If you work as a cleaning contractor or operate a small cleaning business, you know how important it is to have an eye for detail, ensuring you make your clients happy with squeaky–clean results. It’s also important that your business has the right insurances in place for when things get messy.
You’ve worked long and hard to build your business and that’s why it pays to have protection in place– so you can stay in the cleaning business for the long run. If the unfortunate scenario occurred where a claim was made against your business, without insurance in place, you could be held legally and financially responsible, potentially enough to send you out of business.
Let’s explore some of the insurance options to help protect your cleaning business.
What is Public Liability Insurance*?
One of the fundamental types of insurances for most kinds of businesses is Public Liability insurance. Public Liability insurance is designed to cover the legal fees and compensation costs if a customer, member of the public, or a supplier claims against you for injury (not covered by the Accident Compensation Commission (ACC)) or damage to their property as a result of your alleged negligent business activity.
Some of the main types of claims cleaners face are for injuries (when not covered by the ACC) occurring from slips and falls due to slippery surfaces and causing property damage through accidental spillage of cleaning chemicals and solvents or the accidental breakage of glass like shower screens.
If a third-party was to make a claim against your business for negligence, Public Liability insurance provides peace of mind knowing that you have protection in place for your legal expenses and compensation if awarded. Having this support in place means you can get back to business sooner without the worry.
How much cover do I need?
No two cleaning businesses are the same, and there’s no universal blanket cover option when it comes to Public Liability insurance.
While some businesses may select the amount of cover based on the size of their business, others may have contracts that stipulate the amount of cover they need to have. This is typical in corporate and government contracts.
BizCover has four levels of cover to select from for Public Liability insurance –$1 million, $5million, $10 million and $20 million.
Sole trader?
Even if you are flying solo as a cleaning business, Public Liability insurance is still something you need to consider. For example, if you were working in a public space or at a client’s property there is still a chance for things to go wrong, where you may accidentally cause injury or damage to their property.
While there is great freedom that comes with being a sole trader, there is also a lot of responsibility. If you didn’t insure your business and a claim was made against it, you could be held both financially and legally responsible, meaning your personal assets could be at risk of being repossessed if things go wrong.
Protecting your portable equipment
Working out and about means your tools of trade are often out on the road with you. From mops and cleaning chemicals to laptops and mobile phones, without these, it would be hard for you to get the job done. That’s where Portable Equipment cover* comes into play.
Portable equipment (or general property) insurance provides cover for specified items such as tools, business equipment or electronic items, or unspecified items of lower value. Cover may be comprehensive, which will include accidental damage, or based on whether an insured event occurs(events such as fire, theft by forcible entry, explosion or storm).
Insuring your cleaning business
Getting the suitable types of business insurance to protect your cleaning business and its unique risks doesn’t need to be complicated. BizCover provides a straight-forward, jargon-free quote system that will provide you with quotes in minutes from some of new Zealand’s leading insurers, so you can choose the cover you want in a couple of mouse clicks.
*As with any insurance, cover will be subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions contained in the policy wording. The information contained on this web page is general only and should not be relied upon as advice.
