You may be renting, but all of your furnishings, electronics and other personal belongings are certainly valuable to you. Tenant insurance not only covers your personal possessions, it also provides personal liability coverage in case someone is accidentally hurt while visiting you. It also provides coverage if you accidentally cause damage to the rental property.

Yes, but for limited amounts of coverage. You may want to consider buying a Personal Articles Floater which provides all risk coverage for theft and mysterious disappearance. This will also reimburse you for misfortunes, like a stone that falls out of a ring.

Your condo corporation contract will indicate the common areas for your condo complex. Generally, common areas are considered to be any areas outside your unit, like the parking lot, lobby, pool, and recreation centre. Refer to your condo corporation contract or office for further details.

As a dependant and student temporarily living away from home, the personal property your teenager takes to college or university would be covered under your homeowner’s policy. But, the amount of coverage available depends on the type of policy you purchase. Allstate offers additional coverage for students living away from home. Find out more today.

If you have an oil-heated home, a leak could be a costly environmental hazard, so your insurance company will want to know details about the age and condition of your tank. Improperly installed or maintained wood stoves are a common source of house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning. It’s important to speak to your insurance company before buying or renting a home with a wood-burning stove.

Every home should have an emergency preparedness kit to help ensure you and your family are able to get through the first 72 hours of an emergency. Allstate recommends including items such as:

• Non-perishable food and water
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• A basic tool kit
• First aid kit
• Hygiene supplies
• Clothing and footwear
• Battery-powered radio
• Blankets, towels
• Prescription medications, infant formula
• Copies of essential family documents and records
  You should also prepare a plan with your family and practice what you will do in the event of an emergency. The plan should cover items such as:
• Safe exits from your home or neighborhood
• Where you will meet if separated
• An emergency contact person
• A trusted, designated person to take care of children or pets if you are unavailable

Post your plan in a common location and practice it to ensure it runs smoothly.

Household fires can be devastating. They cause significant damage, destroy valuable possessions and claim many lives each year. Allstate recommends the following tips to help keep your home and family safe:

• Install smoke detectors on every floor and change batteries regularly.
• Keep a fire extinguisher on every floor.
• Don’t leave cooking unattended.
• Never pour water on a grease fire.
• Don’t plug too many appliances into one outlet.
• Frequently inspect and clean chimney flues and your furnace.

Keeping your home secure pays off. If you install a home security system and/or a monitored fire alarm, you may qualify for discounts. You can also lower your premium by choosing a higher deductible. Allstate offers many discounts that can help you save even more like a Claim-Free Bonus if you go 12 months without making a claim* (excluding Ontario).

Property Claims: Allstate’s Claims team is here for our customers day or night to help you get on with your life as simply as possible. Visit Claims to find out how to report a claim and for contact numbers by province.

• Replacement cost – the size and composition or your home as well as your contents are the factors that will impact the cost to replace your home and belongings.
• Where you live – if your neighbourhood is more prone to break-ins, you may pay more for insurance.
  Proximity to a water source such as a fire hydrant or fire station.
• Age of roof – newer roofs (within the last 20 years) are preferred by insurers.
• Heating – there is far less risk with forced-air gas furnaces or electric heat than oil tanks. Oil tanks have the potential to cause costly environmental hazards. Improperly installed wood stoves are a source of house fires and carbon-monoxide poisoning.
• Electricity – there are several factors such as:
  whether you have breakers or fuses
  the type of wiring you have (breakers pose less risk than fuses; knob and tube wiring can increase the chance of fire)
• Pipes – older plumbing (galvanized or lead pipes) is more prone to cracking, leaking or other problems.
• Other factors – insurers will also take into account whether you have a monitored security system or fire alarm. They’ll also ask about swimming pools and other structures on your property such as a storage shed.

Your auto liability protects you if you are in an accident and you’re held legally liable for injury or death to other people. It also covers damage to their vehicle or property. The personal liability coverage on your home covers you at home or anywhere in the world for bodily injury to others or if you accidentally cause damage to another person’s property. For example, if a visitor slips on your driveway and you are found legally responsible, you would be covered for the damages.

It depends on the value of your home’s physical structure and the value of all of your personal property (e.g. furnishings, clothing, appliances, entertainment systems, etc.). Take a thorough inventory of your possessions to ensure you have an accurate value. There are limits and exclusions that apply to your personal property, so be sure to check with your insurance company about how much coverage is right for you.

To get a quote and to obtain more answers to your car insurance queries Call us Today 1-416-876-7799

Accidents and mishaps are an unfortunate part of life. Being prepared can make the experience less frightening. Here are some helpful tips on what to do in case of an accident:

• Stay calm.
• Check for injuries and determine the extent of damage.
• If safe to do so, move your vehicle to the side of the road and turn on hazard lights.
• Call 911 to report the accident and any injuries; ask if police presence is required (usually it’s not required if damage is estimated to be less than $2000).
• Do not admit fault or liability.
• If police presence is not required, go to a Collision Reporting Centre (if available in your area).
• Exchange information with other driver(s) including name, phone number, driver’s licence and plate number, as well as insurance information.
• Exchange contact information with any witnesses.
• Record accident details for your records (weather conditions, what each car was doing, etc.) Take photos of the scene, if possible.
• Do not discuss your insurance limits or accept monetary compensation.
• Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as possible.

