What is SME Business Insurance?

Any business in Australia, including small to medium-sized businesses, will benefit from an added layer of financial security in the form of an SME Business Insurance cover. This provides owners and businesses with protection against financial risks and the loss of key assets. It also protects customers, employees, suppliers, and contractors.

Some types of insurance are mandatory, like Workers' Compensation, Professional Indemnity, or CTP Insurance for motor vehicles – these are called statutory insurance covers. Other types of insurance are optional, but they are important ways of reducing business risk and protecting your finances and assets.

What does SME Business Insurance cover?

• Property Damage – cover ranges from fire, storm, lightning and other perils to any type of accidental loss or damage. The property insured includes damage to buildings, contents, stock, plant and equipment, raw materials, and consumer goods.
• Business Interruption – covers weekly amounts or net profit loss and ongoing fixed costs following property loss or damage. Also referred to as Loss of Profits or Consequential Loss Insurance.
• Burglary/Theft - covers break-in at the business premises and the damage is done, as well as theft of goods or stock;
• Money - covers theft of money in various locations (during transit, in a locked safe, or in a private residence) at any time (within and outside business hours). 
• Liability - covers a variety of statutory and civil legal liability, including personal injury and property damage, environmental liability, management liability, statutory liability, professional liability, aviation, marine and motor vehicle-related liability;
• General Property - covers specified portable property against accidental loss or damage once it is taken off the premises, within Australia or overseas; 
• Equipment - covers sudden internal derangement and accidental loss or damage to plant, equipment and machinery, as well as computer and other electronic equipment. Loss of stock and business interruption cover can also be part of this insurance. 
• Motor vehicle & mobile plant – covers registered and unregistered motor vehicles, mobile plant & equipment, farm equipment, construction plant, as well as attachments and trailers. This insurance can also cover loss of income, downtime and hire costs of replacement equipment. 

Speak to an insurance expert

It is our business to understand your objectives, needs, financial situation and risk profile and provide you and your business with tailored risk and insurance advice. 
This is how we work with your business:

1. We analyse your objectives, needs, financial situation and risk profile to develop appropriate strategies and solutions. 
2. With your input, we undertake risk assessments and conduct market research to determine the most suitable insurance product(s) for your key risk exposure. 
3. Your insurance adviser will present appropriate strategies and solutions and also negotiate and place insurance covers agreed.
    

Frequently Asked Questions

• How can insurance help small businesses in Australia? 
  • In Australia, small businesses are encouraged to invest in business insurance to help protect their business from costly eventualities like damage to property and liability claims. Investing in a comprehensive yet affordable insurance policy promotes the continuity of the business in times of losses or great financial trouble. 
• What does SME stand for? 
  Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are businesses whose revenue, number of employees and assets do not exceed a certain threshold. Each country or industry defines a set of criteria to determine whether an organisation falls under the SME category.
• How can insurance help small entrepreneurs or SMEs, or how it relates to risk management? 
  Risk transfer is one of the treatment approaches in managing risks in business, and insurance is an example of risk transfer. It’s a strategy that SMEs employ to shift a risk or a liability from one party to another when that party specialises in managing a specific kind of risk/liability. 
• Why is insurance important for business owners? 
  Getting an insurance policy for your business is important, as it cushions or completely shields you from the hefty costs of certain unforeseen issues (accidents, damages to properties, effects of force), legal claims, and other liabilities. Without insurance, business owners might be forced to foot the bill out of their own pocket.

What is Worker’s Compensation Insurance? 

Workers’ Compensation Insurance is compulsory for most employers in Australia. It provides cover for your business against the financial costs for weekly compensation or a lump sum benefit in the case of permanent disability. 

Every business and industry has occupational and safety hazards that can result in injury to employees and contractors. Some workplaces have a higher risk of work-related incidents than others, but no matter the size of your business, or the industry or state/territory it’s in, you’re  required by law to have Workers' Compensation Insurance. 

Why is Workers' Compensation Insurance important?

As an employer, Workers' Compensation Insurance is statutory obligatory. This insurance is designed to reimburse the business against weekly wages or lump sums costs if an employee is injured at work.

Workers’ Compensation rules vary between states and territories, so it’s important to check the relevant regulator for exact requirements for your location and industry, and seek professional insurance advice when making your decision.

• Working Directors. Check if you have to include yourself as a working director, as this depends on the state/territory. We also recommend that working directors consider Personal Accident Insurance which has additional benefits not covered under Workers’ Compensation.  
• Contractors. If you employ contractors, some states and territories also require that these people, called ‘deemed workers’, are insured for Workers' Compensation.
• Sole Traders. As a sole trader, it’s unlikely you can get Workers' Compensation Insurance. However, if you can’t work, you’ll still need ongoing income to pay your regular bills, so you should consider Personal Accident, Life, and Sickness Insurance in case you have an accident or permanent disability.

What does Workers' Compensation Insurance cover?

In cases of a work-related illness or injury, Workers' Compensation can reimburse the business for weekly wages, as well as pay the cost of hospital, medical, and rehabilitation expenses.

Examples of work-related injuries include:

• soft-tissue injuries from lifting in warehousing or packing
• cuts, lacerations, and needlestick injuries in medical and allied health
• slips and trips in the retailing or consulting industries
• hearing damage, dust diseases or asbestosis in the construction industry
• fatal incidents such as electrocution, poisoning, falls and being struck by a machine.

There are also exclusions for illness or injuries that happen outside the scope of employment, like driving to or from work
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We’re ready to assist you in arranging Worker’s Compensation Insurance that meets the statutory requirements in your state or territory.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does worker’s compensation insurance cost?  

