Why You Need General Liability Insurance When Starting a New Business

Starting a business might seem like a great opportunity, but it also requires a lot of responsibility. Before you even open the doors, you need to start protecting your operation, and that requires investing in a strong business insurance portfolio. A key component of every business insurance package is general liability insurance, and it’s one of the most important investments you can make in your company. a person standing in front of a store

When you work with a trusted agent, you do not have to worry about the complexities of this type of insurance. We're here to help you cover every liability present in your operation, and it all starts with a strong general liability insurance benefit.

What Is General Liability Insurance?

Business insurance offers you a way to protect your company’s assets from potential losses. While you might have property insurance and other coverage to insure physical loss, you also need to address the losses that might arise when you make mistakes that wind up harming others, such as third parties (e.g., customers, vendors and members or the public). In this case, you might be held legally responsible for their losses.

Your general liability insurance is the benefit that will help your business compensate third parties for losses that are your fault. In other words, this coverage can provide protection against the resulting expenses if your business is found responsible for injuring a third party or damaging their property. The key here is to know what type of risks your business faces. You want to ensure you have enough general liability insurance to be ready for any issue that might develop.

What Risks Does Your Business Face?

General liability insurance is designed to cover your business against liabilities that are present in almost every industry. These usually center around third-party bodily injuries and property damage. However, you must tailor your benefits specifically to your operational needs. You can do so by reviewing your particular general liability exposures.

Consider the following questions:

Does your location have a lot of foot traffic? Are there many people walking by or coming in?

Is there machinery, equipment or other items present within the business that could potentially harm a visitor?
Does your business contain any other on-site hazards that could easily harm others?

Though general liability insurance is foundational coverage, it is just a starting point for your overall liability insurance needs. You might need to enhance it with various endorsements and specialty liability policies. As a new company, you might not automatically know where your coverage needs lie. Work with your insurance agent to ensure your coverage matches your current needs and remember that they will be there to help you make any changes well into the future.

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