to adequately mitigate risks. Instead of having to take up individual policies to cover each risk, commercial combined insurance allows businesses to combine their insurance needs and have one policy that provides all the protection they need.

It is a bespoke insurance product tailored to the unique needs of each business and makes it easy to make premium payments, claims, and renewals when the time comes. It reduces the administration and paperwork involved in managing the diverse insurance needs of your business. These policies can be tailored to add on or remove different types of cover as the business progresses.

What Is Covered Under Commercial Combined Insurance?

Businesses have the option to take up individual cover for different needs. Commercial combined insurance can include all the types of insurance a particular business requires under the umbrella of a single policy. Here are the different kinds of insurance a business may find they need and can have combined into one policy document for this purpose.

  •   Public Liability Insurance – This provides personal cover against claims pay-outs and legal costs that come from members of the public. This could relate to claims for accidental bodily injury, damage to property, and related medical costs. It could result from incidents that occur on the business premises.
  •   Product Liability Insurance – This cover is designed for businesses that distribute or manufacture products. This cover may also be required by businesses who though not the manufacturer or distributor, have their business name on the product or are involved in their refurbishment or repair. It provides protection in case there are losses, injuries or damage that result from the products.
  •   Employer’s Liability Insurance – This cover is necessary for any business that has employees, whether permanent, part-time, contract, or temporary. It protects the business in case any employees suffer some loss, injury or die while working for the business and compensation is required.
  •   Business Interruption Insurance – This policy cover expenses for the business if it has to pause operations due to unexpected situations like pandemics, fire tragedies, natural disasters, and so on. It can also cover the loss of gross revenue or profit and whatever increased costs are incurred due to trying to continue operations while damage to the premises is unresolved.
  •   Professional Indemnity Insurance – If your business involves giving professional advice, this cover protects you from claims made by customers that may have suffered losses as a result of you mistakes you have made. It can cover legal costs and compensation claims.
  •   Personal Accident Insurance – This can cover you and your employees in the event of assault and injury suffered during an accident, theft or violence while working. It pays out a set amount as defined by the policy, which can be in a lump sum or as a weekly payment for as long as the injury is sustained.
  •   Goods in Transit Insurance – this cover is for when incidents occur while goods are being transported, including accidents and theft. It compensates the business for any delays in projects and replaces the lost or damaged goods.
  •   Warehouse Insurance – For businesses with warehouses, this cover provides cover for the premises, goods, equipment and employees. It can cover different kinds of potential claims including those related to public liability and property damage.

Other types of insurance cover that businesses may require include legal expenses, loss of money, material damage, deterioration of stock & contents, loss of license, computer, cyber, and terrorism.

When considering commercial combined insurance, it is important to know the particulars of the policy in terms of what types of cover have been included, the amounts, terms and conditions. All risks insurance can provide cover for all risks and perils related to your business, contents and personal property, with the only exclusions being those specifically stated in the policy.

Pros and Cons of Commercial Combined Insurance

Pros

  •   Provides businesses with comprehensive cover against the various risks they face and potentially devastating financial losses.
  •   Allows businesses to arrange for tailored coverage that specifically caters to their unique needs based on industry, business size, number of employees, location and more.
  •   Makes the management of insurance issues easier by having all risks covered under one policy document and enabling a single premium payment. It also allows for simpler administration of claims and renewals processing.
  •   Commercial combined insurance can often be cheaper than taking separate policies as many insurers provide bulk discount rates.

Cons

  •   Though commercial combined insurance provides easy access to most general types of insurance cover, it can be harder to have them include more specialised types of insurance. Fewer providers can provide bespoke policies that include specialist covers.

Deciding on Whether You Need Commercial Combined Insurance

Even for those that work in the same niche sector, there are no two businesses that are exactly the same. They can vary in different ways including diversity and number of employees, size of business premises, revenues, type of product, and so on. These differences mean that it is impractical to take up off the shelf insurance products.

Commercial combined insurance policies are tailored to match the specific needs of a business after determining what range of risks they face. It provides an umbrella policy that covers all the risks. These policies are best suited to businesses that have diverse insurance demands and need a simple streamlined solution.

Some small businesses may however have a very limited need for a combined policy and may be able to make do with just one policy with add-ons. This need may change in time as the business grows. It is best to consider the specific needs of your business and consult with a professional to determine if a commercial combined insurance policy is the best solution for you.