A business insurance policy may be customized to help cover a photography business. Common coverage’s in a business owners policy (BOP), combined with optional specialized coverage’s, may help protect a photographer’s income, assets and equipment, such as cameras, lenses and computers.
A well-thought-out combination of insurance coverage’s may help protect your business in case of an unexpected event like theft, an accident or a fire. Here are a few coverage’s to research when insuring your photography business.
A business insurance policy typically includes three types of coverage: business property coverage, general liability coverage and business interruption coverage.
Business property coverage:
You’ve invested heavily in your photography business, from specialized cameras and lenses to the computer you use to edit and store images. If any of these key pieces of equipment were damaged or stolen, your business could be seriously affected. The property coverage in a business owners policy may help pay to replace or repair your technical equipment and studio furnishings like desks, tables and file cabinets if they’re damaged or destroyed by a covered peril. Common covered perils include vandalism, fire, and wind storms — read your policy to see which specific perils your insurance covers. Business property coverage may also help pay to repair damage to your studio building or office’s physical structure, up to the coverage limits stated in your policy.
General liability coverage:
If a piece of your lighting equipment fell and injured someone, this coverage may help pay for their medical costs and your legal expenses, if you’re sued. If your camera and tripod toppled against an expensive stained-glass window during a wedding, liability coverage may also help pay to repair or replace the claimant’s window. The maximum amount your insurance company will pay for property damage, another person’s medical expenses or your legal fees depends on the coverage limits you select when you purchase coverage.
This covers you for claims brought against your business by a member of the public if they suffer an injury or damage to their property as a result of your work. As a professional (or even semi-pro or amateur) if you’ve been given the task of photographing treasured events such as a wedding, christening or graduation ceremony, then you’ll want to make sure you’ve got a safety net.
It’s not great to think of all the things that could go wrong – but what about if someone trips over your tripod and breaks an ankle, or you walk backwards into the wedding cake or damage the marquee because your lighting equipment fused the electrics? Not only will you be dealing with some irate clients but you’ll probably be facing a hefty bill too. With public liability insurance in place, you can be confident that someone’s got your back.