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Business Insurance For Hairdressers

Compare business insurance quotes with Savvy to help find the best policy for your hairdressing business. 

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, updated on August 1st, 2023       

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Making your clients look and feel great is a satisfying part of being a hairdresser or working in a beauty salon. You’re there for them at many milestone events in their lives, such as weddings, engagement parties and job interviews. Strong bonds can be formed between hairdressers and their clients, which is why it can be devastating if your service doesn’t turn out as expected. Having comprehensive business insurance can protect you if a covered event takes place. 

You can compare quotes for many types of business insurance here with Savvy. Just answer a few simple questions about your hairdressing or beauty business and you’ll have multiple quotes from a range of respected insurers to consider instantly. Use our quick and easy comparison service to help you find the best value insurance for your salon or mobile hairdressing business today. 

What types of insurance should I buy for my hairdressing or beauty business?

There are several types of business insurance you should consider if you’re a hairdresser or run a hair or beauty salon. These are:  

Professional indemnity insurance 

If something goes wrong with the service you provided, or a client is unhappy with their hair or beauty treatment, you could potentially face an expensive lawsuit. As such, professional indemnity insurance is essential for anyone working as a hairdresser, particularly if you’re self-employed or run a salon. 

Professional indemnity can cover you against claims that the service you provided was negligent or fell short of expected professional standards. It’s the most important type of insurance to have for anyone offering professional hair or beauty services to the public. Cover is available starting from $2 million but can extend up to $10 million or more. 

What it covers 

  • Payment of compensation if there’s a successful claim against you 
  • Payment of court-awarded damages to the litigant 
  • Cover for your legal defence costs 
  • Cover for the cost of disciplinary proceedings or disaster investigations 

Public liability insurance 

Public liability insurance is also essential for hair stylists, nail technicians or anyone in the beauty or makeup businesses. It can cover you against claims that your business activity caused injury to a member of the public or damaged their property. For instance, if a customer slips on a wet floor or you accidentally cut skin with your scissors, this type of insurance could cover you if an injury claim is made and qualifies under your insurer’s terms. This insurance can offer between $5 million and $20 million worth of cover. 

What it covers:  

  • Third-party personal injury claims 
  • Damage to a third party’s property 
  • Legal fees to defend yourself 

General business insurance 

General business insurance is also important if you own a hair salon. It can cover not only your general building contents but also portable equipment (such as hair dryers and heat lamps) and stock, such as the shampoos, sprays and conditioners you sell to clients. Salon owners should be aware that glass breakage is a common exclusion in general business insurance policies, so if you do have a salon full of mirrors you wish to insure, you may need to purchase glass breakage insurance as an add-on to your general business insurance policy. 

What it covers: 

  • Fire, storms, theft, water leakage (excluding floods caused by weather events) 
  • Vandalism, malicious damage, impact and collision which cause damage to your business assets 
  • Portable contents and equipment including your stock 
  • Glass breakage (if purchased as a separate add-on to your business insurance) 

What isn’t covered under my business insurance as a hairdresser?

Some of the most common general exclusions include: 

  1. Injury to yourself or your employees 
  2. Flood damage 
  3. Unlawful activity or criminal negligence 
  4. Reckless behaviour or intentional damage 
  5. Anything to do with asbestos 
  6. The effects of pollution caused by your business activity 

How much does business insurance for a hairdresser cost? 

There is no set cost for an insurance policy, as each applicant is different and faces unique risks. Many factors influence the cost of business insurance, including the following:   

  • The state you’re in  
  • Whether you live in a rural or urban area 
  • Whether you’re a sole trader, self-employed or run a larger business 
  • Your business size and turnover  
  • If you have any employees 
  • Your insurance history 
  • Whether you’ve made an insurance claim in the past five years 

The main factor which will affect the cost of your insurance is the industry you’re in. All businesses in Australia are classified according to the risk their industry poses, and are allocated a risk ratio. These ratios are used by insurers to calculate the comparative risk of any one business compared to another.  

However, in general terms, businesses in northern parts of Australia will have higher insurance costs than businesses in the southern or eastern states. This is because of the environmental risks posed by cyclones and other extreme weather in vulnerable tropical areas of Australia. 

You can find out how much insurance might cost for your business by comparing quotes right here with Savvy.  Whether you need insurance for your hair salon or as a mobile hair stylist, you’ll be able to consider a range of offers right here.

Why do I need business insurance as a hairdresser or beauty therapist?

Cutting hair may seem like a simple task, but as with any other form of beauty treatment, there’s plenty more involved than the general public may think. Unfortunately, many things can go wrong, for example: 

  • Customers can suffer allergic reactions to the treatment you are providing to their hair or skin 
  • Clients can suffer an injury in your salon due to slipping or falling  
  • A customer may not be satisfied with the hairdressing service you have provided and claim you’ve ruined their wedding day 

In many of these instances, you can be held liable for the damage, injury, loss or expense caused by the incident or accident, just as make-up artists can also be held responsible for work they do that doesn’t go to plan.  

Such personal injury or damage claims can run into millions of dollars, which is why it’s so important to have insurance coverage in the event that something goes wrong. Public liability insurance is there to protect you and your business so you can continue enjoying being a hairdresser or beauty therapist well into the future. 

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More of your frequently asked questions about business insurance for hairdressers.

Do I need product liability insurance to sell products such as shampoos and conditioners to my clients?

Yes – anyone who supplies products to the public (especially those which are used on the hair or skin) should have product liability insurance, just in case one of the supplied products causes illness or injury to the buyer, such as an allergic reaction, or damages their property.  

Does glass breakage insurance also cover damage due to vandalism?

This will depend on whether your glass breakage insurance covers just your business contents (such as internal mirrors) or whether it extends to your rented commercial business premises as well. You should read your PDS or check with your insurer to find out exactly which glass is covered under your policy.   

Do I still need insurance if I offer a home-based hairdressing service?

Yes – anyone offering hair, beauty or makeup services to the public, whether in a salon, at your home or theirs, needs to have adequate public liability insurance and preferably professional indemnity insurance as well. 

What information will I need to make a claim?

The information you should have to hand when you contact your insurance company to make a claim will include: 

  • The name of the policyholder 
  • Your policy number and start date (which can be found on your Certificate of Currency) 
  • A detailed description of the incident (what happened to cause the damage or loss) 
  • Specific dates and times when the incident happened 
  • Contact details of any other parties involved (or witnesses to the event) 
  • Details of your police report number (if a crime took place) 
  • Details of the property lost or damaged (including its age and value) 
  • Your bank details for settling the claim 

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Disclaimer:

Savvy is partnered with BizCover Pty Ltd (ABN 68 127 707 975, AFSL 501769) to provide readers with a variety of business insurance policies to compare. Savvy earns a commission from BizCover each time a customer buys a business insurance policy via our website. We don’t arrange for products to be purchased from these brands directly, as all purchases are conducted via BizCover.

Savvy does not compare all business insurance policies or providers currently operating in the market. Any advice presented above or on other pages is general in nature and doesn’t consider your personal or business objectives, needs or finances. It’s always important to consider whether advice is suitable for you before purchasing an insurance policy.

For any further information on the variety of insurers compared by BizCover or how their business works, you can read their Financial Services Guide.

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