Insurance Tips for Small Bed and Breakfasts

Your Home is your Business
And as such, you have responsibilities as both home owner and business owner. If you are thinking of operating a small bed and breakfast, which is usually classified as offering up to 3 guest bedrooms, then you need to make sure that you’ve dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s in terms of paperwork, before you open your doors to the paying public.

Operating any business from home, means selecting the correct insurance policy for both buildings and contents; this will mean a specific policy designed just for this purpose. This need not be expensive, and it certainly will not be as costly as it could be, should you fail to insure your home/business correctly. With this in mind, here are some insurance tips for small bed and breakfasts.

A Standard Policy Just Doesn’t Cover It
In many respects operating a Bed and Breakfast, providing you have a suitable, well located property with clean, adequate facilities, is an ideal way to see a materialistic gain from your bricks and mortar. Although it can be hard work, especially in peak season, it can be rewarding and enjoyable providing you get the basics in place first.

Top of this list has to be the adequate provisions of insurance. Be prepared for this cost to swallow up initial profits, but understand it is a necessary requirement and one of the few obligations required for turning your home into a B&B. Hopefully the freedom of running your own show from home, no clocking in to the everyday 9am till 5pm, or enduring the obligatory commute, will go some way to sweeten the pill.

Given that you will be having paying guests in your home, it should go without saying, but remember that a bed and breakfast is a business, hopefully a profitable one, and as such standard home insurance does not only fail to provide the necessary cover, but it may actually be invalidated in the case of a claim, as quite rightly, most insurers would perceive failure to mention you were operating a business from home as non-disclosure.

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Things to Consider when Looking for Insurance
First and foremost make sure that you have sufficient liability cover. This is always crucial whatever the business, if clients or guests will be coming onto your premises. It is important that your insurer is aware that this is the case so that they can cover your home adequately. Other questions to ask include:

Will you be covered for loss of income in the event of closure?

Does your policy still include the standard benefits that come with standard home insurance policies, for example; cover for temporary accommodation, contents temporarily removed from the home, sums for personal cash and credit cards?

Do you require cancellation cover, or personal accident? Consider whether the relating increase in premium would render the business non-profitable?

Remember that as a Bed and Breakfast you will be supplying food and drink on the premises. Again, consider your liability cover as well as the necessary health and safety regulations.

If you’re working from home then chances are you are doing all your paperwork from home as well. Everything from marketing, accounts and billing can be done on a simple home pc and printer with an internet connection. Fundamental to your business, but often overlooked, be sure that office equipment is also covered by your policy.

Make Life Simple
Suitable, specialist insurance for small B&B’s and other home business insurance is easily available through Highworth Insurance, Business at Home cover. Running a business from home can be hard work and involve long, sometimes unsociable hours; it helps to make the various elements as simple and straightforward as possible. With this in mind, it’s worth knowing that comprehensive Business at Home insurance can be bought quickly and securely online, without fuss or hassle and with all the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ve got the cover you require.