Business Insurance

[Rebekah5280]

I'm ready to start doing pictures more professionally. I have overlooked business insurance and I honestly do not even know where to begin to look for coverage. I tried google searching, but there is so many people advertising from companies I've never heard of so I thought I'd ask this community for a few suggestions?

I'm currently doing family photography, so maternity, newborns, babies/kids, families ect.. I also do event photography (baptisms, first communion, quienceras, birthdays ect.).

I have a small home studio (not my home my parents let me use their basement), and I also shoot outside.

Any advise or a point in the right direction would be great!!!

Thank you in advance!!

~Rebekah

[Ads]

[12sndsgood]

do you have an insurance agent that you get your car or home insurance thru? I just called my agent up and told him what i was looking for and he came back a few weeks later with options for me.

[CCericola]

Hill and Usher. They specialize in policies for creatives. There is also a discount program through PPA. You get $15K in equipment insurance included in your dues and the liabiity insurance is discounted. You have to be a member of PPA first before they will give you the rate information. The "regular" insurance comapnies like Allstate, State Farm etc... are usually more expensive. Also, do not let your agnet talk you into a rider on your home owners insurance. It does not cover you if you are running a business only as a hobby.

[12sndsgood]

yeah definatly spell it out to whoever you go to. and make sure you read thru the insurance as well to know what you are actually covered by. too many people get insurance and just assume they are protected in every instance when they are usually not.

If you go the PPA route you should hurry because today and tomorrow you can still enroll for $50 off there current rate.

[KmH]

PPA membership also includes Indemnity insurance, and access to PPA attorneys.

Your gear was likely no longer covered under your home owners insurance as soon as you started shooting for other people, paid for or not. Business liablility insurance will not cover your gear. You will likely need an Inland Marine policy to cover your gear if you don't go the PPA, or some other photographers association, route.

You and your parents have likely had (and still have) legal exposure to liability law suits since you began shooting for other people. In other words, if someone were to claim they were injured during one of your prior shoots.

If only insurance was a simple as only needing 1 type to have - Rangefinder - Business Insurance-Don

[neoanderson004]

Business Insurance helps you to save your personal funds and payout for the claims against you. In case if you are claimed by any family for taking some wrong picture or anything else and if the family claimed on you then you should have to pay for that claim. But if you have Business Insurance then there is no need to worry because your insurance company will handle all your claims and allow you to save your funds. Still if you are not able to select the right policy for you then you must take help of an insurance broker or financial adviser.

[Tony S]

I've usd Tom C Pickard Insurance for about 8 years now. Rates are reasonable and they really know their stuff.

TCP&Co.

Here's a link to a long mesage thread from another board on insurance coverages and different companies folks use...
SportsShooter.com - camera insurance