Each state and territory calculates premiums differently. In principle, the annual premium is based on the industry rate, total amount of gross wages paid, and your business’ claims history.

Does your business need worker’s compensation insurance? 

If you have employees, then each state and territory requires that you have Worker’s Compensation Insurance in place before you start operating the business. Employees can be full-time or part-time, and may also include contractors or deemed workers, piece-meal workers and apprentices.

What types of injuries or illnesses are covered by worker’s comp? 

Workers’ Comp covers any injury or illness directly caused at or by the type of work. For example, a needlestick injury may cause hepatitis in a nurse, a scaffolding collapse may cause permanent injuries, quarry workers could develop tinnitus (ringing in the ears) due to excessive workplace noise, or a warehouse worker could injure their back when packing shelves.

Who is exempt from worker’s compensation? 

Workers’ Compensation Insurance covers employees and deemed workers. Business owners or sole traders, as well as independent contractors, usually aren’t insured under Workers' Compensation. If you’re not insured, we recommend that you consider buying Personal Accident Insurance.

What is Liability Insurance? 

Liability Insurance is a general term that covers multiple types of insurance cover that help people and businesses protect themselves from potentially large legal defence costs and any damages awarded by a court. 

The main types are Public & Products Liability, Professional Indemnity, Management Liability, Statutory Liability & Product Recall. These also specialist liability insurance for the aviation, marine, Care and finance industries. 

Why is Liability Insurance important?

Some Liability Insurance is mandatory, which means the government requires you to have it in place to operate the business – like Professional Indemnity for architects or CTP Liability Insurance for registered cars and trucks. Other types are optional, with the scope and amount of insurance cover chosen by the business owner.

Anyone who deals with the public, sells, imports goods, drives a car or truck or operates a plane or boat should have Liability Insurance, which has two main cover sections:

1. Public Liability – injury to the public or damage to their property on the business premises or caused in a truck or boat accident.
2. Product Liability – once the item you sell or repair leaves your control (for example, a plumber installing a washing machine), if it damages or injures someone then you could be legally responsible.

Additional covers include:

• Professional Indemnity – if you provide advice or a service, such as an accountant, care worker or building consultant, you could be legally liable for any advice you provide, which results in external clients or customers being financially worse off.
• Management (D&O) Liability – covers the personal liability of directors, officers and senior managers for mistakes they make in running the business. This may result in a loss to the company, its shareholders, or bank or an investigation by ASIC, EPA or other government agencies.

What does Liability Insurance cover?

Cover depends on the type of Liability Insurance you’ve purchased, as well as your business and your industry:

1. Public Liability Insurance – covers people, businesses, events and contractors for legal defence costs if legal action is taken against you or the business, whether it’s a genuine claim or a try-on from a disgruntled customer. This insurance will also pay any damages awarded by a court if found responsible for causing personal injury or damage to property, as well as any resulting financial loss. While Public Liability cover can be mandatory, like plumbers in some states, it’s mostly optional and a decision for the business owner.
2. Product Liability Insurance – If you make, import, sell, distribute or repair products, you can be responsible for personal injury, property damage or resulting financial loss due to faults in the product, product advice about the use, or even customer misuse. You are unlikely to be able to depend on the original manufacturer, importer or retailer to protect you and pay for your legal costs. So, it’s a good idea to take out Product Liability Insurance as protection against potentially having to pay expensive legal defence costs and any damages awarded by a court.
3. Professional Indemnity Insurance – provides cover for professionals which is any person that has expertise and is usually part of a trade or professional group, such as builders, designers, architects, IT consultants, and allied health professionals, as well as doctors and lawyers. It covers legal defence costs and any damages awarded from an act, error or omission arising from professional services you and your business provide to customers and clients.
4. Management Liability Insurance – covers directors, officers’ and senior managers against actual or alleged acts, errors or omissions arising out of the operation or management of the company. The cover is for personal legal defence costs, as well as any damages awarded for a breach of work-related duties and responsibilities. The policy will also reimburse the company for any legal costs advanced to the director or officer.

As you can see, there’s a wide range of Liability Insurance, with cover tailored to each industry and type of business. The better advice you get, the more informed your decision to ensure the best protection for you, your directors and managers and the business.

We’ll be glad to talk with you to understand your needs and provide advice on the best way to manage your personal and business liabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an example of liability insurance? 

There are mandatory and optional liability insurance covers required by government bodies or professional organisations.

1. Mandatory or Statutory Liability Insurance policies include Professional Indemnity (also referred to as PII or E&O insurance), Motor Vehicle CTP, Workers' Compensation and Builders Warranty.
2. Optional Liability Insurance policies include Property Owners’ Liability under a home or property insurance package, Protection & Indemnity insurance for boats, Public Liability for shop or office owners, and Product Liability for importers, wholesalers and builders.

What is covered by liability insurance in Australia?  

Liability Insurance covers a person or a business against claims (whether real or invented) that the person has been injured, their property has been damaged, or they’ve suffered a financial loss. All policies provide legal costs to defend against threatened or actual litigation, and also pay for damages if you or the business are found to have been responsible.

What kind of liability insurance do I need? 

Some occupations, such as builders or tax agents, must have Liability Insurance in place before starting a business. Talk to your professional organisation or industry association about what insurance you need. Other Liability Insurances are optional – for example, a large food producer may look at buying Product Recall, whereas retailers and property owners would purchase Public Liability. Motor Vehicle CTP and Workers' Compensation are required if you own or operate vehicles or have employees.