Getting the right insurance for your beauty business is one of those jobs you might not look forward to – but will really pay off when you need it!
If you are a beauty salon owner, your business is literally your bread and butter. So, it’s important that you have everything you need in place to protect it from any potential risks and financial losses.
This is where the importance of beauty insurance comes in. Whether it’s to safe-guard yourself from any unexpected compensation claims, damage to your premises or sickness that keeps you from earning, you need to ensure you have the right cover to avoid any difficult circumstances.
To help you out, we’ve put together a guide to beauty insurance for salon owners to help you choose the best cover for yourself…
Why Do You Need Insurance in a Beauty Salon?
The need for insurance in a salon is a big one. Even the most careful and well-trained of beauty technicians can run into problems, even when they are not your fault.
While specific beauty insurance is not a legal necessity when you own or run a salon, it can be vital to protect you when it comes to any legal claims or financial losses your salon might be faced with.
We have spoken before about the importance of patch testing on our blog, which is a great example of why you need insurance in your beauty salon. If the worst does happen and a client accuses you of negligence or injury, having a good beauty insurer will be a huge help in dealing with the claim swiftly and professionally. If you are left to deal with it alone, you might find yourself scrambling to find a legal advisor, which will be costly.
Remember, beauty insurance isn’t a replacement for proper patch testing and thorough client consultation. Your beauty insurer will always investigate what safety steps you have taken if you are faced with a claim.
Similarly, if you are adding a new type of beauty treatment to your salon, you should always check with your insurance first to see what training or qualifications they would require you to obtain. If you don’t notify them of this, they might not be able to help you if you do have a claim relating to the new treatment.
What Type of Beauty Treatments Do I Need Insurance For?
It is highly advised that you are covered by insurance if you are going to be performing any of the following treatments on clients:
- Eyelash extensions, lash lifts and tints
- Brow tints, brow lamination, brow threading and henna brows
- Skin treatments such as dermaplaning, microdermabrasion and microblading etc
- All manicure and pedicure services
- Spray tanning and sunbeds
- Facials and massages
Basically, any treatment you offer in your salon can and should be covered by beauty insurance. When taking out a policy, you should always check that your specific treatments are completely covered.
The need for beauty insurance isn’t just in case of allergic reactions and treatments gone wrong, either – it could be that a client falls over on your premises or their property is accidentally damaged. In most cases, these things can be settled politely without the need for insurance – but it’s always best to prepare for the unknown!
What Type of Insurance Do Beauty Salon Owners Need?
Insurance for salon owners takes many forms. Some are required by law, while others are not a legal necessity, but come highly recommended.
When choosing a beauty salon insurer, check which of the following they cover and if there is anything missing that you would rather have in place:
Public Liability Insurance
One of the most important types of insurance for salon owners is public liability insurance. This type of insurance is incredibly valuable to beauticians because it covers all accidental injuries that clients could run into in your salon.
This could be allergic reactions, trips and falls or any other accidents that result in an injury. Public liability insurance will protect you against costly compensation claims that could really impact your business financially.
Furthermore, if a claim isn’t handled properly, it could damage your reputation. If the person on the other end of it becomes disgruntled at the way it has been handled, they are likely to complain to their friends, too. If it is handled efficiently and the other party is satisfied, they might even be complimentary about you!
Related: What To Do About Negative Online Reviews
Employers Liability Insurance
This is the only insurance that salon owners are required to have by law. Employers liability insurance is required by any business that employees any staff at all. It covers you if any of your employees make a compensation claim against you, and if you don’t have it, you could be fined.
Products Liability Insurance
This type of insurance offers you cover if any of the products you use on a client are defective and result in a compensation claim.
Property Insurance
For salon owners, your premises really are the backbone of your business. If any damage or theft were to occur, it could really set you back financially. Not only will you need to pay for repairs or replacements, but it could result in a lengthy closure while you find the funds, leading to further losses. Property insurance insures your beauty salon can get back on its feet as soon as possible.
Legal Expenses Insurance
When choosing your beauty insurance provider, check to see if legal expenses will be covered. Sometimes the compensation sum itself will be covered, but you will need to pay for any legal costs yourself. Having any legal expenses covered can give you further peace of mind that your finances will be safe from any incidents.
Personal Accident Insurance
As a salon owner, you might also want to get yourself covered by personal accident insurance. As you are self-employed, any illnesses or injuries that stop you from working can affect your income. This type of insurance covers you for any related loss of earnings.
What Insurance Do I Need For Mobile Beauty?
If you are a mobile beauty therapist you will still need to ensure you have insurance cover to protect yourself and your business. Public liability insurance would still be highly recommended, plus any cover for legal expenses or your belongings you would also like to have.
As it is likely just you working for yourself, personal accident insurance could be valuable to protect you in case of loss of earnings.
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Read more on the Salons Direct Blog…
The Importance of Hygiene in a Salon | The Importance of Uniform Within Your Salon – Do You Need It? | The Importance of Appearance Within Your Salon Business