Allstate is committed to our customers’ safety. Here are a few tips to help keep you and your vehicle safe on the road:

Tips to keep your vehicle safe:
• Regularly service your car
• Check battery and fluid levels
• Replace worn wiper blades
• Use snow tires in winter (mandatory in some provinces)
• Change oil regularly
• Inspect hoses
• Replace worn bulbs

Safe driving tips
• Never drive impaired
• Don’t talk or text while driving
• Avoid distractions like talking to drivers, changing radio stations, or searching for buttons on consoles
• Buckle up: always wear your seatbelt
• Leave a safe distance between your car and the car in front of you
• Watch out for pedestrians
• Stay visible: make sure your headlights and taillights are always working
• Check road conditions before you leave

When your teenager is learning how to drive, call us to discuss the best approach. Driver training courses are an important step that can help prepare your teen for the roads. Your teenager’s safety and protection is the most important consideration. As well, when learning how to drive with a driver training program, it may help lower your premium.

Yes. Allstate offers insurance coverage for other vehicles including:

• Motorcycles
• ATVs
• Snowmobiles
• Boats/Watercraft
• Motorhomes, trailers

• Keep building up your driving experience and keep a clean driving record.
• Choose a higher deductible if you are comfortable paying more out of pocket in the event that you are in an accident.
• Remove collision coverage on older vehicles if you are not concerned about having to repair or replace your vehicle.
• Combine your home and auto insurance with the same insurance company.
• Keep kilometres down and adjust how far you drive. Car pool or take public transportation when possible.

No-fault insurance refers to coverage under your policy that you may be eligible for, regardless of whether you were at fault for the accident or not. Depending on where you live, the limits of your entitlement to various benefits, like medical and rehabilitative benefits, may vary. There may also be options for you to add on additional coverage for these benefits.

Your vehicle is covered by auto insurance, but most personal items that you may carry in your vehicle would be covered under your home, condo or tenant insurance policy (if you have one).

Auto Claims: Allstate’s Claims team is here for our customers day or night to help you get on with your life as simply as possible. Visit Claims to find out how to report a claim and for contact numbers by province.

If you have added Loss of Use or Transportation Replacement endorsement to your policy, we will cover the cost of alternate transportation such as a rental vehicle while your car is being repaired. This endorsement is not automatically included with your policy.

Your policy covers most licensed drivers who have permission to drive your car but there are certain exceptions. Speak to your agent for additional details.

Your premium will be higher if you have a higher limit and a lower deductible. When choosing the deductible that’s right for you, think about how much you could afford to pay if you were involved in an accident that resulted in damage to your car. If you have a lower deductible, you’ll pay less out-of-pocket costs when you make a claim, however you’ll pay a higher premium.

Your limit is the total amount we’ll pay if you make a claim on a covered loss. Your deductible is the portion of the claim you pay. For example, if you have an accident that causes $2,000 in damage to your car and you have a $500 deductible, you will pay the first $500 and we would pay the remaining $1,500.

Tutors providing services in a client’s home or a learning pod environment require additional coverage to protect themselves against claims or lawsuits alleging negligence or property damage. The most common coverages for tutors working on-site are:

Professional Liability Insurance, which covers allegations alleging malpractice, neglect, or failure to deliver a service as promised.
Commercial General Liability Insurance, which covers lawsuits alleging bodily injury or property damage as a result of your business operations.

Legal Expense Insurance is not mandatory to operate your business, but as a busy business owner, it could save you a tremendous amount of time and financial resources in the event that you require legal assistance.

As a business owner, you come into contact with many third-parties, including clients, vendors, and other businesses, who may be involved in an accident or claim your business caused them loss or damage. For coverage purposes, this definition of a third party does not include your employees or sub-contractors.

Errors and Omissions Insurance (E&O), also referred to as Professional Liability Insurance, provides financial protection for professionals against claims and lawsuits alleging negligence or failure to deliver a service or product as promised.

As the name suggests, All-Risk insurance coverage covers all losses unless otherwise specified. Named Peril policies only cover risks listed explicitly in the policy, with all others assumed to be excluded. In both cases, you can add additional coverage to your policy as a rider.

Non-residential property is considered vacant after 30 days and seen as high-risk. When your property is vacant or unoccupied for a prolonged period, it is more susceptible to property damages, such as theft and vandalism, which may affect how your insurer would handle a claim. As a result, your insurer may remove some key coverages from your policy (e.g., vandalism related property damages) after 30 days of vacancy. To better understand the restrictions around commercial property vacancy, please speak to your broker.

Standard business interruption insurance provides coverage for damages sustained due to direct physical loss or damage, such as a fire. Unfortunately, it will not cover income lost or barriers to trade and travel due to a pandemic, infectious disease, or government-mandated closure.

Business Interruption Insurance is typically included in a commercial property insurance policy or business owner’s policy (BOP). You can add it to an existing policy as a rider.

Different types of Business Interruption coverage will determine how payout is calculated. Most policies cover reimbursement for profits your business would have earned based on the prior month’s performance, in addition to extra expenses beyond fixed costs. Employee wages, taxes, and loan payments may also be taken into account.

Every business is unique. At Zensurance, we have curated several solutions that include comprehensive coverages and we are confident you will get the coverage you need through one of these packages. If not, we’re happy to look at alternative options.

Yes. While most customers prefer to pay up front to avoid any additional financing charges, we do offer flexible payment options including monthly payment solutions for policies that cost more than $500.

Yes, we are able to customize our insurance packages so that you get only the coverage you need.

