Small Business Insurance

Harvest Insurance Agency has provided California small business with high-quality yet affordable insurance solutions since 1985.

California commercial and general liability insurance Whether you are in the market for commercial insurance, small business insurance, general liability or contractor insurance Harvest Insurance Agency can identify and fulfill your needs. We also provide links to articles, tools and facts to inform you about the California business insurance industry.

Understanding your business property insurance

As a small business, the best thing to do is to take a complete inventory of all your business property, determine the values and decide if each is worth insuring. Then check to see that the items on the inventory list are included in the basic business property policy and covered for the correct amount. If not, ask your Harvest Insurance Agency agent about the cost of purchasing additional coverage to meet your needs.

Our checklist will make it easier for you to understand. It’s important to find out what your policy does and does not cover, and its limits and exclusions, before you have an accident.

Business insurance coverage:

The following are common additional coverages for business property (although this list is by no means all-inclusive). Contact Harvest Insurance Agency to help select the coverage you need. Click on each item for a detailed description.

• Boiler and Machinery Insurance
• Builders Risk Coverage
• Building Ordinance Coverage
• Business Interruption Insurance
• Commercial Crime Coverage’s
• Debris Removal Coverage
• Fidelity Bonds
• Glass Coverage
• Inland Marine Insurance
• Loss of Lease Income or Value

Business Insurance Terms:

Business policies are designed to be added to or subtracted from to meet your changing needs. Be sure to stay in contact with your Harvest Insurance agent to make sure your policy continues to provide adequate coverage.

Boiler and Machinery Insurance

Even if you do not own a boiler, you may need this coverage. The term “boiler and machinery insurance” is gradually being replaced with terms such as “equipment breakdown” or “mechanical breakdown” coverage.

This insurance provides coverage against the sudden and accidental breakdown of boilers, machinery or equipment, including computer systems and telephones/communication systems.

Coverage usually includes reimbursement for property damage, expediting expenses (e.g., express transportation charges), and business interruption losses.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

Builders Risk Coverage

Builders Risk Coverage covers buildings in the course of construction. Depending on the policy, this coverage can be for either the building’s value at the time of loss or its full value at the time of completion.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

Building Ordinance Coverage

Building Ordinance Coverage provides coverage when a community has a building ordinance stating that when a building is damaged to a specified extent (usually 50 percent), it must be completely demolished and rebuilt in accordance with current building codes rather than repaired. Special attention is required when establishing the amount of insurance.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

Business Interruption Insurance

Business Interruption covers the loss of earnings as a result of damage or loss of business property. Reimbursement for salaries, taxes, rents, and other expenses plus net profits that would have been earned during the period of interruption can be included.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

Commercial Crime Coverage’s

Commercial Crime covers money and securities, stock and fixtures against theft, burglary and robbery both on and off the insured premises and from both employees and outsiders.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

Debris Removal Coverage

Debris Removal Coverage covers the cost of removing debris after damage from fire or other covered peril that requires debris removal before reconstruction of the damaged building can begin. This is not part of fire insurance coverage and must be added as an endorsement.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

Fidelity Bonds

Fidelity Bonds covers business owners for losses due to dishonest acts by their employees.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

Glass Coverage

Glass Coverage provides coverage for glass breakage such as store windows and plate glass on office fronts.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

Inland Marine Insurance

Inland Marine Insurance primarily covers property in transit such as from warehouse to warehouse or warehouse to retail store, as well as other people’s property left on your business premises, such as clothes left at a dry cleaning business or an employee’s personal effects left in the company locker room.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

Insurance for Loss of Lease Income or Value

This insurance covers the loss of income when rental property is damaged or destroyed and the loss of value when the owner of the rental property also used some of its space for business. If the tenant of the destroyed or damaged building is forced to rent space elsewhere at a higher cost, this is called loss of lease value.

Back to Business Insurance Coverage | Top

What types of property do I need to insure?

Your business may not possess all the following types of property, but you can use this list to make sure that you have considered all the property categories and any insurance coverage that may be warranted:

• Buildings and other structures (owned or leased)
• Furniture, equipment and supplies
• Inventory Money and securities
• Records of accounts receivable
• Improvements and betterments you made to the premises
• Machinery Boilers Data processing equipment and media (including computers)
• Valuable papers, books and documents
• Mobile property such as automobiles, trucks and construction equipment
• Satellite dishes
• Signs, fences, and other outdoor property not attached to a building
• Intangible property (good will, trademarks, etc.)
• Leased equipment

To establish the amount of insurance you need on each, your Harvest Insurance Agency representative can help you review the types of property you own and their uses.

Some of these items are covered in the basic policies. For others, coverage can be added by an endorsement, or rider. And some, like money and securities, may not be covered by a standard commercial policy and may require a second, separate policy.

Confused? Don’t be, Harvest Insurance Agency is here to answer all your questions and help you cover your business with the right amount of coverage at an affordable price.

Top