Why You Need Groomer's Insurance
Grooming pets can help keep our furry friends healthy and happy, and professional pet groomers often go above and beyond to make sure beloved pets are clean, safe, and well.
Whether you already have a pet grooming business or are thinking about starting one, getting the right insurance protection for your business can help you focus on attending to the pets in your care.
What Is Animal Groomer’s Insurance?
As a type of commercial pet insurance or pet industry insurance, groomer’s insurance protects animal groomers and their businesses. Accidents happen, and things don’t always go as planned; with a comprehensive pet business insurance policy from World Insurance, you can rest easy knowing that your grooming business is protected.
Stay Protected With Business Insurance for Dog Groomers
Like any business, dog grooming businesses need insurance to keep their operations and assets safe. There are a number of different policies dog groomers can acquire depending on their unique needs.
General Liability
Most business owners tend to invest in a form of general liability insurance to protect them, as this is the most common and comprehensive coverage option available regardless of industry.
General liability coverage will protect dog groomers from risks including:
- Property damage
- Bodily injury
- Medical costs
- Personal and advertising injury
- Legal defense and judgment
Commercial Property Coverage
Commercial property insurance protects the property you have for your grooming business. Coverage will protect property, such as a brick-and-mortar grooming establishment, as well as the equipment you use for your business, such as:
- Leashes
- Kennels
- Collars
- Training equipment
- Grooming equipment
- Grooming tables
Business Income Insurance
In the event that you are unable to open or operate your grooming business as the result of covered property damage, business income insurance can replace the income you have lost, giving you peace of mind, security, and stability until you can resume operations.
Business Owner Policy
Small business owners in any industry often purchase business owner policies. For groomers, this type of insurance combines certain coverages into a comprehensive policy to protect you from claims that may arise from your normal operations.
Business owner policies typically blend the following coverages:
- General liability
- Commercial property
- Business income
Employment Practices Liability
If your grooming business employs groomers, receptionists, or other team members, having an employment practices liability policy can protect you in the event of any claims pertaining to:
- Hiring practices
- Firing incidents
- Discrimination
Workers’ Compensation
A grooming business with employees should make workers’ compensation coverage a priority to ensure the health and safety of workers in the event that someone sustains an injury on the job. This type of coverage can also protect your business from federal trouble or potential lawsuits that might arise if an employee is injured.
Workers’ compensation can apply to any injuries a worker sustains from an animal they are grooming as well as any injuries that could occur on the job, such as:
- Injuries from equipment, including burns or cuts
- Slips
- Falls
Animal Bailee
When pet owners leave their beloved animals in your care, you effectively become the bailee of those animals, making you responsible for whatever happens to the pet during that time. Animal bailee insurance makes sure you are covered in the event that anything happens to the animal in your care.
While groomers take good care of the pets entrusted to them, accidents can happen, resulting in injury or death. Animal bailee coverage can protect you if a pet is harmed while in your possession, including situation such as:
- Injury sustained by another animal
- Skin rashes
- Accidental injury
- Broken bones
- Loss of limb
- Death
Employee Dishonesty
To protect your business and your clients, employee dishonesty coverage can protect you in the event of employee theft or fraud. Depending on the nature of your business operations, you may consider additional cyber protection to account for data leaks resulting from employee actions, as well.
What Insurance Do You Need for a Dog Grooming Business?
Grooming businesses with employees are expected to meet certain state and federal insurance requirements like other small businesses. These insurance requirements include:
- Worker’s compensation
- Unemployment
- Disability
For most small grooming business owners, general liability coverage is a must; a business owner’s policy combining general liability, commercial property, and business income or business interruption coverage is also a popular choice.
Speak to your dedicated commercial pet insurance agent to discuss the unique nature of your grooming business and learn about what coverage options may be right for you.
Keep Your Business in Motion With Mobile Dog Groomers Insurance
Mobile dog grooming businesses are rising in popularity. Because these mobile businesses have unique assets and risks involved, it is important for groomers to consider appropriate coverage to keep their clients and businesses protected.
