How Much Does Small Business Insurance Cost – Forbes Advisor

Small business insurance costs anywhere from about $14 to $124 a month, depending on which types you buy—general liability, commercial property, business interruption insurance, inland marine, cyber liability and/or workers compensation. If you purchase all these coverage types, you would likely pay around $340 a month.

Here’s an overview of how these costs break down and which factors influence rates the most when you’re shopping for the best small business insurance.

Business Insurance Costs at a Glance

General Liability Insurance Cost

General liability insurance protects you from lawsuits or claims if someone gets injured on your property, or you’re responsible for damaging someone else’s property. It usually costs around $30 a month, based on a recent Hiscox study. The study also found that 95% of business owners pay less than $50 a month, and only 1% pay over $100.

What factors affect general liability insurance premiums?

These four factors influence general liability insurance premiums the most:

• Building size. Bigger buildings invite more opportunities for accidents to happen. So if you operate in a larger facility with more foot traffic, you could pay more.
• Location. Businesses operating in high-risk areas with higher crime rates may pay more for liability insurance.
• Size of payroll and annual revenue. The higher your expenses or operating costs, the more you can expect to pay for liability insurance.
• Claims history. If you’ve filed general liability claims in the past, it could increase your premiums.
• Policy details. Coverage limits, deductibles and other policy details affect your business insurance cost.

Commercial Property Insurance Cost

Commercial property insurance protects your business from losses in the event of a fire, natural disaster, theft or other problems.

The median cost of commercial property insurance is $63 a year, according to Insureon. This is for a standard $60,000 coverage limit with a $1,000 deductible.

Insureon found that almost half (42%) of business owners pay between $46.67 to $83.33 a month for commercial property insurance, while 16% pay less than $46.67.

What factors affect commercial property insurance costs?

Several factors can influence commercial property insurance costs:

• Location. Operating in a high-risk area prone to natural disasters can increase premiums.
• Building age and size. Insuring older or larger buildings will cost more than insuring smaller or newer buildings.
• Types of fire protection. Having a sprinkler system, fire alarms and easy access to a fire department may reduce the price of your premiums.
• Equipment costs. Commercial property insurance reimburses you for items lost or damaged on your property, so expect to pay more if you house expensive equipment.
• Types of perils covered. Similar to home insurance, you’ll pay more if you need to cover additional perils for your business, such as floods, earthquakes or employee theft.

Business Interruption Insurance Cost

If your business must be temporarily closed due to a loss covered by your policy, business interruption insurance helps to replace your income losses and pay operating expenses during that time. This includes lost revenues, mortgage, lease or rent payments, loan payments, taxes, payroll, relocation costs and training costs.

The average cost of business interruption insurance is between $40 and $130 per month, or $500 and $1500 per year, according to Insureon.

What factors affect business interruption insurance costs?

Three main factors will influence business interruption insurance costs:

• Revenue. Since business interruption insurance covers lost revenue, the higher the company’s revenue, the higher the insurance premium will be to cover that.
• Industry. Industries, like restaurants, are more likely to experience property damage and will pay a higher business interruption insurance premium.
• Your business’s property value. Generally, the higher the value of your commercial property, the more you will pay for business interruption insurance.

Inland Marine Insurance Cost

Inland marine insurance protects your business if something happens to your property or products while in transit. This could include goods being shipped to or from your business, or property used for work purposes (such as lawnmowers or camera equipment).

The median cost of inland marine insurance is $14 a month or $169 a year, according to Insureon. This is for a $5,000 coverage limit.

Insureon found that a $5,000 coverage limit is most popular choice among its customers for those in the landscaping, cleaning, installation and construction industries.

By comparison, photographers and videographers usually choose an $86,000 policy limit (which has a $580 median annual premium), while architects and engineers purchase higher coverage limits.

What factors affect inland marine insurance costs?

There’s one primary factor that influences inland marine insurance: Equipment or product costs. Small business owners who need to transport expensive equipment or products can expect to pay higher premiums.

Cyber Liability Insurance Cost

Cyber liability insurance protects a business from financial losses that may occur as a result of a cyberattack. This type of insurance can cover the costs associated with repairing or rebuilding your business after a cyberattack, as well as legal fees and settlements.

The average cost of cyber liability insurance is $123.75 per month or $1,485 per year, according to AdvisorSmith. But companies can pay as little as $650 a year or as much as $2,357, depending on their industry.

For instance, AdvisorSmith found that companies in the payment processing, financial services, investment services, law and insurance industries pay the most for cyber insurance. Companies in the transportation and logistics, administrative services, manufacturing, auto dealership and construction industries pay the least.

What factors affect cyber liability insurance costs?

There are several primary factors that impact cyber insurance costs:

• Industry. Companies that are more exposed to cyber risk may need policies with higher coverage levels and, therefore, higher premiums.
• Your company’s revenue and costs. The higher your revenue, expenses and operating costs, the more you can expect to pay for cyber insurance.
• Your network security. Strong network security practices, or a lack of them, impact your risk for cyber claims.
• The number of people who have access to your systems and data. More access rights may mean more risk, resulting in higher premiums.
• Your claims history. Past cyber insurance claims may impact future cyber insurance premiums.

Workers Compensation Insurance Cost

Workers compensation insurance is a type of insurance that helps employees who get injured while working. The insurance company typically helps pay for medical expenses and lost wages, among other things.

The average cost of workers comp insurance is $70 a month or $840 a year for businesses with less than $300,000 in payroll costs, according to The Hartford.

In most states, you’re legally required to have workers compensation if you have at least one employee. But workers comp laws vary by state. For instance, it’s not required if you operate in Alabama with less than five employees or in Arkansas with less than three employees. Workers comp insurance is not required in Texas or Wyoming.

What factors affect workers compensation insurance costs?

Three main factors impact costs for workers comp:

• Payroll size. The larger your company and the bigger your payroll size, the more you can expect to pay for workers compensation insurance.
• Employee job duties. Expect to pay more for employees who have riskier job duties. For instance, workers comp costs for office jobs will be lower than hands-on jobs like construction or mechanic work.
• Location. If you live in a monopolistic state, such as North Dakota, Ohio, Wyoming or Washington, you’re required by law to buy state-funded workers comp. You have no other options. But in other states, you can shop around for workers comp quotes on the private market.

For all six types of policies above, expect to pay around $340.75 a month total, or $4,090 a year, on average.

How To Lower Business Insurance Costs

Business insurance is an important way to protect a company from costly damages. It can be a significant expense, especially for small businesses.

One of the best ways you can save is by purchasing a business owners policy (BOP). A BOP bundles three essential coverage types: general liability insurance, commercial property insurance and business interruption insurance. It’s usually cheaper to buy a BOP rather than three separate policies.

Here are some more tips to lower business insurance costs:

• Shop around and compare quotes from multiple insurance companies.
• Bundle multiple policies together from the same insurer, such as property and liability insurance.
• Pay your premiums annually instead of monthly.
• Raise your deductible—if you can afford the out-of-pocket costs you’d pay to file a claim.
• Avoid risks that could lead to a claim.