Business Insurance
Clarksburg, Fairmont, Morgantown

You have a strong entrepreneurial spirit and have worked hard to create your business. We can help you implement the proper risk management strategy and insurance coverages to protect your hard work and ensure your business continues to have an opportunity to succeed and grow.

What is business insurance?

The term business insurance covers a wide range of policies available for purchase by businesses. There isn’t a single business insurance policy able to cover your entire range of risks. However, there is an upside. Because your business is unique, you can tailor business insurance coverage in West Virginia to best fit your business’s needs.

Who needs business insurance?

This answer can vary from person to person, but a good rule of thumb is “everybody with a business.”

Consider doing a brief self-evaluation by asking yourself the following questions:

1. Does your business have property you can’t afford to replace if it’s broken or damaged?
2. Is there a possibility you may be faced with a lawsuit for a substantial amount of money?

If your answer to either of these questions is yes, then it is strongly recommended you protect yourself and your business with a business insurance policy near you.

What does business insurance cover?

Business insurance coverage varies depending on the policy. However, there are six policies we strongly recommend for all business owners in Clarksburg and Fairmont.

1. Commercial Liability

As a business owner, you are potentially liable for every product, service, and operation relating to your business. While sound procedures may be stressed throughout your organization, the fact remains that no person or machine is perfect. Despite your best efforts, harm caused to a third party relating to your business could lead to litigation. Commercial liability insurance is designed to protect business owners and assets from a variety of exposures.

2. Product Liability

Even though commercial liability and product liability sound similar, it is very important to know they are not the same. If your product may potentially damage a person or property, even if the product is properly used, then product liability insurance is essential.

3. Property Insurance

Imagine a fire breaks out and you lose your entire inventory. Or your business is burglarized causing physical damage and possibly lost assets. Your ability to recover from these incidents is dependent on your commercial property insurance.

4. Business Auto Insurance

Imagine you were involved in an accident in your personal vehicle while engaged in company business. Did you know your personal insurance may not cover you? What if you have employees on the road making service calls to customers? Commercial auto insurance provides valuable protection for your company-owned vehicles, leased or rented vehicles, and your employees' vehicles used for business purposes.

Read more about business auto insurance »

5. Workers Compensation

If you employ any number of workers who are not considered owners of the business, then you are legally required to maintain a workers compensation policy. You do your best to maintain a safe work environment, but if any of your employees are injured or become ill on the job, you are legally responsible. A workers compensation policy can cover the payment of your employee’s medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs.

6. Excess/Umbrella

Without an excess or umbrella policy, a catastrophic claim could deplete your future income and business assets. Every business is vulnerable to devastating losses and lawsuits that could exceed your primary insurance coverage. This is a critical coverage—especially for small to mid-sized businesses.

Other beneficial policies may include the following:

Flood & Earthquake

Your basic insurance policy does not protect you against damage from earthquakes and floods. Whether you are in a high-risk area or moderate-to-low risk area, you should consider adding earthquake and flood insurance to your business insurance policy. More than half of all flood claims occur in areas considered to have low flood exposure, and each year there are around 5,000 earthquakes in the United States.

When it comes to natural disasters, here are important things to keep in mind »

Inland Marine

Do you have business equipment, materials, or supplies in transit? Do you store business property in an off-site location? Protect your most valuable business property or equipment wherever it may be with inland marine coverage.

Professional Liability

If you or your employees are specialists providing services that may cause a client financial damage through any errors or omissions, then you will benefit from professional liability coverage. You work hard to perform your duties and responsibilities to the best of your ability, but if your customer isn’t satisfied you may be faced with a lawsuit. Protect your employees, your business, and yourself with a professional liability policy.

Cyber

In today’s digital world, cybercrime runs rampant. Data breaches are an all-too-common occurrence and are commonly targeted towards small businesses. If you store sensitive customer information, such as account numbers, driver’s license numbers, and credit card numbers, and you are the victim of a data breach, you are liable for any damages caused by the breached information.

Learn about the importance of cyber liability insurance and how to protect your business from cybercrime.

How do I find the right business insurance for me?

One of our experienced business insurance brokers can help you through the complex process of finding the insurance policy that best fits your needs. We can help you identify your potential risks and liabilities and then work with you to tailor a policy that will protect your business.

We would love to chat with you. Contact us today!