Commercial Auto
If you are operating a mobile dog grooming business, you need commercial auto insurance for your grooming vehicle. Regardless of whether you bring your clients’ pets inside the vehicle or not, having sufficient auto coverage for your business vehicle is essential.
For a mobile dog groomer, commercial auto insurance should provide the following coverage:
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Liability
- Commercial property, including grooming equipment
Professional Liability
As the owner of a mobile grooming business, you are expected to fulfill agreed-upon duties and responsibilities while abiding by industry codes, regulations, and standards. However, mistakes happen, and getting distracted or having an accident could easily get you involved in a time-consuming, costly lawsuit.
With professional liability coverage, you will have less to worry about even if you make an error in your work.
Personal Grooming Equipment
Protect your grooming equipment from damages and theft with a dedicated policy. Keeping your grooming equipment in a vehicle is often more convenient, especially if you solely operate a mobile grooming business, but there are also more risks involved.
Protecting your personal grooming equipment with specific coverage can ensure you have the means to replace your tools and supplies when necessary, so that you can continue operating your business as usual.
Business Interruption
If your mobile grooming business cannot operate due to property theft or damage that is covered by your policy, business interruption insurance can help cover operating costs like payroll and lost income in the interim.
For mobile dog grooming businesses, it is important to verify that your business income policy applies to off-premises operations if you work in your clients’ homes at all to protect your property and grooming equipment.
How Much Does Dog Grooming Insurance Cost?
At World Insurance, our dedicated team of experienced agents will help find the right policy for you at a price point that suits your needs and budget. The cost of your groomer’s insurance will depend on a number of factors, including:
- How big your grooming business is
- The animals you work with
- The number of employees your business has
- What services your business offers
- The equipment and property you use
- The location of your business
- The types of coverage you choose
Why Pet Groomer’s Insurance Is Important
Groomers provide an incredible service to their clients by caring for their pets and keeping them healthy.
Making sure you have the right insurance for your grooming business can help you focus on caring for these beloved animals without worrying about the repercussions of mistakes, accidents, or criminal activity that could harm your business.
Protection From Grooming Mishaps
Mistakes can happen when you’re caring for a pet. If a dog gets loose and topples your equipment or an employee gets scratched by an eager pup, groomer’s insurance can help you cover any expenses that result from errors, accidents, and mistakes.
Defense Against Legal Costs
For small grooming business owners, lawsuits and legal fees can be a substantial burden. Liability insurance, as well as other policies, can keep you covered.
While it would be ideal to avoid any legal issues, in the event that something happens to your equipment, employees, or any pets in your care, insurance can help you cover associated costs without dipping into your savings.
Stronger Relationships with Clients
When you have insurance for your grooming business, clients will see you as a true professional with their best interests in mind.
Because the pet grooming industry can be highly competitive, anything that will give you a genuine edge can be profitable. With pet groomer’s insurance, you can show your clients that you are determined to provide top-tier care and service.
Effective Business Planning
Regardless of the age and scope of your grooming business, insurance can be a critical element of effective business planning. If you think you might grow your pet grooming business in the future, expanding to different locations or starting mobile offerings, the right insurance can ensure you have the reputation, security, and protection to move forward.
While it may be impossible to plan for every outcome, having insurance for your grooming business is a smart move for a solid business plan. In order to get the right insurance and plan for the future of your business, you need to have a full understanding of your existing and potential services as well as the different scenarios you might encounter.
By exploring these options and considering what your grooming business may look like in the future, you will get a good sense of what insurance coverage you can benefit from and why having that insurance is critical.
Peace of Mind
As a pet groomer, you don’t want to spend your time worrying about what can go wrong. With an insurance policy from World Insurance, you can rest easy knowing that you have the right coverage to keep you, your assets, your clients, and your business protected.
Having pet groomer’s insurance will grant you peace of mind and allow you to focus on the furry friends in your care.