Whether you operate your small business out of your home, or you rent, lease, or own a commercial space — you need commercial property insurance. Commercial property insurance helps protect the building you use, but also a long list of things inside including equipment, inventory, furniture, computers, and other electronics. It can also provide protection for things outside of the building including outdoor signs, fencing, and landscaping such as gardens, trees, and shrubs.
Who needs commercial property insurance?
Most businesses could benefit from having commercial property insurance, as it is designed to protect the physical assets of a business against loss or damage from a range of causes, including natural disasters and vandalism. Here are some examples of professionals that could find commercial property insurance useful:
Retail small businesses
- Bakeries
- Clothing stores
- Restaurants
- Gift shops
- Florists
- Pet stores
- Book stores
- Furniture stores
Professional services
- Graphic designers
- Web designers
- Copy writers
- Photographers
- Accountants
- Public relations specialists
- Financial advisors
- Marketing consultants
When you’ve suffered a loss to your property, the right commercial property policy can help with the repair cost and get you back to business quickly.
Benefits of commercial property insurance:
Recovery process following a loss: Suffering a loss to your small business can be a traumatic experience, and the longer it takes to get back on your feet, the worse the experience can become. If damage is done to your property as a result of an insured peril, the right policy can help get you back up and running quickly, which can help mitigate the long-term effects of the loss. By limiting your business’ downtime, you also maintain your business’ continuity and protect your reputation with your customers.
Repair costs: If your business suffers a covered loss, your commercial property insurance policy can help with the repair costs to get you back in business quickly. For example, if you own a commercial space, and someone vandalizes the door to your business preventing customers from entering the building, the right small business insurance policy will help get the repairs done quickly and help keep the costs to your business down.
Replacement costs: If your property insurance policy covers replacement costs, when you suffer from an insurable loss, it will cover the lesser cost of restoring items to their original condition or buying new items of like kind and quality. There would be no deduction for depreciation.
For example: A fire breaks out in a neighbouring premises that spreads and causes fire damage to your bakery kitchen equipment.
Your commercial property insurance policy will cover the cost of insured contents within your bakery. Instead of having to dip into business funds to pay for a new electrical oven, your commercial property insurance policy could respond to this loss.
Business interruption coverage: If you suffer a covered loss, you likely won’t be able to sustain operations right away. The right commercial property insurance policy may be able to mitigate your loss of income to help you keep up with bills, payroll, and other expenses until you’re back on your feet.
Unexpected losses: No matter how much you prepare your small business for the risks it faces, sometimes unexpected disasters happen. Natural disasters are often out of our control and can cause significant property damage. Instances of fire, winter storm damage, hail, and some forms of water damage may be covered in your commercial property policy to help you keep costs down in these unforeseen situations.
What is the cost of commercial property insurance?
Insurance companies will consider a variety of factors when creating your commercial property policy and calculating the premium you’ll pay for your small business. Some of these factors include:
Location: Where your business operates will have a big impact on the type of coverage you need and how much it can cost. For example, if you work in an area with a high prevalence of forest fires, your coverage and premium will need to reflect that.
Replacement costs: The amount of money it would cost to replace both your commercial space and its contents will help determine how much coverage you need and how much your premium will cost.
The age of your property: As a building gets older, its likelihood of suffering a loss increases. Newer buildings will typically have lower insurance premiums than older ones. If you operate your small business out of an older building and decide to do renovations or enhancements to your property, it’s important to inform your insurer as this may affect your coverage and premium.
Electrical work and plumbing: Water damage is one of the leading causes of insurance claims in Canada. The type of plumbing in your building will be a key factor in determining your coverage needs and the cost of your premium.
The factors that determine your commercial property insurance premiums can also be factors to help you lower them. There are several things you can do as a small business owner that may help lower your property insurance premiums, such as replacing the roof, improving your building security, and upgrading your electrical system.