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can I lower my commercial property insurance premiums?

  You can lower your premiums by improving security measures, such as installing security systems, fire alarms, and sprinklers. Additionally, regularly reviewing your policy and comparing quotes can help you find cost-effective options.

• Are floods and earthquakes covered under standard commercial property insurance?

  No, floods and earthquakes are typically not covered under standard commercial property insurance. Separate policies are available for these types of coverage.

• What does commercial property insurance typically cover?

  Commercial property insurance typically covers damage or loss due to fire, theft, vandalism, natural disasters, and more. It includes buildings, equipment, inventory, and outdoor signs.

• What risks does rafting insurance cover?

  Every rafting insurance policy is unique, meaning every policy premium will also be unique. Because there’s so much variation between rafting businesses, there’s no precise estimate for your premium. However, we can tell you what factors may influence how much you pay.

  • Your business’s location
  • Claims history
  • Size of your operation
  • Number of employees
  • Your chosen deductible
  • Amount of coverage you choose
• What risks does rafting insurance cover?

  Even if your guests have signed a waiver, you risk a lawsuit or liability claim if something goes wrong on your excursions. We provide coverage solutions for a variety of exposures faced by white water rafting outfitters and guides, including:

  • Equipment rentals
  • Guided water trips
  • Office/facility for rental purchases and instruction
  • Equipment storage areas
  • Transportation to and from the water
  • Food and beverage concessions
  • Instruction
  • Camping
  • Hiking
  • Retail sales
• What type of rafting insurance do I need?

  The exact coverage you need will vary based on your business’s operations. However, some types of insurance can benefit almost every rafting business.

  • General Liability – Protects your company against bodily injuries, property damage, product damage, and more.
  • Commercial Auto – Even if you use a personal vehicle for work, a personal auto insurance policy doesn’t cover the car while it’s used for work purposes.
  • Watercraft and Boat Liability – Can cover costs for boat repair or replacement, damage to someone else’s property, and medical bills when people are injured.
  • Retail Property Coverage – Offers commercial structures, business personal property, and machinery protection.
  • Inland Marine Equipment Coverage – You can protect stored equipment in an off-site location and any equipment you’re transporting.
  • Workers Compensation – If any employees are injured or become ill on the job, this insurance can cover the payment of their medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation costs.
• Do I need rafting outfitter and guide insurance?

  Do you rent rafts or give rafting lessons? Do you guide clients across waterways or downriver? Or are you hosting a special event that includes rafting? If yes, you should consider purchasing a rafting insurance policy.

• What is food manufacturing insurance?

  Food manufacturing insurance covers a wide range of policies available to help protect against the risks faced by food and beverage manufacturers and bakeries. There isn't a single bakery insurance policy that covers your entire range of risks instead, policies are tailored to fit the specific needs of your company! Your business is unique, which means your insurance needs to be unique as well. There are coverage options for every type of food manufacturer or processor you can imagine. Some examples include:

  • Commercial Bakeries
  • Dairy Processors
  • Grain Millers
  • Meat Processors
  • Nut Hullers
  • Pasta Manufacturers
  • Poultry Processors
  • Frozen Food Manufacturers
  • Breweries
  • Confectionaries
• What is farm and ranch liability coverage? 

  Farm liability coverage is different from general liability coverage, even though they sound very similar. General liability is just that  general. Farm liability can be broken down further into more specific coverages. Here are a few types of specific liability policies available for different agricultural industries. 

  • Farmers Market/Roadside Stand
  • Agritourism/Agritainment
  • Equine Operations 
  • Farm & Agricultural Pollution 
  • Seedmen's Error & Omissions
  • Liquor Liability
• Who needs family fun center insurance?

  Every family entertainment center can benefit from a customized  insurance policy. If you're wondering whether your business qualifies as a family fun center, the following definition may help. Family fun centers are businesses with games, devices, and attractions designed and manufactured only for the bona fide amusement purposes of the general public. Some examples of businesses and operations covered by family fun center insurance include:

  • Trampoline Parks
  • Obstacle Courses
  • Bowling Alleys
  • Ice Skating Rinks
  • Roller Skating Rinks
  • Miniature Golf
  • Batting Cages
  • Go-Kart Facilities
  • Outdoor Driving Ranges
  • Ride Simulators
  • Escape Rooms
  • Indoor Laser Tag
  • Arcades
• What does professional liability insurance look like?