General Liability Insurance costs are calculated based on a few different factors such as industry, projected revenues, and the number of years in operation. Insurance companies have collected decades’ worth of data to predict the risk associated with different industries, business sizes, and many other factors to help them calculate your yearly premium cost.

A general liability policy covers legal expenses and settlements related to bodily injury or property damage to a third-party. The most common scenarios usually involve accidents and injuries: trip-and-falls are the leading cause of injury hospitalization in Canada.

Get in touch with your local insurance broker or request an online quote from a digital brokerage like Zensurance. A digital brokerage has a number of benefits over local brokers including speed, ease of use and lower costs. All insurance brokers, digital and traditional, have a fiduciary responsibility to protect your best interests and should help you find the right policy for your business.

Most small businesses opt for a $2M policy, but every business faces different risks so definitely work with your insurance provider to find the right policy for your business. Also, consider your budget and how much you can afford to pay in premiums as policies with more coverage usually cost more.

Canadian entrepreneurs often ask how much business coverage they should get. 1 million or 2 million? The answer as with many things insurance is: It depends. As your business coverage goes up so does your premium. If you can absorb the cost, the general advice is to get as much coverage as you can afford. Many business owners who have to file a claim and went for the cheapest option often wish they had gotten broader coverage. Evaluate the potential risks your business is exposed to and your budget.

The short answer is YES. While some personal home insurance policies could cover some personal items you use for work such as a laptop, a printer, a monitor or some tools, many times there are exclusions in your home policy that don’t cover home business items. In case of damage to your home or loss of equipment that prevents you from working, the loss of income will not be covered by your home insurance.

The most basic type of business insurance known as a commercial general liability (CGL) covers two main areas: 3rd party personal injury and property damage. This basically means that if as a result of your normal business operation someone gets hurt or something is damaged, your business insurance can help cover the costs. On top of this, if you have unique protection needs, you can add a wide range of optional coverages such as cyber liability, errors & omissions or medical malpractice just to name a few.

Most small businesses pay anywhere from $500 to $5,000 per year for business insurance. The wide range in cost is explained by the wide diversity of business types and risk factors of specific trades or industries. Other factors that affect your business insurance cost are the amount of coverage, previous experience in the industry or insurance claims made in the past. Here’s a resource for more information on business insurance costs.

Errors and omissions is a popular name for professional liability, they both refer to the same policy and provide coverage to professionals or consultants for errors and omissions in their services. In some industries, it’s also commonly known as malpractice insurance. Regardless of what you refer to it as, it may be important to protect your business practice with this policy.

Professional liability insurance covers financial loss or bodily injury caused to a third party due to a service you provided. It covers legal costs and settlements, usually hefty fees that can cripple a small business or individual practitioner if they had to pay it out of their own pocket.

The most common professional liability coverage that business owners, consultants or practitioners opt for is the $1M/$2M coverage ($1M max pay out for a single claim during a year, $2M max pay out for all claims throughout a year). If you believe risks are higher in your industry or for your specific business, you should consult with your broker about getting a policy with higher limits.

Errors and omissions (E&O) insurance covers legal costs and settlements that arise from claims of errors, omissions, negligence or inadequate service provided by professionals such as doctors, consultants, engineers, accountants, etc. It does not cover any damage done intentionally.

It’s recommended for professionals who provide a service or advice, whether they work within a group of professionals or as solo entrepreneurs. For example: doctors, lawyers, accountants, management consultants, marketers, financial planners, engineers etc.

The difference is that D&O (Directors and Officers) Insurance only applies to directors and officers of a company and E&O (Errors & Omissions) Insurance applies to any professional who provides a service. Both policies provide coverage for errors and omissions borne out of negligence.

Yes. professional liability insurance covers errors and omissions in the service or advice provided by professionals. In fact, the terms ‘professional liability insurance’ and ‘errors and omissions insurance’ actually refer to the same type of policy.

Yes, as long as you provide a service to a client, regardless of your location, you can be sued for errors and omissions arising out of negligence. It is best practice to protect yourself with insurance as legal costs and settlement fees are devastating for small businesses and freelance professionals.

Cyber extortion coverage is not included by default in all our cyber liability insurance packages. If you require cyber extortion coverage, discuss it with your assigned broker. It provides coverage for extortion related expenses such as hiring a consultant or negotiator and repair costs if the recovered data is locked or damaged.

Malware: malicious software that usually make their way through with link clicks and attachment downloads.
Phishing: fraudulent emails to steal information or encourage malware downloads.
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service): bombarding a business’s server with multiple simultaneous requests to stop it from fulfilling legitimate requests.

No, it is a common misconception that Technology Errors and Omissions (Tech E&O) coverage provides protection against cybercrimes. Tech E&O covers losses resulting from technology services and technology products but it will not protect you in case of loss of private third party information.

Yes. According to StatCan, one-fifth of all Canadian businesses were targeted by hackers in 2017. Hackers especially prefer small businesses because they are considered ‘low-hanging fruits’. Cyber security measures are expensive, and small businesses usually don’t have the infrastructure and trained personnel in place to prevent these attacks.

D&O liability insurance is a type of professional liability insurance that is specifically designed to protect the liability of directors and officers and also the liability of the corporation to indemnify its directors and officers for expenses incurred from their alleged acts of harm or negligence.

Directors and Officers Insurance usually does not apply to sole traders or partnerships because they don’t employ the executive level staff that a Directors and Officers Insurance policy is designed to cover. However, any corporate business whose structure includes executive level staff should consider getting D&O Insurance.

