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Milford, CT 06461

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Commercial Coverage Options for Home Businesses

If you’ve recently launched a business from home, it’s time to consider your insurance options. You can’t count on standard home insurance to protect your business assets. Although you can increase your property and liability protection by getting home endorsements, you’ll still have lapses in your coverage. At White Oak Insurance LLC, serving the greater Milford, CT community, we recommend purchasing business insurance to safeguard your home business and keep it running smoothly.

Commercial Insurance Options for Home Businesses

Starting a home business can be challenging enough without having to worry about insurance. By getting the right coverage from the start, you can focus on running and growing your business to help it succeed. Depending on the nature of your business, you may want one or more of the following commercial insurance options:

  • General Liability – for protection against customer injuries while visiting your business or injuries customers may sustain from faulty products. If an injury leads to a lawsuit, liability insurance helps cover legal costs. 
  • Commercial Property – protects your business equipment and products against theft or damage from disasters like fire, hurricanes, etc. This includes computers, copy/fax machines, office furniture, inventory and other equipment used for business purposes.  
  • Business Interruption – covers business expenses like payroll and loss of income if your business has to close down due to disaster damage. Business interruption will even pay to relocate your business temporarily while repairs are made to your home/business site.

General liability, commercial property, and business interruption coverage can be bundled together in a business owner’s policy (BOP). Other commercial coverage options include worker’s comp to protect employees against injuries on the job and commercial auto insurance to cover vehicles used for business purposes.  

Where to Purchase Commercial Coverage

To purchase a BOP or other commercial coverage for your home business, contact White Oak Insurance LLC in Milford, CT today.

Three signs that you need to update your commercial insurance policy

The insurance coverage needs of your company can change over time. That’s why it’s important for business owners to periodically update their policies. At White Oak Insurance LLC, we can help you with updating your insurance coverage on your company in Milford, CT. 

The following are three signs that you need to update your commercial insurance policy:

You’re getting involved with new operations.

If you’ve changed your operations by manufacturing a new type of product or offering new services, your company might face new risks. This means that you need to update your coverage to protect yourself against these new risks to ensure the financial health and security of your company. 

Your company has grown.

Larger companies need more commercial insurance coverage. When your company is larger, it typically means that you have more employees and that you’re dealing with more customers. A larger company also most likely has more facilities and equipment.

Reevaluate your commercial insurance policy if your company has grown significantly since you first purchased your policy. 

You’ve invested in new equipment or properties. 

It’s important that your commercial insurance covers your company’s assets. Assets including your equipment and your commercial facilities are valuable and require large investments of capital.

Make sure that your commercial insurance policy insures you up to the full value of your company’s equipment and real estate. You definitely need to update your policy if you’ve made large investments in these types of assets without changing your coverage amounts. 

Is it time to update your commercial insurance policy?

We’re here to help. Call us at White Oak Insurance LLC for commercial insurance coverage for your business in Milford, CT. 

More Than One Business? Your Commercial Insurance Might Cover That!

If you or your family have more than one business in Milford, CT, you might wonder if your commercial insurance policy from White Oak Insurance LLC can cover more than one business. The answer is maybe! It all depends on the details of your policy. Let’s take a closer look at how commercial insurance works and whether or not it can cover more than one business.

How Commercial Insurance Works

Commercial insurance is a type of insurance that helps businesses protect themselves from financial losses. This can include losses due to property damage, liability, or even theft. Commercial insurance can help businesses keep their doors open after an unexpected event by helping to cover the cost of repairs or replacements.

Can Commercial Insurance Cover More Than One Business?

It depends on the details of your policy. Some commercial insurance policies will only cover one business, while others will cover multiple businesses. If you’re not sure whether or not your policy covers more than one business, the best thing to do is check with us. We can give you specific information about your policy and what it covers.

Contact Us Today

If you have more than one business, you might wonder if your commercial insurance policy can cover more than one business. The answer is maybe! It all depends on the details of your policy.

Be sure to check with White Oak Insurance LLC to find out exactly what your policy covers. In most cases, commercial insurance can help protect your Milford, CT businesses from financial losses due to property damage, liability, or even theft. Having this type of coverage can help you keep your doors open after an unexpected event.

3 Types of Commercial Insurance That Most Businesses Need

If you haven’t thought about commercial insurance for your business, you are taking a big risk. More than 45% of new businesses fail within the first 5 years. So many things can go wrong but you can lessen the impact by having the correct commercial insurance. At White Oak Insurance LLC in Milford, CT, we use our experience in commercial insurance to help our customers make the right decision. 

Commer Insurance: What Coverages To Consider

Commercial Property Insurance

You may think that since you are a renter, or have a home business, you don’t need commercial property insurance. That is the wrong way of thinking. Commercial property insurance is not just about the physical building, it is about the things that you use every day in your business. If you have an office, it will cover your desks, files, computers, phones, and copier. If you are a manufacturer, it covers your raw materials and your machinery. For stores, it is your registers, inventory, display racks, and more. 

