How to Insure Your Toronto Appliance Repair Business
Your Toronto appliance repair service comes with risks because you are repairing appliances that already don’t work or don’t work properly. Do you have enough business liability insurance to protect your appliance repair business from customer lawsuits?
Business liability insurance is the cornerstone of your commercial insurance coverage and it can be tailored to your needs as a Toronto appliance repair technician.
Western Financial Group, a 100% Canadian company, can help you navigate your business, car, and home insurance during this period of economic uncertainty.
Wherever your small business is located in Toronto, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), or elsewhere in Ontario, a Western Financial Group business insurance broker will get you commercial coverage that uniquely protects what you do.
Western is a trusted, national insurance brokerage that has partnered with Canada’s top insurance companies to provide commercial insurance. We work with our insurance partners to find the best business coverage at the best rate for you.
We make the process easy by getting insurance quotes for you to choose from and giving you policy coverage options that suit your Toronto business’s specific needs at the right price for you.
What is appliance repair insurance?
Appliance repair insurance is a package of insurance coverages that financially protect Toronto appliance repair businesses and technicians from lawsuits and unexpected events like fire, severe weather, and vandalism.
Examples of appliances repair businesses:
- Refrigerators
- Cook tops
- Washing machines
- Dryers
- Washers
- Dishwashers
- Freezers
Liability insurance is the pillar of your appliance repair business insurance package. Here are the liability coverages that you need to help protect your Toronto appliance repair business:
Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance
This is necessary liability insurance for Toronto appliance repair businesses. Without CGL insurance, you will pay costs related to third-party (customer/supplier/members of the public) injuries or damage to their property out of your own pocket. Could you afford that?
If you were sued, commercial general liability insurance would cover the legal costs to defend the claim against your Toronto small appliance repair business in court, as well as costs to cover damages to compensate third parties whether you win or lose your case.
It wouldn’t be uncommon for appliance repair businesses to carry a minimum of $2 million in CGL insurance.
What kind of risks does commercial general liability insurance cover?
- Injury to a third party who is not your employee
- Damage to someone’s property
- Damage to rented property
- Medical bills if someone is injured
- Legal costs and settlement costs of liability lawsuits filed against you
- Liability lawsuits related to slander and libel
Professional liability insurance
This type of insurance is also known as errors and omission (E&0) insurance.
If you are faced with a lawsuit as a Toronto appliance repair business owner, professional liability insurance can help protect you against loss in the event of a lawsuit due to a negligent act, or an error or omission in the course of your repair work services.
Cyber liability insurance
As a Toronto appliance repair technician, you probably take credit card and debit payments. Cyber liability insurance will help protect your business financially in case of a cyber-attack.
Depending on the size of the data breach and the information that was taken, the customers who are affected can hold you liable and sue you for damages.
What other types of insurance do appliance repair businesses need?
Commercial property insurance
Commercial property insurance, also called business contents insurance, provides financial support for your Toronto appliance repair business, its contents, furnishings, electronics, and inventory if damaged or destroyed by fire, severe weather, vandalism, or theft.
Business interruption insurance
This type of insurance supports you when your Toronto appliance repair business can’t operate due to a covered loss.
There are a number of losses that can force your Toronto business to shut down. Some examples are:
- Damage to your equipment from fire or vandalism
- A major reduction in revenue due to a client/supplier facing losses of their own
- A disruption in your supply chain
Business interruption insurance can help with these expenses:
- Payroll
- Rent
- Utilities
- Property taxes
- Alarm monitoring
- Relocation of your business
Overland flood insurance
Overland flood insurance provides protection for loss or damage related to water entering a property from a sudden accumulation of water. This usually results from heavy rain, spring run-off, or overflow from lakes or rivers. If you don’t have this add-on to your commercial insurance, you may not be covered.
Sewer backup coverage
Sewer backup coverage helps protect your Toronto business against water damage from sewer backups. Note that sewer backup insurance does not cover every type of water damage insurance claim.
In Canada, most standard commercial property insurance policies do not automatically cover sewer backup and overland flooding.
Commercial auto insurance
You get into an accident on a call with your appliance repair business’s van. Commercial auto insurance helps cover the cost of damages to any vehicle used for business purposes, including cars, vans, trucks, and trailers. Your personal car insurance does not cover any business vehicles.
Why Toronto appliance repair insurance is important
Appliance repair insurance is important because it protects you financially if you have a lawsuit against your business. It also protects you if you have repairs that need to be done due to a covered loss, such as a fire, vandalism, or weather damage.
Finally, it gives you peace of mind that your Toronto appliance repair store is protected while you are busy running your business.
What do I do if I have a claim against my Toronto appliance repair business?
Contact your broker immediately after any business-related mishap. Waiting to file a claim can confuse insurers about the severity of the damages to your business.
- Know your policy so that when you contact your broker you are familiar with what will be covered or not.
- Document the damage. Take photos right away and write down what happened.
- Do not throw away damaged goods after taking photos. Keep the physical evidence so that your adjustor can see it.
- Do not invite lawsuits. Don’t say anything that could be used against you, especially if you aren’t sure what happened.
- Be honest about what your damaged property is worth. Damaged commercial property is generally valued according to its actual cash value or replacement value.
Here’s an insurance checklist:
- Do you have the best Toronto business insurance rate that suits your work?
- Do you have the right amount for your deductible and regularly review it to make sure it’s the right amount for you?
- Are you or your employees using personal vehicles for work?
Western Financial Group has licensed BUSINESS INSURANCE EXPERTS to get you the right insurance coverage as a Toronto appliance repair technician. Our experts are available now to help you navigate the business insurance journey to protect your Toronto business.
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