Are you a homeworker, running a home-based business from your house, flat or garden office? Or do you operate as a sole trader, tradesperson or builder, working in a mobile fashion via van, or with some sort of plant, to fulfil various jobs or contracts?  If so, do  you have a homeworker insurance policy?

Just because your home address has also become your business premises or ‘HQ’ does not mean you can ignore insurance.  Much of what you require, to keep you and your business livelihood protected, is exactly the same as if you rented or owned separate workspace.  Your home insurance policy is very unlikely to offer you any protection.

It’s easy to feel cocooned when running a business from home or being self-employed.  Yet, clients may visit you, or you may work at their premises or elsewhere.  Should any accident or damage occur during this interaction, you could find yourself having to compensate someone for their loss.  That cup full of coffee that ruins a keyboard, reversing into a customer’s porch, or radiator that spurts and ruins a customer’s décor, could be costly.

What insurance does a homeworker, tradesperson or sole trader need?

In short, you need public liability insurance.  Having this insurance may also be a pre-requirement of some contracts and, even if not, highlights professionalism.

You could also find you have claims to defend, or yourself have to pursue a claim, perhaps to secure invoice payment. Without legal expenses protection, that can be costly.

Although you work from home, you might employ an assistant, or sometimes take on temporary support.  If so, you also need employers’ liability insurance and might require personal accident insurance, to protect your business from work-related accident claims.

Depending on what you do, you may have valuable tools to protect.  Tradespeople’s tools are said to be stolen somewhere in Britain every 15 minutes.  Your tools are synonymous with your livelihood, so you need insurance’s help in getting back up and running fast, if targeted.

You could also own gardening and landscaping tools, beauty and wellbeing equipment, computers, or business equipment such as printers and photographic kit.  These things can be hugely expensive to replace.  With no insurance that is difficult to do and could take you some time, leaving you stranded, from a work perspective, until you can afford new equipment.

You might also keep valuable business stock at home, which will not be covered by any home insurance, putting it at risk of theft or complete ruin, should a fire, flood or storm occur.

If you are a sole trader or small contractor working in the construction trade, it might be your owned or hired plantthat requires protection from damage, loss or theft.  Such plant can be hugely attractive to thieves, so needs to be adequately covered.

How to find relevant homeworker, tradesperson and sole trader insurance

The ideal solution for a wide variety of occupations, from beauticians, hairdressers and cake decorators to surveyors, accountants, consultants and a whole range of tradespeople and the self-employed, is a flexible insurance policy.  One that can have bolt-ons added, according to individual circumstances, is perfect.

We can provide such a  homeworker insurance product.  At its core is a choice of limits for public liability insurance – £1m, £2m, £5m or £10m – plus legal expenses protection included as standard.

You can then add whatever else you may need from these options:

employers’ liability;

business stock protection;

business equipment cover;

tools insurance;

owned and hired plant protection;

personal accident cover

contract works insurance up to a sum insured of £750,000.

Who is this homeworker insurance policy right for?

The 5-star rated homeworker insurance policy is underwritten by a leading insurer with an expert claims team there to handle any claims on your behalf.  The cover is especially tailored to the needs of homeworkers, sole and small traders and the self-employed, including builders.

It is particularly focused on those with one or two employees, established businesses and ones with low or no food risks.  Plumbers, electricians, painters and decorators, cleaners and builders are often covered by this policy, alongside a wide variety of homeworkers.

If you have overlooked the need for insurance as a homeworker, or need robust and flexible sole trader or tradesman’s protection, we have the solution. And, even if this particular policy is not right for your occupation or circumstances, we have other options that will be, such as a tradesman’s insurance policy.

Contact us today, by calling 0113 244 8686, to discover how our Leeds-based commercial insurance brokers at Gauntlet Group can best tailor a policy to suit your needs.  Alternatively, use our Find a Local Broker map, to source a local broker you would like to chat to about this.

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