Crafters…Insurance Protection for as Little as $150!

image courtesy of antpkr at www.freedigitalphotos.net

Have you noticed the surge in crafter’s events here in the Utica area? There’s the Indie Garage Sale (just held at the Union Station in Utica) featuring fused and melted glass art, hand designed greeting cards, gorgeous jewelry and much more.

And frequent craft fairs in New Hartford, Sauquoit, Clinton, and Marcy. These shows offer patrons some of the finest local talent in products that please even the most discerning tastes.

It’s great that there is so much local creative talent in crafting. And products easily available for all of Central New York to enjoy!

But if you are a part time crafter, you are in business. How do you protect yourself from loss or damage to your inventory, or a lawsuit because someone tripped and fell while visiting your booth?

As we’ve pointed out before, your homeowners insurance is a poor place to turn if you have a business loss. That’s because it only covers your property and liability for things that happen in your personal life.

At Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, we have an insurance company, Erie and Niagara, that features a special Vendor’s Insurance Program. (This is another great reason to do business with an independent insurance agent. We have a multitude of companies offering just about any insurance product our community needs.)

Your Vendor’s Insurance Program

The Program is for small businesses operated from your home and the business cannot be your primary occupation. It covers both the individual and their spouse. And it covers contents and liability both on and off the premises. So you would be covered if you had a booth at the Indie Garage Sale, for example.

The types of businesses covered include: cake baker, cosmetic sales, fruit/vegetable vendor, mall exhibits, flea markets, home crafter, and home party demonstrators.

The basic policy provides the following important coverages:

$2,500 Contents coverage for your inventory
$300,000/$600,000 Comprehensive General Liability Limit (Someone trips and falls over your booth and sues you.)
$300,000/$600,000 Products Limit (Your product causes bodily injury to a customer and they sue you.)
$500/$10,000 Medical Payments Limit (No lawsuit necessary, quick payment for medical bills if a patron is hurt at your booth.)
$250 Deductible

For a little more premium, you can get increased contents limits up to $5,000 and liability limits up to $1,000,000/$2,000,000, which we recommend you look into. And you can add Fire Legal (if you cause a fire this covers the space your booth occupies) and Personal Injury Coverage if you are sued for libel.

There are a few businesses that would not qualify for this comprehensive policy. Firearms dealers, gold or silver and precious stone jewelry, and disc jockeys are just some of the businesses not eligible for the Vendor’s Insurance Program.

However, we do offer insurance to all kinds of businesses. Home repair/contractors, wholesale operations, and machinery or tool dealers can get coverage either with our Business Owners program or Commercial Liability policies.

So, if your creative abilities have turned into a part time business operated from your home, call us for a quote. Things can happen when you’re out there on the crafter’s circuit and we want to be there for you to protect your inventory and your liability.

Call our team at Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig and we’ll get you the right policy for your craft business. And see you at the sale!!

Until next time,

Your SZW Team

Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. is your New Hartford area independent insurance agent. Call us for a quote on insurance for your home, car, business, or life at 315.792.0000.