Barbers Insurance

What is barber shop insurance?

Barber shop insurance is a combination of covers designed to protect your business from events such as fire, damage, theft, loss of earnings and injury or loss to your employees, customers and the public. Rather than being a single product, it is a policy you build from the covers that apply to your shop.

Every establishment is different. A one-chair shop renting a unit has different needs from a large salon that owns its building and sells products, so the policy can be tailored to include as many or as few covers as you need.

Why do barbers need insurance?

Barbers need insurance because they work very closely with customers in busy premises, which increases the chance of an accident or damage to property. Successful shops see high levels of foot traffic every day, and when you run a business you have a responsibility to protect your customers, staff and livelihood.

Barbers insurance can protect your stock against damage or theft, your building from vandalism and your business from claims made by customers or employees. Accidents may seem unlikely, but they do happen, and an adequate policy is the only way to cover yourself against unexpected events.

What insurance does a barber shop need?

Most barber shops should consider public liability, employers' liability (if they have staff), contents, buildings (if they own the premises), product liability and business interruption cover. The main covers are:

• Contents insurance covers your stock, shelves, displays and other equipment against theft and damage. In short, it protects your shop's interior.
• Public liability insurance covers legal costs and compensation if a customer injures themselves or their property is damaged on your premises. If a customer were injured by a pair of scissors in your shop, this is the cover that would protect you.
• Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ other barbers or hairdressers. It protects you if an employee is injured while working for you.
• Buildings insurance is needed if you own your salon building, covering the cost of repairing damage or vandalism.
• Product liability insurance covers you if a product you sell causes damage, injury or illness to a customer, even if you did not manufacture it.
• Business interruption insurance covers lost sales, wages and even rent if you cannot open your doors because of theft, vandalism, fire or similar circumstances.

There are often many options and add-ons, but there is no need to feel overwhelmed. Pick the options that apply to your business.

What does barbers insurance not cover?

Barbers insurance only covers the risks you choose to include, so anything you leave out of your policy is not protected. If you do not add contents cover, your stock and equipment are not insured against theft or damage; if you skip business interruption cover, lost sales and wages after a fire or break-in fall on you.

Buildings insurance is only relevant if you own the premises, and product liability only applies if you add it, even though you can be held liable for products you sell but did not make. Check that each part of your shop you want protecting has a matching cover on the policy.

Is barbers insurance required by law?

Only employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement for barbers, and it applies once you become an employer and start hiring staff. Without it you could be fined £2,500 for every day you do not have proper cover, so it should be sorted straight away when you take someone on.

The other covers are not legally required, but the industry strongly recommends many of them. Ignoring them could have even more significant repercussions for your business and livelihood than a fine, because a single claim or a fire could otherwise be paid for out of your own pocket.

How much does barber shop insurance cost?

The cost of barber shop insurance depends on what is covered, where you are based and the level of risk the insurer takes on. Adding more covers, such as buildings or business interruption, increases the price, while a smaller shop with fewer covers will usually pay less.

Because the price varies so much from one shop to the next, the most reliable way to find out what you will pay is to compare quotes from more than one insurer based on your own details.

How do I compare barber insurance quotes?

Complete one short form with details of your shop and the covers you want, then compare live quotes online from a panel of UK business insurers. Once you have found a policy that fits, you buy it direct from your preferred provider.

Gathering quotes from more than one insurer lets you compare both prices and the policies behind them, so you can see which covers are included and build a policy that matches the parts of your shop that need protecting.