California Business Insurance

Since professional photographers operate across fields, such as advertising, arts and entertainment, and technical design, they should consider a variety of insurance policies to cover everything from electronic data loss to equipment liability. Employees handling heavy photography equipment, in addition to using expensive business property, is a particularly heightened risk against which insurance can protect.

Policies for professional photographers include general liability insurance, commercial automobile insurance (when using a vehicle to transport themselves and their equipment from site to site), and property insurance.  These types of insurance policies help protect them and their employees in the event of a car accident, theft, or site mishap that could adversely affect their business’s ability to generate income. 

Insurance coverage, such as property insurance for equipment and workers compensation for employees , is necessary for professionals in the fitness industry. Personal trainers need both general and professional liability insurance to cover third-party claims in the event of bodily injury, medical payments, and legal costs from accidents that might occur during a training session. 

Personal trainers in California are required to purchase workers compensation insurance if they employ trainers, assistants, accountants, or other fitness and health consultants. California also requires personal trainers to obtain commercial vehicle insurance if they use a car or truck to transport equipment between clients. If a personal trainer owns a gym or training space, they should consider property insurance for complete protection. 

If realtors showcasing homes travel in vehicles not owned by their business, hired/non-owned auto (HNOA) liability insurance is a must-have. 

Realtors in California often acquire both general and professional liability insurance for their small businesses. Media and marketing coverage for marketing collateral, such as signs, brochures, business cards, billboards, and media storage, is beneficial for all realtors who advertise available homes on the market. The state of California requires real estate agency owners who employ multiple realtors to purchase workers compensation insurance.

Cleaning professionals should acquire insurance to safeguard their crews, maids, and other janitorial staff from lawsuits, property damage, and severe financial risks. Those who operate professional cleaning businesses know that training and experience goes a long way in this physically demanding industry, but nothing can protect their staff and their equipment the way proper insurance coverage can.

Since cleaning professionals often transport their own cleaning equipment, small business owners in this industry typically look to purchase insurance that covers equipment (vacuums, chemicals, and other industrial machinery) and commercial vehicles. 

Commercial general liability insurance would certainly cover their business, and any cleaning service that employs a crew is required in California to purchase workers compensation insurance.

Esthetician coverage includes professional liability insurance, which is needed to mitigate claims in cases in which clients suffer bodily injury, property damage, or even copyright infringement in the form of advertising injury.

Property insurance is often required if an esthetician owns or rents a studio space that is visited by clientele. In California, estheticians who own their own firm and utilize a team of beauty and skin care professionals are required to purchase workers compensation  insurance to cover their employees.
 

General liability insurance, known as Commercial General Liability (CGL), protects your business from another person or business’s claims of bodily injury, associated medical costs, and damage to property. Some examples of what could be covered are below:

• Bodily injury: A client falls over their personal trainer’s gym bag and the trainer is found legally liable for the injury. A general liability insurance policy could cover the personal trainer’s subsequent claim and related medical expenses up to policy limits of liability.
• Property damage and data loss: A consultant spills coffee on a client’s server causing damage and loss of data. The consultant’s general liability coverage could cover the subsequent claim, up to policy limits, and could pay for an attorney to defend the consultant if necessary.
• Personal injury: An employee of a public relations firm is at lunch. He talks to some of his fellow co-workers about a client in a false and unflattering way. The client learns of this discussion and sues for slander. General liability coverage could cover the subsequent claim, up to the policy's limits, and pay for an attorney if necessary.

Learn about how much general liability insurance costs.

Professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions insurance (E&O insurance), covers another person’s claims against businesses that provide professional and personal services. Some examples of what could be covered include:

• Protection even if you haven’t made a mistake: A human resources consultant advises a client to change some internal processes to increase productivity. The recommendations are not implemented. If the client decides to sue, a professional liability policy could pay for defense costs, up to policy limits.
• Negligent acts: A consultant advises a client to update their employment practices. Six months later, the client contacts the consultant, stating a part-time employee is suing the company. The consultant left out a key requirement on the amount of hours part-time employees are permitted to work. A professional liability policy could appoint an attorney to defend the consultant, if the client sues.

Learn more about professional liability insurance.

Business owners policy (BOP) is a combination of general liability and business property insurance. BOP is often used to provide balanced coverage for small businesses who also want to protect their own business equipment. Some examples of what could be covered are below:

• Office insurance for fire and business interruption
• Electronic data loss insurance
• Hired or non-owned vehicle liability insurance
• Commercial crime insurance to cover the dishonesty of your employees

Learn more about business owners insurance.

Hiscox now offers state mandated workers compensation insurance to ensure that injured workers receive prompt and fair compensation for job-related injuries and diseases. In most states, laws require you to pay for an injured worker’s medical care, lost wages, and death benefits. A Hiscox Workers Compensation Insurance policy must be purchased with another Hiscox business insurance policy. To get a free quote, call us at 1-855-740-2345 and speak to a licensed insurance agent, Monday – Friday, 7am – 10pm ET.

Learn more about workers compensation insurance.

Cyber security insurance, also known as “cyber risk insurance” or “cyber liability insurance,” protects businesses against losses that are a result of a data breach, security failure or extortion threat. Some examples of what could be covered include:

• Phishing: A consultant receives an email that appears to come from a trusted vendor. The email includes a link to access an invoice. When the consultant clicks the link, his computer freezes and a ransomware demand pops up. A cyber security insurance policy would protect the consultant from the costs associated with such an attack.
• Business Interruption: A web developer’s system is infected with malware and they are unable to access their data or do any development work. A cyber security insurance policy could cover the revenue they lost due to the breach.
• Breach Response Services: A social media firm has a data breach and is required to identify and notify all affected parties. Their cyber security insurance policy includes assistance from breach response experts to ensure all appropriate steps are taken.