Protect Your Small Business Dreams with American Family Insurance

Starting and growing a small business is no easy feat. As an entrepreneur, you have big dreams and work tirelessly to make them a reality. But despite your hard work, there are always risks beyond your control that could negatively impact your livelihood. That’s why having the right insurance coverages in place is critical to protect your business investment.

American Family Insurance has over 90 years of experience providing customized protection for small business owners across 19 states. Their business insurance policies are designed to support companies like yours, with coverages that can be tailored to your industry’s unique needs and risks.

Why Small Business Insurance Matters

  • Safeguard your assets. From your furnishings and inventory to your equipment and electronics, insuring your business property protects your tangible investments against damage or loss.

  • Defend against liability. Slip-and-falls, faulty products, and other accidents open your business up to expensive liability claims. The right insurance helps pay for legal defenses and settlements.

  • Replace lost income. Whether due to property damage, liability lawsuits, or other incidents, having coverage to replace lost profits/income keeps your business afloat.

  • Care for your employees. Providing medical and wage benefits through workers’ compensation insurance shows employees you care if they become injured on the job.

  • Meet legal requirements. Many states require businesses to carry certain coverages, like workers’ comp and commercial auto insurance. Don’t risk fines for noncompliance.

  • Qualify for contracts. Many clients or vendors require proof of business insurance (like general liability) before signing contracts with you.

  • Obtain business loans. Lenders often require borrowers to have adequate insurance on collateral and other business assets when approving financing.

  • Recover from disasters. Weather-related damage, civil unrest, cyber attacks – it only takes one incident to destroy everything. Insurance facilitates rebuilding.

  • Sleep better at night. Knowing your hard work is protected provides peace of mind and lets you focus on reaching your goals.

American Family’s Small Business Insurance Options

American Family Insurance offers a variety of coverages that small business owners can mix-and-match based on their unique risks and needs:

Business Owner’s Policy (BOP)

A BOP bundles the most essential protections into one policy:

  • Property insurance reimburses you for damage to your office, retail store, equipment, inventory, and other business property.

  • General liability insurance covers bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and advertising injury claims brought against your business.

  • Business interruption insurance replaces income lost due to suspended operations from a covered loss (i.e. fire).

  • Commercial auto insurance (optional add-on) insures vehicles used for your business.

BOPs provide convenience and savings compared to buying the coverages separately. They are popular among small retail shops, offices, salons, and other main street-type businesses.

Commercial Property Insurance

For businesses that rent or have substantial equipment/inventory exposure, a commercial property policy may be recommended over a BOP. It covers:

  • The building(s) you occupy
  • Business personal property (e.g. inventory, furnishings, equipment)
  • Loss of business income and extra expenses

Property policies also allow you to add supplemental coverages like equipment breakdown insurance or inland marine insurance for mobile equipment and tools.

General Liability Insurance

General liability insurance is also available as a standalone policy from American Family. It covers costs related to third-party bodily injury, property damage, personal and advertising injury claims.

General liability is a must for most small businesses, especially contractors, restaurants, retailers, and professional service providers. It covers slip-and-falls, some product liability, and acts of negligence.

Commercial Auto Insurance

If your business owns vehicles, you must insure them with a commercial auto policy (personal auto insurance won’t cover business use). Coverage includes:

  • Liability insurance
  • Collision insurance
  • Comprehensive insurance
  • Medical payments
  • Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

Commercial auto policies can cover cars, light trucks and vans. Larger fleets may need a motor carrier policy.

Workers’ Compensation

Nearly every state requires that businesses with employees carry workers’ compensation insurance. It provides:

  • Wage replacement for injured employees
  • Coverage for medical treatment and rehabilitation
  • Death benefits for families of employees killed on the job

Workers’ comp protects employees while shielding employers from expensive injury lawsuits. American Family offers customizable policies with options like employer’s liability insurance.

Umbrella Insurance

An umbrella insurance policy provides additional liability coverage beyond your other insurance policies. It kicks in when claims exceed your primary policy limits.

Umbrellas are affordably priced for the extra protection they provide. Consider adding one if your business has significant liability risk.

Cyber Insurance

Cyber insurance is an increasingly important coverage that reimburses your business for costs incurred from a data breach, cyber attack, or online/technology outage. It covers:

  • Computer forensic investigations
  • Legal defenses
  • PR crisis management
  • Notification expenses
  • Credit monitoring for affected parties
  • Business income loss

Every modern business is vulnerable to cyber threats. This coverage brings essential protection.

Business Insurance Coverages Summary

Coverage What It Covers
Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) Bundles property, liability, and business interruption insurance for many small businesses.
Commercial Property Insures your business location(s), equipment, fixtures, inventory, and loss of income/extra expenses if business is suspended.
General Liability Covers 3rd party bodily injury, property damage, personal injury and advertising injury claims.
Commercial Auto Protects business vehicles from collision, theft, damage and liability claims.
Workers’ Compensation Provides wage replacement, medical benefits and rehabilitation for employees injured on the job.
Umbrella Liability Additional liability coverage when policy limits are exceeded on primary policies.
Cyber Insurance Covers costs related to data breaches, hacking, cyber attacks and technology failures/outages.

Why Choose American Family?

With over 90 years of experience, American Family Insurance has built a reputation for reliable service and customized protection. Their business insurance stands out for several reasons:

  • Trusted reputation. American Family has an A rating from A.M. Best, an indication of excellent financial strength and ability to pay claims. Forbes has also recognized them as one of America’s best insurance companies.

  • Choice of coverages. They offer a full range of customizable business insurance policies suitable for different industries and risk profiles.

  • Flexible premium plans. Pay for your policy annually, semi-annually, quarterly or via convenient monthly bank withdrawals.

  • Quick quoting. Get a fast online quote for most coverages to compare costs. Purchase policies completely online.

  • Exceptional agents. American Family agents specialize in business insurance and provide expert, personalized guidance tailored to your needs.

  • 24/7 certificate access. Easily manage insurance certificates for vendors or clients through their online portal anytime.

  • Policy management tools. Make coverage changes, file claims and access billing tools through their secure online account management system.

  • Superior claims service. They have a reputation for fast, fair claims handling so you can quickly resume operations after a loss.

  • Safety resources. Policyholders get free access to safety materials like on-demand safety training videos, employee safety manuals, cyber security tools and more.

  • Dividend rewards. Qualifying policyholders may be eligible for an annual dividend as a reward for being a low risk.

Whether you’re starting your first venture or have owned a business for decades, American Family Insurance has the coverages and experience to protect your entrepreneurial dreams. Their agents make it easy to find a customized insurance solution that fits your budget and gives your business peace of mind. Don’t leave your livelihood vulnerable – get a free quote today to review your coverage options.

Business Insurance for Retail and Commercial Offices | American Family Insurance

FAQ

Why is American family insurance so expensive?

Candace Baker, Car Insurance Writer American Family is so expensive because car insurance is expensive in general, due to rising costs for insurers. But at $665 per year, the average American Family car insurance premium is actually about the same as the national average of $671 per year.

Is small business insurance expensive?

The most common type of insurance that small businesses take out is called business owner’s policy or BOP. This can cost between $40 and $100 monthly on average. BOP bundles together general liability and commercial property insurance.

What is small business insurance called?

Small business insurance, sometimes called commercial insurance, helps protect a business’s assets, property, and income. A business owner’s policy (BOP) is the most common insurance product for small businesses, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III).

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