SB. Public Liability and what else? Confused!

unicorn

My boyfriend is in partnership and they are builders who do all sorts of building work, I understand that they must have Public Liability insurance but what else do they need?
There turnover is not great and they do not employ anyone else nor do they intend to in the near future.
Any advice or websites would be greatly appreciated, and I apologise if this has been covered before but I have searched the boards and still could not find what I needed.

Thanks in advance.

Savvy_Sue

I am no expert, but I hate to see an unanswered post, so I suggest they think about what else they need to insure because if they lost it their business would be in deep mire. So for example their tools, any materials they keep handy, etc. Presumably these are kept at home, so have they been declared on home insurance? If they have a van - or even if they don't, now I think about it - does the vehicle insurance cover business use? CHECK and make sure the insurance company know how it is used.

Then there's their own health / risk of personal injury. I am not saying they HAVE to have this insurance, especially as it is likely to be expensive, but it is something to think about: how would one cope if the other broke a leg?

Note I have restricted myself to insurance: if you were asking about what else a partnership needs to do because I know nothing!

1jim

check out this website/link
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/prgl;jsessionid=CDzqNNJbpKK3nl4QyhHtHfnyqYwvT6rQmPs41msFLpTrRF5D2C2K!-938525998!1111749546689?r.li=1075300276&r.l1=1073858805
Is business link/governement funded website for new buisnesses, this page has a set of questions to answer and tells you what insurance/regulations you need to think about
the rest of the site is very good too

Hope this helps

Jim

Sarahsaver

I'm still confused. Im sure I only need public liability, but endsleigh said I need public indemnity cover too, at a total cost of over £500 a year! How much roughly should public liability cover cost? I am waiting for other firms to get back to me with quotes.

theGrinch

by law you need employer liability even if it is just them working. in additional they should take out public liability for peace of mind. these are the only 2 you really need.

other types of cover include tools and motor.

Justin_Credit

This is an interesting thread with a few differing views.

I have visited and studied the link supplied by 1jim and I recommend that everybody thinking of going into business should read it.

theGrinch, I believe, is mistaken in stating that by law they need employer liability insurance. That applies to companies but the OP's b/friend is in a partnership, this was stated on the businesslink website.

Sarahsaver, it sounds like you mean Professional Indemnity cover which covers you for negligence in the event of you providing bad advice to clients. This is needed by certain professions where giving advice such as law, IFA's, Accountants and the like. Public Liability is quite different.

Anyway, as the OP's b/friend is in a similar position to myself (Iam a sole trader) I would say that they need
1 Public Liability Insurance
2 Motor Insurance to cover business use
3 They may also consider insuring tools and equipment

Hope this is of some help.

JC

Sarahsaver

I tried to tell the people at the Endsleigh office that i will NOT be offering advice, I am a lifestyle manager, not a life coach, so i am concerned with helping people with the day to day logistics of running their lives, rather than telling them how to do it! Is there anywhere I can get an online application?