  Not every professional liability insurance policy looks the same. Claims-made and occurrence policies are the two most common coverage options. While both give you a second line of defense, they have fundamental differences.

  1. Claims-made policies only cover a claim if both the service or advice was provided and the lawsuit was filed while the policy was active.
  2. Occurrence policies will cover claims that take place during the coverage period, even if the treatment did not occur during the active policy.
• What does family entertainment center insurance cover?

  Family entertainment center insurance policies generally cover the same things.

  • General Liability
  • Commercial Property
  • Commercial Auto
  • Workers Compensation
• What does dude ranch insurance cover?

  Guest ranch insurance policies generally cover the same things.

  • General Liability
  • Commercial Property
  • Mobile Equipment Coverage
  • Commercial Auto
  • Crime Coverage
  • Workers Compensation
  • Abuse and Molestation
• What is captive insurance?

  A captive insurer offers insurance policies created explicitly for a specific industry by a specific industry. Captive insurance is unique because the companies are entirely owned and operated by the insureds.

  Captive insurance agencies are organized and used by insureds when the standard products offered by traditional insurance companies don't meet the risk financing needs of the insureds. While it can be a good alternative insurance option, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.

  1. Those who participate in captive insurance put their own capital at risk
  2. Captive insurance works outside of the commercial insurance marketplace

  Advantages of captive insurance

  • Coverage is often tailored to the exact needs of an industry.
  • Well-established captive insurers have a greater ability to retain risk and protect against rapid fluctuations occurring in the commercial market.
  • Participants have ownership of the company and have a say in business services and decisions.
  • You don't have to pay an overhead covering a commercial insurer's acquisition costs, admin, overhead, and profit.
  • Improve cash flow through reduced insurance costs, insulation from market fluctuations, and more time available for you to spend focused on your business.
  • Insurance programs and policies can be customizable.
• What does a BOP cover?

  A BOP might be an excellent insurance solutions for your small business because it allows you to get several critical policies within one place. Most offer:

  • Property & Contents Insurance 
  • General Liability Insurance
  • Business Interruption Insurance
  • Cyber liability insurance
  • EPLI coverage
  • professional liability (E&O) coverage
  • D&O coverage

  Let your agent help you decide the right way to obtain this additional coverage.

• What insurance do bakeries and food processors need?

  The exact coverage you decide on will vary based on your business's needs and risks. However, a few types of food manufacturing and bakery insurance coverage we recommend including the following:

  • General Liability
  • Commercial Property 
  • Bakery Manufacturing Insurance  
  • Bakery Equipment
  • Equipment Breakdown
  • Spoilage Coverage
  • Workers Compensation
  • Commercial Auto
• How much will haunted house insurance cost?

  The best way to answer this question is, It depends. Your premium will depend on how much risk you're willing to carry, combined with factors that determine how much risk your haunted house faces. Some of these risk-determining factors include:

  • How many attendees your haunted house has per day.
  • Estimated gross sales receipts.
  • Payroll.
  • Whether your haunted attraction is indoors, outdoors, or a combination of the two.
  • Staff and volunteers trained in first aid.
  • Location of the closest medical facility.
  • Number and type of special effects that are used throughout the haunt.
• What does medical liability insurance look like?

  Claims-made and occurrence policies are the two most common coverage options. While both give you a second line of defense, they have key differences.

  Claims-made policies only cover a claim if both the treatment occurred and the lawsuit was filed while the policy was active.

  Occurrence policies will cover claims that take place during the coverage period, even if the treatment did not occur during the active policy.

• What does haunted house insurance cover?

  You can buy many types of haunt insurance, but what's included in your policy depends on what you need. Not every haunted house is the same, and your insurance is the same way.

  • General Liability
  • Commercial Property
  • Inland Marine
  • Commercial Auto
  • Workers Compensation
• How much does hospitality insurance cost?

  Unfortunately, there's no single estimate. You run a unique business with lots of different factors affecting your premiums. These factors include:

  • Your business's location
  • Additional services and activities offered
  • Square footage of your hospitality business
  • Presence of a pool
  • The type of food and drink you serve
  • How long your business has existed
  • Your hours of operation
  • The age of your building
  • Number of employees
  • Type of fire and security systems