Business insurance for hairdressers
Without the right hairdressing insurance, a slip up in the salon could quickly turn into more than just a bad hair day.
So, as a hair stylist, what should you look for in a hairdressing insurance policy? Whether you work at home as a self-employed hairdresser, or at a studio with others, find out all you need to know here.
Without the right hairdressing insurance, a slip up in the salon could quickly turn into more than just a bad hair day.
So, as a hair stylist, what should you look for in a hairdressing insurance policy? Whether you work at home as a self-employed hairdresser, or at a studio with others, find out all you need to know here.
Do I need hairdressing insurance?
In a profession that relies on multi-tasking, it’s vital that, as a hairdresser/barber, you’re covered if anything goes wrong. It doesn’t matter if you work for yourself at home or in a well-known salon – if you’re in the industry, it makes sense to enjoy the peace of mind hairdressing insurance offers.
As a hairdresser, you’ll find yourself in a lot of potentially dangerous situations. Firstly, you have the day-to-day injury risks to protect against – accidentally burning a client with straighteners while styling their hair or causing a slip on a freshly mopped salon floor.
Maybe you used a defective product on a client, or applied a dye that caused an allergic reaction, leading to a compensation claim against your hairdressing business.
What type of insurance do hairdressers need?
Perhaps your home-working operation has grown to the extent that you now have your own salon and employ staff. If that’s the case, you may be in the market for hairdressing insurance.
Public liability insurance for hairdressers
Public liability insurance protects you if you injure someone, or they suffer property damage, in the course of your work. It’s not a legal requirement, but it covers you whether you have a permanent salon or are out and about visiting clients.
Accidents happen, and in an environment home to sharp objects, corrosive materials and slippery floors, it’s not hard to imagine how. Public liability cover protects you in the event of an accident, involving a member of the public, and may cover your legal fees and any compensation costs.
Product liability insurance for hairdressers
Product liability insurance is easily combined with public liability to add further protection – useful if someone makes a claim against you for using defective products, or applying them badly.
Employers’ liability insurance for hairdressers
If you run a business and employ other people (including trainees, students and work-experience interns), you’ll legally need employers’ liability insurance and a displayed certificate to prove it.
If you only employ direct family members, you may be exempt from this. However, if you're a limited company with multiple directors, you'll always be legally required to have employers' liability insurance in place.
If you're legally required to but don’t have employers’ liability insurance, you could be fined up to £2,500 for each day you’re not insured.
Salon insurance
If you run a beauty salon, you may also want to take out shop cover for loss or damage to stock, business equipment, products, or fixtures and fittings. If you own the business premises, you could extend this to include buildings insurance.
If you offer beauty treatments or make-up services, you may need to increase your cover further.
Business interruption insurance
As a business owner, if you’re worried about the potential impact of being forced to close, business interruption insurance could cover you for loss of business, if your hairdressing business is unable to operate unexpectedly. The right policy could help you get your beauty business back up and running, continue paying any employees, as well as cover any profits you may be missing out on.
How much does business insurance for hairdressers cost?
How much your hairdressing insurance costs will depend on several things. If you employ any staff, you’ll need employer’s liability insurance adding to your policy, which will cost more. Whether you’re set up at home or in a large hair salon will also be a factor. The size of your business is one of the largest factors in calculating the cost of your hairdressing insurance. To find out how much your business insurance could cost, start by comparing business insurance with Comparethemarket.
Frequently asked question
Does my home insurance cover working from home?
Standard home insurance policies won’t protect you if you’re working at home. In fact, if you haven’t tailored your policy to include business activities, you may even invalidate it.
If you’re employed by someone else, it’s worth checking their insurance policy to make sure it has you fully covered.
What is mobile-hairdressing insurance?
If you’re a mobile hairdresser and work alone, on top of public liability insurance, you should consider a tailored business contents insurance package. This will protect your all-important kit from damage, theft or loss. You may also need self-employed car insurance if you use your car to visit clients.
Do I need product liability insurance?
If you own a salon that sells products – either your own, or those made by another brand – you may need product liability insurance. This will cover you if someone is injured or if their property is damaged by a product you’ve sold them.
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Anna McEntee - Insurance expert
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