Cleaners perform such a wide variety of tasks that determining what type of insurance you need can be a little daunting at times. However, there are four lessons that cleaners before you have learned that can help you understand the needs for your own Cleaners Insurance.
1. You need to seriously consider cleaners Liability Insurance
If in the course of your job you cause damage to someone's property, or injure a third party, you may be responsible for the costs associated with the damages. Liability Insurance covers you financially if you do need to pay any costs.
For example if you have just cleaned a floor and a client comes home and slips on it you could be held liable for their medical costs or rehabilitation back to full health. Or if you spill a chemical on a carpet and then need to replace that carpet, you could be out of pocket for thousands of dollars.
Instead, the insurer would step in and cover the costs for you. Sometimes these costs can go up into the millions for serious medical claims such as permanent disability or death, and if you do not have Cleaners Liability Insurance in place your business, or your personal finances could never fully recover.
2. You need to protect your tools
The tools you use for cleaning will cost you money to replace. This is money that many small businesses might not be able to afford. If you are a specialist cleaner you may have more expensive and rare tools, and if theft or damage occurs to them it can really set your business back.
Protecting your cleaning tools is vital so that you can quickly access the money in the worst case scenario and replace them to continue your jobs and earn an income.
3. Workers compensation is vital for employees
It is very exciting to have a growing cleaning business. This also means that you may be employing workers. Along with this comes the added responsibility of acquiring Workers Compensation Insurance in case they become sick or injured by the job. You are required by all Australian states to obtain Workers Compensation Insurance for your business employees; however the requirements are slightly different in each state. It is good to check this with your broker in order to make sure you are getting the right policy for your business.
4. Protect your own income with Accident and Injury Insurance
Chances are that if you run your own business, the only person controlling your income is yourself. This means that if you get sick from your work, or are injured whilst performing your duties, no one will be able to supply you with an income. Accident and Injury Insurance overcomes this problem by helping you when you need it most. There are many risks such as slips, falls, chemicals, or cuts that can happen whilst cleaning and having this insurance means that you will still get an income if you cannot work for a period of time.
