I sometimes get the question, do I need insurance for my pet sitting business. This question tends to come from solopreneurs especially. They reason that since they’re doing all of the pet sitting visits and they are always very careful (unlike employees) they don’t need insurance. It’s an honest question but also a foolish one. The answer is YES. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, accidents happen. And the expense for basic liability insurance is pretty reasonable. Here’s some questions and answers to help you figure out what you need in terms of insurance.
What kind of insurance do I need if I’m a solopreneur?
General liability is the best choice. Depending on your policy this will generally cover any damage done to the house or pets while both are in your care.
What kind of insurance do I need if I have employees?
In addition to the general liability insurance mentioned above, you will need worker’s compensation insurance. This is required by law so there’s no question that you need this.
How much does insurance cost?
A basic general liability policy will cost you around $350 per year.
Workers compensation policy premiums are calculated based on your payroll. So for example if you have 1 employee your premium will be less than if you have 5 employees. This makes sense since this insurance is meant to protect your employees.
Where can I get insurance?
There are liability insurance policies tailored directly to pet sitting and dog walking businesses available through Pet Sitters International however they do not provide workers comp insurance.
The other option is simply going through your own insurance provider. The benefit of this is that they will often bundle the liability and workers comp to give you a slightly better price.
Another article you might like;
How to protect your business…from your employees
https://www.thepetbusinesscoach.dog/protect-your-business/
About Eliza
Eliza is the owner of two successful pet related businesses; Preferred Pet Partners, a pet sitting and dog walking company, and The Pet Business Coach, offering coaching and resources to aspiring or current pet related business entrepreneurs. She maintains two awesome blogs. One for pet parents https://preferredpetpartners.com/blog/ and one for pet business owners https://thepetbusinesscoach.dog/blog-page/. Eliza also supports various animal rescue and shelter organizations. Eliza and her husband have a growing pet family. Visit her websites: www.preferredpetpartners.com or www.thepetbusinesscoach.dog.
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