Commercial Liability Insurance

Liability is one of the biggest risks that most businesses face. In a world where suing businesses is a national pastime, the chances of you getting sued are very high. About 33% of businesses get sued in any given year. Some businesses are at higher risk than others, but taking this risk is not worth it for most businesses when legal action could put you out of business. Even if you win the case, the cost of the legal defense could be very prohibitive. 

Workers Compensation Insurance

Connecticut requires that employers who have one or more employees, no matter whether they are full or part-time, cover them with workers’ compensation insurance. Their weekly wage doesn’t matter.   

Give Us A Call

Contact White Oak Insurance LLC in Milford, CT to have your business risks reviewed and your commercial insurance needs met. 

Benefits of comprehensive commercial policies

The White Oak Insurance LLC team is here to provide business owners in the Milford, CT area with the commercial insurance they need. If it’s time to review your commercial policy, give us a call today. We are here to help you with all of your insurance needs!

Comprehensive commercial insurance benefits for business owners

Owning a business is more than a full-time job. Most entrepreneurs live and breathe their businesses day in and day out. It only makes sense to carry the most comprehensive commercial insurance available to protect all of your hard work.

With features such as business interruption coverage, key personnel protection, and robust coverage of equipment, assets, and inventory, it only makes sense to have a comprehensive policy in place. Our team is here to help you review your protection needs and help you determine which policy features best meet your needs.

Insurance needs can change over time, especially when it comes to protecting commercial interests. Don’t let your company languish with insufficient coverage. Find out more about your options today. Working with a local agent who can best understand your needs puts you ahead of the game. We want to ensure that your business community has the right commercial coverage. Let us help you review your options and find the coverage that works for you.

Don’t delay, give us a call!

If you are a business owner in the Milford, CT area, White Oak Insurance LLC is here to assist you with all of your insurance needs. Now is a great time to reach out to our office and schedule a consultation to review your insurance portfolio. Give us a call today!

Connecticut Commercial Insurance – Difference Between Negligence and Reasonable Duty Of Safety

If you own a business in Connecticut, it’s a good idea to consider purchasing commercial insurance.  Commercial Insurance protects the business from most forms of damage, whether they’d be of a physical or a civil (lawsuit) nature.  Civil protections are important at all times of the year, but especially in the winter because New England is known worldwide for the amount of snow and ice that we see every year.  All it takes is one slip & fall accident outside your business to warrant a liability civil event. White Oak Insurance LLC in Milford, CT has many options for business owners and commercial insurance.  We will take a look at the difference in a business owner’s liability between negligence and reasonable duty of safety. 

Reasonable Duty Of Safety

A business has an RDOS (Reasonable Duty Of Safety) to uphold not only to their customers but to the populace at large.  This RDOS comes into place during the winter in terms of snowfall and ice buildup around the business on public walkways and entryways.  A business can’t be expected to clear snow and ice during a heavy snowfall event or blizzard.  There is a reasonable legal expectation of the appearance of snow and ice around a business during a heavy precipitation event.  So, if someone walks in a blizzard and slips and falls in front of the business, there is no legal expectation that there shouldn’t be snow and ice in front of the building, therefore, lawsuits would be hard to win in court.

Negligence

Let’s take that same scenario and instead of walking in front of the business during the blizzard, the same person walked in front of the business a week later in good weather.  The snow and ice haven’t melted away yet and there’s an abundance of it just outside the front door of the business.  The business had a reasonable amount of time to remove the snow and ice and elected not to.  Therefore, there is a legal expectation that the snow and ice should have been removed.  If this same person slips and falls under these different circumstances, that person would have legal standing to file a lawsuit against the business for criminal negligence that can cause injury.  Commercial Insurance would mitigate the out-of-pocket costs for the business under this scenario.

To Learn More

Contact White Oak Insurance LLC in Milford, CT today to learn more about commercial insurance.

Commercial Insurance Add-ons to Consider

As with your health or car insurance, commercial insurance is one insurance coverage that you wish you will never have to use. But because businesses operate in an uncertain environment, you can’t rule out unforeseen mishaps. In that case, investing in commercial insurance can be the difference between failure and success for the business you have worked so hard to bring up. 

Investing in commercial insurance is one thing, but do you know add-ons you should include in your coverage to get the best out of it? If not, White Oak Insurance LLC shares business insurance add-ons to consider for your Milford, CT business. 

Workers’ comp insurance

This insurance is mandatory in Connecticut if you have employees, whether seasonal, full-time, or part-time. Workers’ comp insurance protects your employees by covering their medical expenses for illnesses and injuries suffered in the workplace. 

