Originally written by Edward Murray on Small Business
Small businesses are the heartbeat of the UK economy. They are built on innovation, passion and commitment. They support millions of business owners and employees and for many they are more than a job, they are a way of life. Business insurance is an important safeguard for small businesses, their owners, their employees, and all those with whom they come into contact.
Here we look at some of the key insurances to consider and the protection they provide.
Business insurance required by law
As an employer you are responsible for the health and safety of your employees when they are at work. If an employee suffers an accident, injury or illness as a result of working for your business, then you could be liable.
Employers’ liability insurance is there to help cover the cost of defending and settling claims from past and present employees who believe you failed in your duty of care to look after them.
If your business is located in the UK and has at least one employee, then it is likely employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement, although there a limited number of exceptions.
If you are not exempt, the law says you must

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Originally written by Edward Murray on Small Business
At some stage in their day-to-day activities, most businesses come into contact with members of the public in one way or another. Companies have a duty to ensure these interactions are safe and well-managed. Where they lead to accidental injury, death, disease, illness or property damage, public liability insurance can help pay for the resulting legal costs and compensation.
Who needs public liability insurance?
Any business that comes into contact with people who are not employees has a potential need for public liability insurance.
Perhaps you are a retailer and so people come in and out of your shop all day long. Do you have commercial premises that customers and/or suppliers visit? Maybe you work from home and have clients coming to the house for meetings? Are you an event organiser bringing lots of members of the public together?
You also have to think about where you and your employees go during the working day. Are you out and about on business, mixing with other people? Are you visiting other companies’ offices or delivering goods to people’s homes?
If your business, or any of its employees, come into contact with third parties whilst carrying out their business duties,

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