SB thinking of setting up business

Tayus

Help i'm thinking of setting up a small business cleaning private houses but not sure if i need insurance/what type, concerning breakages that may occur whilst in other peoples property any ideas?

zcaprd7

Can your clients not claim on their insurance?


Maybe have a disclaimer, term/conditions of work (obviously not on your advertising material, but maybe on the invoice in small print?)

Tayus

yes good idea, but just wondered whether there was any special insurance out there that i needed

payless

If I was paying for a business to clean my house- I would certainly expect them to cover the cost of breakages- not me /my insurers.

In practice could you afford to self insure?- perhaps putting a limit on your cover

zcaprd7

What about some secret shopping on what the competition do in your area - at least you can match the norm.

If they don't offer it you could self insure (as suggested by Payless) up to say, £50, (and be careful!), and then you have a bit of a USP over the competition?

Savvy_Sue

Would you not also be well advised to have the equivalent of employer's liability insurance, which would cover you if, say, you left (or were alleged to have left) something in an unsafe condition which caused someone to have an accident? eg wet kitchen floor, trailing flex, using furniture polish to get a nice shine on a laminate floor (ask Scheming Gypsy about that one!)

I don't suppose for one moment that all cleaners have such insurance, but if you are serious about your business then I would consider it, in this litigious age!

To help establish what is necessary, look at your own home insurance and see what it covers for a cleaner working within your home. There will be some variation within policies, but if you don't think you're covered for someone else breaking your ornaments while dusting them, chances are most other people won't be either.

Although I would agree with Payless: we have an excess on our contents/building insurance and as a result have claimed precisely once as a result. I wouldn't expect to have the hassle / inconvenience / cost of making a claim if someone else was responsible!