Yes, D&O insurance protects the board of directors of nonprofits by covering defense costs, settlements, judgments arising from lawsuits and wrongful allegations. Nonprofit board members are not fully exempt from liability just by virtue of being volunteers.

Yes, D&O insurance policies usually protect former and present directors and officers. As long as the company continues to purchase D&O insurance, former directors and officers will be covered against future lawsuits that relate to their past board service.

Yes, beauty insurance claims are very frequent in the beauty space. From clients who do not follow post care procedures and experience bodily damage to instagram influencers who feel that your treatment caused them to lose sponsors. Whoever feels that your services caused bodily injury or damage to their exterior image can file a lawsuit with cause. That is why we offer broad beauty insurance.

Yes, beauty insurance is not just for beauticians who work at a salon, spa or any spot. Even if you travel to your clients, there is a risk that something may go wrong while you complete your beauty procedure. Insurance claims are very common in the beauty industry and that applies to mobile beauticians too.

No. Unfortunately, beauty insurance only covers your employees. Beauticians who rent a chair in your salon are considered to be contractors and are not covered by your insurance policy, they would have to get their own insurance policies.

The rule here is as much as you can afford. You will feel much more confident in your practice knowing you have millions of dollars in coverage. Also if you experience a claim early in the year you may not have enough beauty insurance leftover to continue working because your insurance policy has been depleted!

There are two main types of beauty liability insurance that apply to your profession and it important to have both. Professional liability insurance for the beauty space refers to lawsuits stemming from your actual services. Beauty commercial general liability insurance refers to accidents like a slip and fall. However, it is paramount to have both for a beauty practitioner because sometimes clients can get hurt during a treatment accidentally, like slipping during a pedicure or getting burned during a wax.

Malpractice insurance is a type of professional liability insurance that protects medical practitioners from errors caused by negligence in their service. Most medical practitioners are sued at one point or another in their career. Malpractice insurance is curated to cover the common risks that most doctors and other medical practitioners are likely to face.

Insurance policies are created with the intent of covering a large number of business segments. Every business is unique as to what they offer and how they are operated, due to these individual complexities it is almost impossible for one single insurance policy to cover everything a business may offer. Your basic insurance policy, Commercial General Liability covers any claims of your business causing injury or loss whether it be to a customer, tenant, or landlord. These policies do not, however, cover your professional advice and services, management decisions, physical property, computer systems, data and other potential loss exposures that might exist within your business model.

Medical negligence refers to a breach of duty by a health professional that results in harm and loss to a client or patient. Negligence can take several different forms, including but not limited to misdiagnosis, incorrect treatment, delay in providing treatment, mistakes in surgery, etc.

Medical negligence (injuries from medical malpractice) is a form of personal injury. Personal injury claims deal with a wide variety of areas where the claimant suffers an injury through no fault of their own, for example, dog bites and slip and falls. Medical negligence (or malpractice) claims only concern mistakes or carelessness carried out by medical professionals. Medical malpractice claims tend to be a lot more complex and thoroughly analyzed too.

Most fitness claims involve tripping over equipment. Another common cause is clients pushing themselves past their limit, believing they can do one more bench press or try new exercises without proper training after watching Youtube and Instagram videos. If you have come across these problems while working with fitness clients, you can quickly find yourself needing a fitness insurance policy.

The fitness industry is full of different techniques and different categories. It is important to know what types of clients you can and cannot train. Some common exclusions include professional athletes, minors and certain types of exercises that usually include aerial or aquatic components. Discuss thoroughly with your broker what your fitness insurance policy does not include.

Bodily injury to your sports and fitness clients can be troublesome even if a claim is not made immediately, because they are allowed to make claims up to two years from the reported date of injury. This means you can be faced with a lawsuit related to a fitness claim years after going out of business or changing your profession.

No, Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance for accountants may only cover mistakes and missed deadlines due to negligence in the accountant’s services that lead to financial loss for clients. If the accountant’s computer network is hacked, E&O will not cover the cost of damages that result from the personal and financial information of clients being compromised. To cover third-party damages due to a breach of cybersecurity, accountants may consider adding Cyber Liability coverage to their policy.

According to Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Canada, all accounting firms (whether a one-person operation or a group operation) that provide accounting services to the public should insure their business with Professional Liability Insurance. Check the CPA branch website of your province to find out about other mandatory laws that apply to accountants and bookkeepers in your province.

As determined by Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Canada, the minimum coverage amount per claim depends on the number of accountants in a firm. For one-member firms, the minimum limit is $1 million. For firms with two or three members, the minimum limit is $1.5 million. For firms with four members or more, the minimum limit is $2 million.

No, having Contractors Insurance is not mandatory, but here are some reasons why you should:

• There are many risks involved in a contracting project, e.g., on-site injury, equipment, and property damage, any of which could lead to financial loss if a client files a claim against you.
• For risk-management purposes, project managers and planners will often ask for proof of insurance before making a hiring decision. Having Contractor Insurance can be the difference between whether or not you secure a contract.

Contractors do not require Professional Liability Insurance. However, if you offer advice as part of your service, consider adding it to your policy to protect against claims alleging you gave incorrect information or failed to deliver a service as promised.

If you’re still not sure if Professional Liability Insurance is something you need, ask your broker about what types of coverage make the most sense for your business.

Contractor Insurance provides coverage for full-time employees of a business. This policy does not typically include subcontractors; however, if needed, they can be added. Regardless, it is important to ensure you are meeting all insurance requirements in a contract.

