South Carolina Small Business Insurance

A lawn care provider in South Carolina might operate heavy equipment around homes, use sharp tools near clients, and handle harsh chemicals. These activities all bring a heightened risk of bodily injury and property damage that expose lawn care providers to potential liability, regardless of whether they serve commercial customers, residential homeowners, or both. For all of these reasons, Hiscox provides custom insurance that can fit each South Carolina lawn care business's specific needs.

General liability insurance is one of the most important types of insurance for a lawn care business to have. It protects against bodily injury, so if a client trips over a lawn care professional's tools and cuts open their hand, the policy may cover the costs of the client's medical care. It also protects against property damage, so if an employee breaks a customer's window in their home while working on the lawn, the policy may cover the costs associated with replacing the window. And it protects against personal injury. If an employee is at lunch and starts talking to the cafe's owner about a client in a false and unflattering way and that client hears about this discussion and sues for slander, the policy may cover the claim and pay for a defense attorney, if necessary.

A handyman in South Carolina will serve a wide variety of clients in a range of settings, from private homes to corporate offices to storefronts. Dealing with others' personal property every day brings a heightened liability risk that can benefit from comprehensive small business insurance, and an insurance policy inspires confidence in clients when they're deciding whom to hire for a home improvement or repair project.

Typically, a handyman will need general liability insurance, which offers several essential benefits. Because it protects against bodily injury, the handyman's business may be protected if, for example, an elderly client trips over the handyman's ladder, falls, and breaks an arm; the policy may cover the costs of the client's medical care. Because it also covers property damage, it may cover the costs of any items that may be broken if, for example, an employee knocks over a shelf containing a collection of antique vases. And because it protects against personal injury, the business may be protected if, for example, an employee on his coffee break is overheard gossiping about a client in a false and unflattering way—and the client hears about the discussion and sues for slander. In those cases, the policy may cover the resulting claim and, if necessary, may even pay for a defense attorney.

South Carolina's thriving business scene employs a number of IT consultants, who work with high-end equipment and sensitive personal and business information every day. And just as IT consultants tailor information technology to meet their clients' needs, Hiscox creates tailored insurance plans to meet IT consultants' needs.

Because IT consultants can have a huge impact on a client's business, they can benefit from professional liability insurance, which is sometimes called errors and omissions insurance. This policy may protect an IT consultant if, for example, they review a client's website and network security in order to implement new security procedures and a month later, the client's website gets hacked and they lose revenue from the site being down. Even if the IT consultant hasn't made a mistake, the client might still make a claim of faulty work against them. A professional liability policy may cover defense costs as well as a settlement or judgment.

An IT consultant should also consider cyber security insurance, to protect against computer- and technology-related incidents. For example, if a consultant’s server is hacked and sensitive data about their clients is exposed, cyber security insurance may cover the cost to notify the affected parties and provide credit monitoring.

Hiscox knows that even an insurance agent needs insurance for their business. And just as an insurance agent makes sure that their clients are protected against risk, Hiscox makes sure that insurance professionals are protected against the risks associated with owning and operating a small business in South Carolina.

One of the most frequently obtained policies for small business owners in South Carolina is professional liability insurance, or errors and omissions insurance. An insurance agent might need the protection of professional liability insurance if, for example, a client instructs the agent to purchase a policy and gives the agent a check for the premium, but the agent forgets to bind the policy with the carrier. If the uninsured client is later involved in an accident, they may demand that the insurance agent pay for the loss.

Insurance agents in South Carolina should also consider cyber security insurance. This covers many technology- and computer-related claims, such as data breaches or ransomware attacks.

Whether their employees clean factory floors or clients' kitchens, South Carolina's janitorial and cleaning services operate at a level of risk every day: they work on-site at customers' offices and homes, they handle delicate and expensive items, they operate cleaning equipment, and they use harsh chemicals. Even a baseless liability claim can drain a business's assets, so Hiscox specializes in providing tailored coverage to give cleaning professionals peace of mind and protection against potential litigious situations.

General liability insurance, which protects against a third party's claims of bodily injury or property damage, is the most common policy used by janitorial and cleaning services. This protection against bodily injury might be helpful, for example, if a client trips over an employee's cleaning equipment and breaks an arm; even if the client's injuries don't seem to be the employee's fault, the janitorial business can still be held liable for the cost of the client's medical care. Another example might be if an employee is cleaning a customer’s office and accidentally breaks an antique lamp while dusting it; the customer may demand that the cleaning service pay for the cost to replace the lamp.

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 prospective client came to an architect’s office to discuss a project. The client tripped on the stairs leading to the office, fell down the stairs, and broke his arm. General liability insurance could protect architects against third-party claims of bodily injury, associated medical costs and property damage.
• Property damage: A project manager was working at a client site, using the client’s computer system. The project manager accidentally dropped the laptop he was using, breaking it. The client made a claim for the replacement cost of the laptop. General liability insurance could protect project managers against third-party claims of bodily injury, associated medical costs, and property damage.
• Personal injury: A property manager was overheard talking to a tenant about the building’s owner. The property manager made comments that were negative and untrue. The statements were repeated to the owner of the building, who sued the property manager. General liability insurance could protect property managers against claims of personal or advertising injury and will appoint an attorney to defend them, if needed.

Learn more about general liability insurance costs.

A business owner’s policy (BOP) combines general liability insurance with coverage for the business’s own property. If your business has tools or equipment you want to protect, a business owner’s policy may be a good choice for you.

Here are some examples of what could be covered.

• Theft of business property: A software developer’s office was broken into and several high-end laptops were stolen. The developer’s BOP may cover the cost to replace the computers.
• Bodily injury: A prospective client visited a consultant’s office and slipped and fell on the stairs on their way out, breaking their wrist. The consultant’s BOP may cover the client’s medical costs and lost wages due to the accident.
• Property damage: An accountant went to a client’s home office to do their taxes. The accountant accidentally knocked over an expensive vase, smashing it. The accountant’s BOP may cover the cost to replace the vase.

Learn more about business owner’s policies.

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

• Negligence: An employee of a document preparation company was assisting the human resources department of a large company in transitioning their paper files to an electronic system. The employee accidentally shredded numerous documents before they were scanned correctly, and the company was later sued for failing to maintain the proper documentation. The client company made a claim against the document preparation firm. Professional liability insurance may protect document preparers against claims of negligence.
• Lost data: A contract draftsman was working on plans for a hospital addition. He inadvertently deleted the layer of the file that contained the electrical specifications. He was unable to recover the data, and the electrical work had to be completely re-done, setting the project schedule back. Professional liability insurance may protect draftsmen against claims of negligence, including appointing an attorney to defend them, if needed, even if they haven’t made a mistake.

Learn more about professional liability insurance.

Businesses in South Carolina can be protected against the costs associated with computer- and technology-related losses with cyber security insurance. Businesses that have a website, use email, or use credit cards or other forms of digital payment can benefit from this coverage. Cyber security insurance, sometimes called cyber risk insurance, protects businesses in situations like these.

Data breach: An accounting firm’s computer system is the victim of a data breach. It’s uncertain if sensitive client information has been compromised, but the firm is required to notify all impacted parties and provide credit monitoring. Cyber security insurance may cover these costs, as well as provide a defense against lawsuits and fines, if necessary.

Learn more about cyber security insurance.