Are You Covered in Case of a Business Interruption?
If a fire causes the facility to be temporarily unusable, what would you do next? Ideally, you would move to a temporary location while your permanent place of business is being repaired. However, traditional Property Insurance does not cover this move or a loss of income when a business must temporarily close. With Business Interruption Insurance, also referred to as Business Income coverage, this setback can be minimized by simply adding this coverage to your Property Insurance policy.
What is included in a Business Interruption Insurance Policy?
‣ Compensation for lost income if must vacate its premises as a result of disaster-related damage covered under a Property Insurance policy.
‣ Protects the profits that would have been earned based on previous financial records, had the disaster not occurred.
‣ Covers operating expenses, such as utilities, that must be paid even though business temporarily ceased.
‣ Safeguard expenses of operating in a temporary location while repairs to the permanent location are completed.
Considerations for Business Interruption Insurance
Here are some things to think about if you’re considering Business Interruption Insurance:
‣ Business interruption insurance is a type of insurance that can help to protect your business in the event that operations are interrupted due to a covered event. This type of insurance can help to cover lost income and expenses, as well as continued operating costs. Business interruption insurance is not available as a standalone policy; it must be added to a property insurance policy or included in a business owner’s insurance policy.
‣ Policy limits should be sufficient to cover a large amount of time to rebuild the permanent business space. The business must be closed for several days before coverage begins, and won’t pay for those days retroactively.
‣ Price of coverage depends on the risk of disaster to the premises. This may depend on the business location, nature of the business and how easily the business could function at an alternate location on a temporary basis.
Insurance experts estimate that Business Interruption Insurance is one of the most, if not the most, valuable coverage available, yet business owners often overlook it. Since Property Insurance only covers the cost of physical loss or damage and contents of a business in the event of a disaster, Business Interruption coverage is invaluable in covering the loss of income while the permanent business location is being repaired.
Now the next time you ask yourself “Are You Covered in Case of a Business Interruption?” you’ll have a more clear picture of what’s should be accounted for!
Contact Hotaling today to learn more about Business Interruption Insurance.