Important note for contractors, your policy coverage limit applies to all employees of your business, not each employee. One option to accommodate all of your employees is to increase your limit. However, hiring subcontractors that carry their own liability insurance ensures all parties have adequate coverage.

For subcontractors, consider purchasing liability insurance to ensure you always have coverage, even when an employer can’t cover you. Having liability insurance will also allow you to work on multiple sites.

Errors & Omissions (E&O) Insurance is a popular alternative name for Professional Liability Insurance, but the latter is the official name in the insurance industry. Regardless of what you call the policy, it is recommended for protecting any consulting practice because It provides protection from errors and missed deadlines (due to negligence) that lead to a financial loss for clients.

Errors and Omissions policies don’t cover damages to third parties from cybersecurity breaches. If you store electronic data related to clients, whether personal or financial, it may be a good idea to ensure that your Consultant Insurance policy includes coverage for cyber liability because you may be held liable for third-party damages caused by cyber attacks on your servers.

Although Consultant Insurance is not mandatory by law, it may be important to protect your business with a consultant insurance policy because clients have the legal right to file claims for mistakes caused by the negligence of consultants and independent contractors. Most clients will require you to have Consultant Insurance before hiring you because small mistakes on your part could lead to huge financial losses for them.

Health and Wellness Insurance provides coverage for employees of a business, but independent instructors who are simply renting space are not covered by the facility’s insurance policy. If you are an independent instructor, you may consider purchasing General Liability Insurance to protect yourself from being held liable for injuries or property damage that may happen during your lessons.

Malpractice Insurance is a type of Professional Liability Insurance that applies to health practitioners. Due to the nature of your work, your treatment or advice to a client may lead to bodily injuries, in which case, the client will usually file a malpractice lawsuit against you, accusing you of negligence in your professional service. Malpractice related lawsuits are more common in the health and wellness industry than most other service-based industries.

No, if you conduct fitness lessons or treatment sessions at your home, any damages resulting from your commercial activities will not be covered by your Home Insurance. It is highly recommended that you purchase General Liability Insurance at the least to cover the most common risks in your profession, which are damages to a third-party (mostly your clients). If you want to protect your own property from damages, talk to your broker about adding Commercial Property Insurance to your policy.

Malpractice coverage is a type of Professional Liability coverage that applies to counsellors and therapists. Medical health practitioners such as therapists and counsellors deal with patients that may have a complex history of mental health. As with other medical services, mental health treatment and consultation are highly susceptible to negative outcomes due to negligence. Your Counsellor Insurance policy will usually include malpractice coverage in addition to other important coverages.

The terms are broadly interchangeable and may refer to the same practitioner. Generally, counsellor refers to a practitioner who is treating a client over a short period of time (for e.g. to treat negative behavior patterns). Therapist, on the other hand, can be used to refer to the same practitioner when she is treating a client over a long time period (for e.g. therapy sessions for deep-seated or complex psychological issues). Regardless of what the professional designation is, Counsellor Insurance is important to protect the practice.

A counsellor or therapist is not protected by her Home Insurance if she conducts counselling or therapy sessions at home. At the minimum, counsellors and therapists may consider purchasing General Liability Insurance to protect themselves from being held liable for bodily injuries and property damage to third parties, and Commercial Property Insurance to protect the space and contents of their home being used for commercial purposes.

It is highly recommended that you add Commercial Property Insurance to your policy as well. General Liability Insurance provides coverage for third-party injuries and property damage, so your entertainment business may be protected when injuries happen on your premises or third party property is damaged at your place of business. However, your own property will not be covered. To protect your contents and equipment, you must add Commercial Property Insurance to your insurance policy as well.

Entertainment businesses (bowling alleys, billiards clubs, arcades) own a lot of expensive machines and equipment that are central to business operations. These assets are also likely to be damaged through use and misuse. It is highly recommended that all assets are insured with commercial property coverage. There is also a high risk of injury to third parties on the entertainment business’ premises, so it is also recommended that entertainment businesses add General Liability Insurance to their insurance policy.

No, employee theft is covered under Crime Insurance coverage. Although Commercial Property Insurance may protect businesses from property damage by third-parties, it does not cover stolen money or securities. About 1 in 3 Canadian companies are concerned about employee theft. To protect your business from theft of money and securities, forgery, and computer fraud, by a third party, add Crime Insurance to your insurance policy.

Yes, it is possible that you can be held liable for products you have sold even if you did not manufacture the products. Make sure that products liability coverage is present in your insurance policy. Take a thorough look at your inventory to determine if you sell products that are highly likely to cause injuries, such as products for babies and toddlers. Whenever possible, do business with manufacturers that already carry an insurance policy.

It is recommended that you protect your business operations with Cyber Liability Insurance if you are selling products online as online transactions usually require an exchange of financial information over the internet. Many online retailers also store customer data to complete and ship out orders. If any third party data on your systems are stolen or damaged in a cyber attack, you may need Cyber Liability Insurance to cover the damages. Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly common. According to StatCan, one-fifth of all Canadian small businesses were targets of cyber attacks in 2017, and the number has only gone up since.

Confirm with your supplier if they are responsible for insuring inventory. However, it never hurts to carry this coverage in the event that you get dragged into a claims scenario. If you have multiple suppliers, it can be difficult to keep track of which suppliers have insurance and which don’t. It is highly recommended that you add Property Insurance to your insurance policy to manage your risks.