Commercial auto insurance

Do you have business vehicles? The law requires you to carry commercial auto insurance with liability and uninsured liability coverages. Even though you are using your car to carry out commercial operations, it’s vital to upgrade personal auto insurance to commercial auto insurance. This way, your vehicle and driver will be covered optimally in the event of an accident. 

General liability insurance

While this coverage isn’t legally required, every business should invest in this insurance plan to protect their finances against expensive lawsuits. This coverage protects your business against property damage, advertising injury, and bodily injury occurring to third parties — like customers and vendors. 

Commercial property insurance

Whether traditional, home-based or online, your business has assets — talk of computer equipment, furniture, inventories, buildings, and so forth. Commercial property insurance covers your business assets from perils like theft, fire, vandalism, and certain natural calamities. 

Invest in commercial insurance in Milford, CT today!

The above are just examples of add-ons you can consider for your business. Of course, you consider different coverages, given the nature of your business. Would you like to get more information on commercial insurance? Please contact White Oak Insurance LLC for insights. 

Required Commercial Insurance in Connecticut

Every state has its own laws about the commercial insurance that businesses must-have. In Connecticut, two insurance types are required for most businesses. There are also many other types of commercial insurance that your business may need depending on its industry. If you need commercial insurance for your business, call us at White Oak Insurance LLC in Milford, CT. 

Workers’ Compensation Insurance

In Connecticut, any business that has employees has to have workers’ compensation insurance on them. This is true whether the employees are seasonal, part-time, or full-time. The only exception to this rule is household, domestic workers who work up to 25 hours a week. For businesses that require this type of insurance coverage, it provides a way to pay for the medical bills of injured or sick workers while on the job. This allows the business to get those bills paid without having to dip into company funds. It also helps employees know that if they should have an accident, there are funds to pay for its expenses. 

Commercial Auto Insurance

Every vehicle that is owned by a business in Connecticut must have commercial auto coverage. Personal insurance policies will not cover expenses from an accident that happened while driving for the business. However, personal insurance also won’t cover your private vehicle used for business but not owned by that business. For those vehicles, it’s a good idea to have coverage called hired and non-owned. 

Get Your Commercial Insurance

If your business doesn’t have the required insurance that it should, or you want more coverage to keep it safer, don’t hesitate to call us at White Oak Insurance LLC in Milford, CT. Don’t leave your business in danger of enormous medical bills or fines for not having the right insurance.

How to Structure Your Commercial Insurance

Your commercial insurance policy in Milford, CT should be customized to fit your business. When you structure it, you need to make sure that you’re getting the protection where you need it the most. White Oak Insurance LLC wants you to keep the following information in mind when you sit down to go over your coverage. 

First Threats First 

There’s a lot about commercial insurance that is pretty basic. So if a business was located in a part of town with higher instances of theft, they might want more protection for inventory loss. If they were located in a place that experienced a lot of water damage due to flooding, then they’d have extra coverage to ensure they had someone to call when rain was in the forecast or a pipe unexpectedly burst. While anything can happen, it’s good to start with the most likely scenarios. 

Additional Things to Consider 

When it comes to structuring your commercial insurance, you have to keep in mind how you will scale up your coverage in certain events. For instance, if you’re planning to expand your services or offer new inventory, will you be able to cover those losses should something happen? From liability protection in case you’re sewed to vandalism costs in case criminals break your window, your insurance needs to match the scope of your everyday operations. 

White Oak Insurance LLC knows that getting the right commercial insurance policy in Milford, CT isn’t always a simple process. If you have questions about a new policy or you’re looking to renew your old one, our staff is here to give you the right advice. Give us a call today to start looking over the options.

Does my small business in Connecticut need commercial insurance

Milford is one of the oldest cities in Connecticut and has a thriving business community. As a business owner, you know that owning your own business can be challenging, and there are plenty of things to worry about. One of them should not be whether your business is protected. Commercial insurance is not one size fits all, and the agents at White Oak Insurance LLC can walk you through the different options that may fit your business.

In Connecticut, the law requires that you protect your employees with workers’ compensation insurance. It protects your employee against work-related injuries or health conditions. Safeguarding your employees helps with retention, so it is a real benefit to your business. The only other type of commercial insurance that you need is commercial vehicle insurance if you have a business owned and used vehicle. 

But some types of commercial insurance are more valuable to your business. Commercial property insurance protects not only your actual location, but it also covers your business equipment, inventory, machinery, and other items that you need to do business. Commercial liability insurance protects you from legal action taken against you no matter what the reason. It can be someone hurt on your premise or by one of your products or services and even a disgruntled employee. 

Business interruption insurance can be valuable coverage if your business is affected by a covered hazard. Your day to day expenses doesn’t go away just because your company has been damaged. 

Having is successful business takes a lot of work. Let the experienced staff at White Oak Insurance LLC in Milford, CT help you to take some of the stress out of business ownership with commercial insurance that is tailored to your business. There is no need to pay for coverage you don’t need. Give the office a call for a  no-obligation quote.

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