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What Insurance Do I Need to Run a Business from Home?

Running a business from home? Your standard home insurance might not cut it. Discover what coverage you need to protect your home-based business

home insurance for your business from home
Picture this: You’re sitting at your kitchen table, sipping your morning tea, when inspiration strikes for your home-based business. But before you dive headfirst into entrepreneurship, there’s one crucial aspect that needs your attention – insurance. And no, your standard home insurance might not cut it anymore.

Home Insurance vs. Business Insurance: Understanding the Difference

Before we dive deeper, let’s clear up a crucial point: we’re talking about home insurance that accommodates business use, not business insurance itself. What’s the difference? Business insurance specifically covers your commercial activities, equipment, and liabilities. What we’re discussing here is how to ensure your home insurance remains valid and appropriate when you’re running a business from your property.

Why Your Standard Home Insurance May Not Be Enough

Let’s address the elephant in the room – running a business from home fundamentally changes how insurers view your property. That cosy space where you binge-watch Netflix is now doubling as a professional workspace, and with that comes a whole new set of risks that your regular home insurance simply wasn’t designed to cover.

Think about it: client visits, business equipment, and possibly even stock storage all add new dimensions of risk that make insurance providers raise their eyebrows. It’s not that they’re being difficult; they’re just acknowledging that your home is now wearing multiple hats.


What Types of Home-Based Businesses Can Be Covered?

When you start your quote journey on our website, you’ll be asked if you use your property for business purposes. In selecting yes, you’ll then be provided with a list of business categories to choose from.

Here’s a breakdown of the categories:

Beauty and Hair Services

This category covers any beauty-related services offered at your home, including:

  • Hairdressing and barbering
  • Makeup and cosmetic treatments
  • Nail services (manicures/pedicures)
  • Skincare and facials
  • Eyebrow and lash treatments
  • Beauty therapy
  • Tanning services
  • Non-medical aesthetic treatments

Bed & Breakfast

You can welcome up to two guests per bedroom, but make sure your insurance knows about your hospitality dreams.

Childminding

Our coverage typically extends to up to 16 children on premises at any time – though anything beyond that needs special consideration.

Clerical Work

“But what exactly counts as clerical work?” you might ask. This broad category includes:

  • Administrative tasks
  • Virtual assistance
  • Bookkeeping
  • Online consulting
  • Digital marketing
  • Content creation
  • Remote project management

Production

This delightfully diverse category encompasses:

  • Home baking and patisserie
  • Jewellery making
  • Woodworking
  • Sculpting
  • Painting
  • Photography

Fostering

Providing care for children placed by local authorities or agencies? This category is specifically for foster carers working through official channels. Note that this differs from childminding services.

Guest House

Running short-term lets through platforms like Airbnb? This is your category. While similar to B&B, this covers more flexible hospitality arrangements and short-term rental setups.

Medical

This category extends beyond traditional medical services to include various health and wellbeing practices:

  • Therapy sessions
  • Counselling services
  • Physiotherapy
  • Alternative health treatments
  • Wellness consultations
  • Personal training

Tuition

Teaching or mentoring from home? This covers any educational services you provide, including:

  • Academic tutoring
  • Music lessons
  • Language teaching
  • Professional skills training
  • Art classes

Other

Don’t see your business type listed? Select this category and we’ll work with you to understand your specific setup. This ensures we can properly assess your insurance needs even if your business is unique.


Important Considerations for Your Home Business Insurance

Visitor Numbers

Here’s some good news – there’s typically no strict limit on client visitors. However, each situation is assessed individually, considering factors like frequency and purpose of visits.

The Employee Question

“But I work alone!” you might say. Here’s the thing – you don’t count as an employee of your own business. However, if you’re planning to hire help, know that coverage typically extends to up to two employees.

Equipment and Stock Coverage

Equipment like computers, printers, and phones can be covered, along with business stock, up to a combined total of £5,000. Note that this equipment cover is for basic office items only – specialised business tools usually need separate business insurance.

You’ll need to be specific about what equipment you’re storing and where, as standard office equipment is covered differently from specialised business tools.
Keep in mind: If you store any business-related cash at your property, you’ll need to let us know about this during your quote, including how much and where it’s kept.

Outbuildings

When it comes to outbuildings (such as sheds, garages, or greenhouses), here’s what you need to know:

  • Buildings cover provides up to £30,000 as standard for domestic outbuildings
  • Contents cover provides up to £5,000 as standard for items in outbuildings
  • You’ll need to specify if outbuildings are used solely for domestic purposes
  • Let us know if these standard limits are sufficient for your needs
  • Security measures for outbuildings (like locks) may affect your coverage

Let us know if these standard limits are sufficient for your needs

Flames, Flammables, and Other Fun Stuff

While your homemade condiments don’t count as “naked flame” usage, activities like metal work or welding need special consideration. The same goes for storing flammable materials – in most cases, you’ll need to meet the required storage facilities.

Making the Right Choice

Running a business from home is exciting, but it comes with responsibilities. The right insurance coverage isn’t just a legal box to tick – it’s your safety net, allowing you to focus on what you do best: growing your business.

Remember, every home business is unique. While this guide covers the basics, it’s always worth having a chat with us, where we’ll do our very best to tailor coverage to your specific needs. After all, your home business deserves protection as unique as your entrepreneurial spirit.

Ready to take the next step? Get a quote today and discover how we can protect your home business with the right coverage. We’ll help ensure you’re properly covered while keeping those business dreams alive and well – right from the comfort of your home.

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