Yes, hotels may require Property Insurance. General liability insurance covers injuries and property damage to third parties. General liability will protect you in incidents such as slips and falls and damage to guests’ property by your employees, but damage to your own property is not covered. Hotels have a high residential property value and own many expensive contents. If you wish to protect your assets, you may consider adding Commercial Property Insurance to your insurance policy.

If you serve alcohol, you should consider protecting your business with liquor liability coverage. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada, if you serve alcohol you could be held liable for injuries or damages to third parties if alcohol is deemed as a contributing factor in the incidents. Any business that serves alcohol is also responsible for ensuring that customers are not served past the point of intoxication, which is extremely difficult to keep track of, especially in a busy environment.

Cyber liability may not necessarily apply to all hotels, but many hotels and lodging establishments do utilize electronic data that makes them susceptible to cyber attacks. For example, a hotel may have a website where clients make reservations online. The website may also accept electronic payments from customers, and customers’ financial and personal data may be stored in the hotel’s systems. A cybersecurity breach for such an establishment could lead to severe problems if the establishment is not protected by Cyber Liability Insurance.

The most common risks that professionals in the media and marketing industry face are lawsuits that arise from copyright infringement, plagiarism, defamation, and invasion of privacy. As media and marketing professionals frequently work with media assets (often created by other professionals), it is common for such types of problems to arise.

You can request to add Legal Expense Insurance to your Media and Marketing Insurance policy. Legal Expense Insurance enables you to consult a lawyer for advice related to your business. Standalone Legal Expense policies start at $200 a year, but you may be able to get a discount if you bundle it with other policies (such as general liability, errors & omissions, crime etc) in your Media and Marketing Insurance.

If you are concerned about advertising injury (libel, slander, etc) caused by your own company’s marketing and promotional material, request to add General Liability coverage to your Media and Marketing Insurance policy. But General Liability does not cover the work you do for your clients. If you are concerned about advertising injury caused by the work you do for your clients, add Errors & Omissions coverage to your insurance policy. Errors & Omissions Insurance provides coverage for damages caused by errors and omissions in your services.

If you serve alcohol at your restaurant, you may consider adding liquor liability to your insurance policy. You may be held liable if you serve alcohol to a customer who causes an accident and the alcohol is deemed to be a contributing factor in the incident. Restaurant employees are also required to ensure that they do not serve alcohol beyond the point of intoxication, which is an extremely difficult requirement to keep track of.

Crime Insurance protects your business from employee theft including stolen cash and credit card forgery as well as loss of money and securities inside and outside of the premises. Regular theft, however, is included under the property portion of a policy. Ensure that you have both added to your Restaurant Insurance policy.

Yes. This is an extremely important coverage for restaurant owners. It protects your business from cases of mechanical and electrical breakdown of major pieces of equipment (e.g., boilers, coolers, refrigerators, air conditioners). The policy covers the repair or replacement of the equipment, and there is also a limit associated with food/drink spoilage. Note that equipment breakdown is not included under property coverage.

Yes, this is a very standard requirement. Please provide us with the legal name and mailing address and we can have this added to your formal policy documents.

Yes, Crime Insurance is a coverage that may protect your business from employee theft including stolen cash and credit card forgery as well as loss of money and securities inside and outside of the premises. Regular theft is included under the property portion of a policy.

No, General Liability Insurance is a coverage designed to protect you from the consequences that result from bodily injuries and property damages to third-parties. Damage to your own property is not covered by General Liability Insurance. If you wish to protect your own stock and inventory from damages, add commercial property coverage to your insurance policy.

The most basic policy recommended for any business is General Liability. It protects a business from claims of bodily injury or property damage to a third-party. For Architects, it is also recommended to add Errors and Omissions coverage to their insurance policy. Errors and Omissions Insurance, also known as Professional Liability Insurance, covers errors and omissions in your services to clients that lead to financial losses for them. If you own a lot of expensive property, also add Commercial Property Insurance to your policy to protect your contents and assets.

Yes. Design errors in a project can be discovered years after the project is completed, and if you are the architect who designed the project, approved the design, or agreed to the substitution of products that turned out to be faulty, you will be held liable for damages, even if you have retired or changed professions.

Architect Insurance is not required by law, but it is difficult to land any sizeable project without having an insurance policy in place. If there is an error in a project designed by you, it can become extremely costly if the error is discovered once construction is underway. For this reason, project managers and builders are usually very careful about only working with architects who already have Architect Insurance.

Technology Insurance could broadly include several different insurance policies that are required by tech companies to protect themselves against the usual risks they face. Cyber Liability insurance provides coverage for damages due to cyber attacks, so it is one of the coverages usually included in a Technology Insurance policy, along with other coverages such as general liability, errors and omissions, legal expense insurance etc.

You may choose to add Legal Expense coverage to your Technology Insurance policy (and we recommend that you do). Legal Expense coverage provides access to a lawyer for immediate legal advice on any business related matter, and coverage for legal expenses for the following: Contract Disputes, Employment Disputes, Criminal Defence, Property Disputes, Personal Injury, and Tax Disputes.

Technology Insurance is a specialized policy for technology companies (e.g. Software Developers, IT Staffing, SaaS providers, E-commerce) that includes coverages especially curated to protect Technology companies from the unique risks they face. Tech E&O insurance provides protection in case of errors and omissions in a technology company’s services and is usually included under the broader Technology Insurance policy along with other coverages required by tech companies.

