Business Insurance For Small Businesses

Why do I need a business owner's policy?

If you own a small business, a business owner’s policy (BOP) protects you from liability claims and lawsuits; safeguards your buildings, equipment and inventory; and helps cover you financially if your business unexpectedly shuts down from a covered loss. 

What is a business owner's policy (BOP insurance)?

A BOP, or a business owner's policy, brings together most of the insurance coverage a small business owner typically needs in one package. 

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What does a business owner's policy cover?

A business owner’s policy (BOP policy) combines commercial general liability and property insurance to help protect your small business against a variety of claims.

Thegeneral liabilityportion of a BOP safeguards your business in the event someone makes a claim against you or your business. General liability insurance provides protection from liability lawsuits resulting from things like a customer slipping on a wet floor, a defective product causing damage to a client’s property, or claims that the products or services you provided caused injury. It can also help protect you from libel, slander and certain legal claims related to advertising. 

Commercial property insurance often includes business income and extra expense (BIEE). Theproperty portionof a BOP helps protect business property you own, lease or rent, including your buildings, equipment, furniture and inventory. It helps cover repair or replacement costs of stolen, damaged or destroyed property, including property that isn’t yours but was in your care. It can also cover loss of incomeand covered expenses like rent, payroll and other financial responsibilities while your property is being repaired or replaced after a fire or other covered loss. 

Specialized coverage options

A Travelers BOP builds in many specialized coverages that can be tailored to the unique risks facing your business. Plus, it offers a wide variety of optional coverages that can offer additional protection.

Whether your equipment is used on job sites, such as an infrastructure project or stadium construction, or stored during nonuse, Travelers can help protect your owned, leased or borrowed equipment.

Protection that helps protect you, your business and employees when using rented, hired or personally owned non-owned vehicles for work purposes.

We understand the complexity of cyber threats and have cyber liability insurance solutions to help protect your business assets.

Protects against the theft of money and securities.

Who is a business owner's policy right for?

Travelers BOP is built to protect many types of small businesses. 

Commercial real estate 

Contractors 

Garages 

Manufacturers 

Printers and publishers 

Religious and cultural organizations 

Restaurant and food service 

Retail 

Wholesalers and distributors 

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How can a business owner's policy help small businesses?

If you are a small business owner, a Travelers business owner’s policy offers valuable protection if you encounter scenarios like the following: 

  • A customer trips over a loose wire while visiting your business, falls and fractures their wrist. They sue you to cover their medical expenses. 

  • One of your contractors loses control of a piece of equipment, which damages the wall of a client’s home or accidentally breaks an item of value while performing their work. 

  • A pipe bursts and floods one of your workrooms, damaging business-critical equipment and some of your products. 

  • A fire destroys one of your buildings, leading you to temporarily shut down part of your business. Yet, despite being shut down, you still have to pay rent and your employees. 

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Small Retail Business - Insurance Coverage Scenarios

Explore ways to protect your small retail business when the unexpected happens. Check out all the ways Travelers Insurance can help protect your small business.

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Related services

With more than a century of expertise and more than 500 Risk Control consultants, Travelers has the experience and technical proficiency to help businesses manage their risks. 

Our knowledgeable Claim professionals will respond to your needs with speed, compassion, integrity and professionalism. It's our business to help keep you in business.

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Resources

Small Business Resources

Help keep your small business protected with articles, tips and checklists around common business risks and how to prevent them. Learn more with Travelers.

More Prepare & Prevent

Insights to help you manage risks at work and on the road

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