When working with animals, there is nothing like being too careful; what happens if a pet in your care gets injured or something goes wrong? If you own pet business or thinking of starting a pet business tomorrow, you might want to consider getting pet business insurance before anything else? This will allow you to protect your business against unforeseen mishaps that might happen with the client’s pets and curtails customer’s reaction when something does go wrong.

It is extremely rewarding working with animals, the fulfilment cannot be described.
However, there is also the other side of when something goes wrong with an animal under your watch as animals can be unpredictable especially in a restricted position or situation.

Pets (dogs, cats, and others) are regarded as their owner’s best friend or even part of the family; hence pet handlers are expected to provide the best care for them. For example, the customer trust in your pet business to be able to handle all their pet needs, especially elderly patients who are more than glad to have someone cater for their pets even if it’s just a walk around the pack. This simple exercise routine can be the difference between having their beloved pet with them or taken away from them.

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Some services offered by pet business that need insurance are

Pet training and behaviourist – insurance is essential when training a pet to behave well. This is because such pets are unpredictable and can be aggressive putting the safety of the animal and the trainer at risk. This insurance covers you for whatever happens during a training session.

Pet sitting/sitters – taking care of someone pet is a huge responsibility. However, pet sitters sometimes care for these pets inside the home of the client which mean they are also responsible for the homeowner possession and caring for it as well. This insurance covers you against any damage that may happen during the sitting hours or in the home by the pet while caring for it.

Dog walking – this is the most common pet business that should be insured by any pet business. Pet walkers (dogs or cats) are responsible for the animal’s behaviour in public with humans and other pets as well.
Dog and cat grooming – just like humans, pets don’t like grooming on certain days. For a dog or cat groomers, having insurance covers you during an accident or injury while grooming. Furthermore, it also protects the animal too.

Pet transportation – pet taxi is a new one in the pet business industry. Pet Store owners are tasked with the responsibility of transporting a pet to a destination like a spa, a pet social club, playdates, and other pet functions. There is really no risk except for the facts that motor accidents are unpredictable, and you never know when a rough driver might be on the road.

Dog Hydrotherapy – is water treatment for the dog to help them with certain health issues like indigestion, excess weight gain or promote general fitness in the canine. Hydrotherapy is a low impact form of exercise that the dog performs in the water.

Pet Retail and Online Services – most pet businesses sell pet items as part of their business. Pet Business insurance covers all the stuff in your premises or store and the contents as well.

Reasons Why Your Pet Business Needs Insurance

Like any other business, you need to make sure that you are covered on all sides for any unexpected complications or sudden occurrence. The pet industry is a big business yielding total spending of almost 70 billion USD. The money comes from people handling their pets as family, and seeking out supplies and services like pet sitting, grooming, pet spa, boarding and pet club for their beloved animal companion.

Pet business insurance can protect your pets centred business from unpredictable circumstances such as damages, financial liability, and protect your business name from social damages.

It safeguards your business

First off, it is recommended by law that all businesses with employees who provide any kind of services to the general public should and must have insurance that will cover all aspect of their business. For a business that fails to follow up with the law will incur fines, penalties, civil suit and exclusion orders served by the law – all of which can be avoided if your pet business insurance was acquired in the first place.

Prevents you from been Sued

Secondly, not having business insurance can make you lose your beloved pet business when a lawsuit or in the event of a liability claim by a disgruntled employee or customer. Even in a situation where you win the case, paying for the cost will set you and your business back big time. For example, a client slips when they come for their groomed pet at your office or your equipment damage the electric circuit at a customer’s home, what do you do?
Having a general liability coverage will cover for such mistakes whether bodily or property arising intentionally, or not. The insurance will also cover any medical expenses resulting from the process of preventing a lawsuit that can damage your personal and business image.

Protects your Business Premises

Having space with equipment to care, and cater for pets keeps you in business. It doesn’t, however, protect your business from been vandalized, natural disaster, or damage to the property and instruments.
Your pet business is like any business and depending on your location; you are susceptible to natural disaster, manmade errors, and others. When your pet business insurance is valid and up-to-date, any financial loss will be covered by the insurance company. This includes losses resulting from the destruction of the property, space, the equipment, and others. It also affords the business owner to pay all the bills until space is fixed and running again giving you a lifeline to stay in business doing what you love doing – caring for pets. Furthermore, it protects your income and livelihood too.