Commercial General Liability Insurance is a general policy that applies to all sorts of businesses as it provides coverage for bodily injuries or property damage to third parties for which the business can be held liable. Tenant Liability Insurance provides similar coverage, but it is specifically designed to cover a tenant’s legal liability towards the landlord in cases of injury or property damage.

Coverage for your company’s assets and equipment is not provided under a Tenant Insurance policy. The policy is designed to cover a tenant’s legal liability towards the landlord in cases of property damage or bodily injury. For example, if your employees damage the walls of the rented space, or someone injures themselves while on the rental property. Your own assets and equipment do not fall under this criteria and hence will not be covered by your Tenant Insurance policy. To protect your property and equipment, add commercial property coverage to your insurance policy.

Although you are not legally required to obtain Tenant Liability Insurance, it is very common practice for landlords to require their tenants to have insurance coverage before leasing to them. Rental properties are expensive assets and damages can be extremely costly to fix. In fact, at Zensurance, in the majority of cases where a client requests a quote for Tenant Liability Insurance, it is because they have been asked to get insured before signing a lease.

The cost of your hairstylist insurance policy will depend on a few different factors, such as whether you own a hair salon or only rent a chair, whether you travel to clients’ houses, how much revenue you made in the previous year, how much revenue you expect to make this year, security measures in place, and a few other simple questions related to your business.

Professional liability insurance is a type of insurance policy designed to protect professionals who provide a service, in the event of errors or omissions in their service that harm their clients. Hair salon liability insurance (hairdresser insurance in short) is an insurance package designed to protect hair salons and hair stylists against common risks they face, and bundled in that package will be professional liability coverage, general liability coverage, contents coverage, if these are all requested by the salon owner/hair stylist. Amendments can be made if required by simply contacting your assigned broker.

You may need it because it’s possible that the salon where you are renting your chair doesn’t cover independent contractors under its policy. Check in with the salon owner to understand what coverages you are provided under their insurance policy. You can also discuss with your broker what amendments should be made to your policy to fit your specific insurance needs.

There is no difference between the two in Canada. Public Liability Insurance is a term that is more popular overseas, especially in the UK and US. In Canada, the same coverage is provided by Commercial General Liability, often simply referred to as General Liability Insurance, CGL, or even just Liability Insurance.

No, Public Liability Insurance only provides coverage for accidental injuries and property damage to third-parties. Errors and omissions in service are covered under a separate policy called Professional Liability Insurance, also often referred to as Errors and Omissions Insurance. If a client were to be injured due to a service you provided, you would require Professional Liability Insurance to cover you in such a scenario.

No, Public Liability Insurance is designed to protect you in claims from third-party injuries or property damage. Your own property is not covered under this policy. If you own expensive property and equipment and require coverage, discuss with your broker to get Contents Coverage or Equipment Breakdown Coverage.

There is no difference between the two in Canada. Professional Indemnity Insurance is a term that is more popular overseas. In Canada, the same coverage is provided by professional liability, also often referred to as errors and omissions insurance or E&O. In some industries, such as medical services and law, it is also referred to as malpractice insurance.

No. Professional indemnity only covers losses to third-parties caused by errors or omissions in your advice or service. Your own tools and equipment will not be covered under such a policy. If you own expensive tools and equipment, consider adding Contents Coverage to your business insurance policy.

Malpractice insurance and professional indemnity insurance provide the same coverage. In some industries, such as law and medical services, malpractice insurance is a more common term than professional indemnity coverage. Regardless of what you refer to it as, professional indemnity/malpractice insurance is an important coverage for businesses that provide a service or advice.

Yes. Contents coverage will protect your property, including premises, equipment, machinery, computers, etc, in cases of damage due to external factors such as fire, flood, water damage or weather-related events. Unfortunately, any spontaneous electrical or mechanical breakdowns or those caused by operator error will not be covered by your contents coverage policy. An equipment breakdown policy, however, may protect you in such cases.

Look carefully into your warranty policy. Whether your equipment came with warranty or you had to purchase it additionally, there are specific cases that warranty will or will not cover. Warranties often do not cover operator error, so if any damage to your equipment was caused due to the mistakes of an inexperienced employee, it would probably not be covered by your warranty.

Equipment breakdown insurance may be applicable to a whole range of machinery and equipment that is crucial to business operations and may suffer from electrical or mechanical damage. A few examples include:

1. Electrical
2. Air Conditioning and Refrigeration
3. Boiler and Pressure Vessel
4. Computer and Communications
5. Mechanical
6. Renewable and Alternative Energy
7. Production Systems

General Liability Insurance provides protection in a wide range of cases where a third-party suffers injury or property damage either on your premises, or you or your employees cause damages on the third-party’s premises. Product liability only extends as far as such damages being caused by a product that you sold or manufactured. For example, if a customer were to be injured due to a slip n’ fall at your store, any subsequent insurance claim may be covered by general liability but not product liability.

No. All forms of liability insurance only cover damages to a third-party. Injuries to you and your employees, and damages to your assets, including stock and inventory, are not covered under Product Liability.

In most industries, product liability insurance is not mandatory, however, it is strongly recommended, especially if you sell items that could easily result in claims. For example, food items may lead to food poisoning. Clothing items may also lead to skin reactions.

Builder’s Risk Insurance is a special type of property insurance that covers you for the duration of your new build or renovation project. It may cover buildings under construction, materials on-site, and/or liability in the event of loss or damage due to external causes such as fire, wind, vandalism, explosion, and slip and falls.

