There are several types of business insurance you should consider if you run a marketing business. These include:
Professional indemnity insurance
The greatest risks faced by marketing professionals relate to legal liability issues. If an advertising campaign your company designed goes badly wrong and results in a public backlash against your client, you could easily be hit with a professional liability lawsuit. For this reason, professional indemnity insurance is a must for all marketing professionals.
Professional indemnity insurance can cover you against claims the advertising service or marketing advice you provided was negligent, fell short of expected professional standards or caused material loss. Insurance cover starts at $250,000 but may be available for far higher amounts depending on the size of the jobs your consultancy undertakes. It can extend up to $10 million or more, which may be necessary if you’re designing an ad campaign for a large international client.
What it covers:
- Cover for your legal defence costs
- Payment of compensation if there’s a successful claim against you
- Payment of court-awarded damages to the litigant
- Cover for the cost of disciplinary proceedings or investigations
Public liability insurance
Public liability insurance is essential for anyone who has contact with the general public or their property. It can provide cover against claims that your business activity caused injury to a member of the public or damaged their property. This insurance can offer between $5 million and $20 million worth of coverage.
What it covers:
- Third-party personal injury claims
- Damage to a third party’s property
- Legal fees to defend yourself
Cyber liability insurance
Cyber liability insurance can protect your business from a range of cybercrimes. It’s a type of insurance which is vital for anyone who collects and holds confidential or sensitive client information, including online businesses and marketing professionals who service their clients remotely.
What it covers:
- Data breaches including theft of client information
- The cost of forensic investigation into the cause of the breach
- Data recovery costs
- Cyber extortion and denial of service threats
- Crisis management costs
- Advertising and communicating with customers
- Legal costs including any fines and penalties imposed
General business insurance
General business insurance may also be worthwhile if you run an office and wish to protect your building and contents. You may also consider commercial property insurance if you do own your business premises. Commercial vehicles aren’t included, however, so you may need separate vehicle protection if you own one.
What it covers:
- Fire, storms, theft, vandalism and collision which cause damage to your business assets
- Specialist cover for electronic equipment and other portable equipment
- Limited business interruption insurance