It accredits your pet Business

It gives your business credibility in the eyes of the customers that are leaving their pets with you and your team. Business insurance will show your clients that your company is recognized by the law, and their pet is safe with you. If you are a mobile pet business, having the licensed and insurance statement painted on your mobile van builds a sense of trust and invites more clients to you.

Your Employee

Employee compensation is a mandatory step when seeking pet business insurance, but it also helps you in more ways than one. The insurance company can assist you to cover basic circumstances where an employee loses their wages, pay for their medical expenses for injuries sustained on a job and small stuff you could have missed or incurred without insurance.

Whether you are working alone or with a team, having business insurance protects them in the event of an accident at or during work with the animals. It also gives your employee that motivation to put their best into their job because they know they are covered in the business. Furthermore, having business insurance also protects you against the impromptu lawsuit and liability claims.

So if you are a groomer, boarder, retailer or work with domesticated animals, pet business insurance will protect your company and employee. If your business deals with customers online, it is also a way to protect company and client data from a cyber breach.

What should a Pet Business Insurance include?

Looking after a pet is a risky responsibility, accidents can occur any time either with the pet or the caregiver. Hence the pet care business should take the financial risk to protect themselves and their workers. Here are some factors to consider when searching for pet business insurance.

Insurance with High Negligence Coverage

Even though the pet care business is careful, oversight does occur when you are dealing with animals; to the client, this is negligence. So to avoid a lawsuit or paying for an oversight, remember to choose one with high negligence coverage, this will reimburse you for your responsibility to a pet in your care. For example, if a pet slips off the grooming table during a grooming session, yes, you must prevent that from happening, but having pet business insurance will cover you from been penalized for such incidents.

Public Liability Insurance

This pet business insurance protects your business from an undue public claim by a member of the public for injuries or damage caused to them by your business. For example, assuming your groomer offering a service at a client’s home accidentally pours water on the expensive floor. If the customer decides to file a lawsuit, your public liability insurance will cover the legal fees and compensation cost.
However, it is mandatory to think about what type of claim and the severity of the damage before choosing the policy as compensation claim can run into millions of dollars.

Custom Insurance for the business

The risk associated with caring and working with animals calls for specific insurance needs. Consider the protection you need for the type of pet service you are offering to the customers. If you are a groomer, your insurance plan is different from a dog walker or a pet sitter. Furthermore, have a list of all the services you will be provided to avoid taking up a policy that you will not use.

Other Insurance policies to consider are:

Employment liability insurance – covers employee medical cost, and accident of the job
Building insurance – this covers any future building work done on the building, or structure, fitting and fixtures.
Consider Bond Coverage – picking out a bond policy will protect your clients from damages if you are found responsible for it. This type of policy is great for pet sitting businesses where your job involves staying in the homes of clients. It also makes your business look professional, and offer your clients more security and safety of their pets.

Equipment Insurance

To truly attract customers and their pets to your business, you need equipment and technology in your pet business. For example, pet sitters have various equipment to make a pet comfortable, some of which are very expensive and cost a lot if missing or stolen. Groomers have tools and brushes to ensure the pets are looking smart and posh. So in a situation where your equipment is damaged, stolen, lost, you can quickly replace the missing equipment to get your business back on track without delaying or disappointing customers and pets.
Personal Injuries Insurance – injuries incurred during work hours when caring for pets can result in serious injuries and even death. For example, getting bitten by a client’s pet. The claims paid out can help cover the medical expenses and other areas to keep you safe and healthy.

Hire an Agent

The pet business insurance marketplace is a crowded one and will take only skilled and professional people to distinguish real from fake. If you are new in the pet business, it will help to consider hiring an agent or seek the services of a well-known pet insurance company. Agents are also important as they can help your business get good deals that you can’t on your own.

Furthermore, agents are good at deciphering the confusing policy and hidden lines in an insurance plan that might affect your income or business tomorrow. However, if you can cover the above-listed considerations, you will find out that pet business insurance is actually pretty simple.

Finally, pet business owners have the opportunity of choosing from the many pet insurance providers in your neighbour. When choosing a policy provider, consider the following

1. Inquire about their past track record
2. How well they work with new and old pet businesses
3. Can they customize a plan that will suit the services you are offering to the public?
4. The cost and their charges

Pets are a companion that means the world to your clients, even though mistakes do happen beyond your power, having the right insurance for your pet business can be the difference between folding up your business and staying in business for a long time.

Want to grow and scale your Pet Business ?? Then you need to apply right targeted strategies & an Automated System which can bring a lot of Pet owners as your customers!! Click here to know more!