Yes. A typical contractor’s insurance policy does not cover buildings under construction. It is essential to cover your building and liability while the project is in process.

General liability insurance is a specific insurance policy that covers injury and damage to third-parties, while home-based business insurance is an umbrella term that may include several different insurance policies such as general liability, professional liability, legal expense, contents coverage, etc, bundled into a package specially curated for businesses that operate out of the owner’s home.

Most homeowner’s policies do not cover any damages to your home that result from business-related activity and property, but go over your policy to ensure that it’s the case for you. For example, if you run a catering business and one of your equipment caused a fire to start at your property, any resulting damages may not be covered by your home insurance policy.

Coverage requirements may differ for different industries. The most basic insurance policy that is applicable to almost all businesses is commercial general liability, which provides protection from third-party related risks. If you provide a service or advice, consider adding professional liability insurance to your policy. If you own expensive equipment and assets, consider contents coverage and equipment breakdown coverage. Legal expenses coverage may also come in handy if you require legal counsel or defense.

Generally speaking, business insurance does not cover personal use, meaning you cannot replace home insurance with business insurance. However, there are exceptions. If you operate your business from home, you can protect this space with business property insurance. If you use your vehicle for business purposes, it may be covered under your commercial auto insurance policy. However, home insurance does not typically cover the physical assets associated with your business, such as stock or inventory, or liability issues that occur in your homes, such as a slip and fall injury. It can be confusing, which is why we recommend speaking with a broker to understand the limitations and restrictions of your business insurance policy.

To protect both your home and business, consider keeping business separate from your personal life by protecting your assets with a business insurance policy and home insurance policy.

For a small- to medium-sized business, you can anticipate spending $450.00 annually on a basic CGL policy with a $2,000,000.00 limit.

When you fill out our online application, we will ask some questions about your business to help better understand your needs. The following factors are taken into consideration when determining the best policy options for you:

• Years of Experience
• Annual and Projected Gross Revenue
• Number of Employees
• Previous Insurance Claims
  We know you’re busy, so let us do the shopping around. Complete our online application for an accurate estimate of your insurance premium.

The term ‘business insurance’ is often used as an umbrella term to describe a variety of insurance policies that come together to form a comprehensive business insurance policy package. These policies typically include:

• Commercial General Liability Insurance (CGL)
• Professional Liability Insurance
• Business Property Insurance
• Business Interruption Insurance
• Cyber Liability Insurance
• Directors & Officers Liability Insurance
  No insurance policy is one size fits all, and no one knows your business risks better than you do. We recommend speaking with your broker about customizing your insurance policy to suit your unique business needs.

Unfortunately, there are no available insurance policies that could provide protection against COVID-19. Insurance is designed to protect you against unknown causes, unfortunately, COVID-19 is something that is known to exist and is the cause of many disruptions.

Standard business interruption insurance will not cover income lost or barriers to trade and/or travel due to COVID-19.

Telehealth Insurance provides coverage for healthcare practitioners using any platform allowing for private online video, voice calls, or online chat, such as Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts, VSee, etc.

Our goal is to provide excellent service, but we recognize that there may be occasions when you feel we could do better.

We have developed a formal complaint* handling protocol in accordance with the Insurance Companies Act of Canada to ensure your concerns are addressed expeditiously by us.

If you wish to file a complaint, please visit our Complaints Procedure page, which outlines the full process and requirements.

Many policies can be canceled with a small early cancellation fee. Though some policies (typically those under $500) are non-refundable. Your policy document will have full details. Note that once you cancel your policy, you may no longer have coverage against any potential claims.

There are a few things to pay attention to regarding early cancellations of your policy.

•  Minimum retained. This is the minimum amount you owe, regardless of when you cancel. This is usually 20-40% of the total policy premium, which represents something like 3-4 months out of the year. So if you have a $1,000 policy, and the minimum retained is 25%, you owe $250 even if you cancel 1 day after the policy was issued. Check your policy document for your minimum retained amount.
• Fees. Any fees charged along with your policy are almost always non-refundable. So you don’t get any of this back if you cancel early.
•  Short rate calculation. This is fee is charged by the insurance company in case you cancel your policy before the end of the term. This is usually 5-10% of your premium, depending on the type of policy and the insurance company you are with.

If you would like to cancel your policy, please email us at [email protected] and include the following information:

Your full company name
The date on which you wish to cancel your policy
The reason you need to cancel your policy
Your dedicated Account Representative will quickly determine the amount of any refund owing, and get back to you within 1-2 days. You can then decide whether you want to go ahead with the change.

Not all non-profit insurance policies automatically include coverage for volunteers. The level of risk varies across roles (i.e. administrative vs. frontline) and may require different coverage levels. Review your policy with a broker to understand whether or not your coverage extends to those donating their time to your organization.

The primary difference between Public Liability Insurance and Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance is the risks they cover. Public Liability Insurance provides financial coverage against the public’s claims against your business for personal injury or property damage. CGL is a more accessible form of insurance that provides a more extensive range, covering personal and advertising injuries and everything public liability covers.

Yes, both corporate and non-profit board and advisory members are required to exercise their fiduciary duties in the best interest of the business or organization. Board members have a responsibility to uphold the three levels of fiduciary duty: duty of care, duty of loyalty, and duty of obedience. While a shield law may protect a board or advisory group, individual members can be held personally liable for breach of these duties in both corporate and nonprofit settings.

Yes, tutor insurance provides coverage for tutors offering private/semi-private education in learning pods and micro-schools.