Some types of insurance are a legal requirement to protect you and your business. Others may not be compulsory, but are advisable to protect you in the event of a claim. Insurance packages that appear to be cheaper can be a false economy if they do not provide appropriate cover. For example, if you don’t have the necessary protection and an incident occurs, you could be liable to pay costs or compensation – which could cost your business dearly. Therefore, it makes sense to match your insurance protection to your requirements so that you have peace of mind that your business’ financial security would not be affected in the event of a claim.

As you constantly have members of the public filtering in and out of your shop, public liability insurance is crucial. This will protect you if a member of the public is injured or their property is damaged on your premises. Your contents and stock are your livelihood so it’s also important to protect them. Contents insurance protects your goods in the case of theft, damage or devastation such as fire and floods. Financial protection ensures that cash on your premises is safe. If you have employees you are required by law to have employers liability insurance. This protects you if an employee becomes injured or seriously ill at work. Finally, you may want to consider business interruption cover. Business interruption cover will protect you in the event that your shop is closed due to damage, helping you to continue to pay your expenses whilst you’re closed and cover loss of earnings.

There is a wide range of optional cover available depending on the type of shop you own. For example, shops that sell food will need to pay close attention to the frozen food section of their policy to ensure the cover is adequate. Otherwise, they may need to investigate more comprehensive cover. If you own your shop premises then you will need buildings insurance to protect your bricks and mortar. If, however, you rent your premises, check with your landlord to see if your building is covered. We can arrange flexible policies that match your needs – all you have to do is tell us what you’d like covered and we’ll do our best to arrange at a competitive price.

Because our policies are flexible and can be adapted to fit your requirements, the price will depend on your individual needs. So whether you’re a small village shop or a large, out-of-town retailer we can match you with the right policy. Multiple options may be available from our panel of insurers – each with differing features and prices. In this case will present you with the options, and advise you if required, so you can make an informed decision on which policy is best for you.

We set out to find a group of businesses who embodied everything we love about our local high street. Following our search, we picked a group who know exactly what it means to run a small independent business. Kimora Fashion & Lifestyle in Barrowford, Lancashire is one of our high street heroes. Visit their Facebook page here: www.facebook.com/kimora.womenswear