Working from home can certainly save on a number of the overheads otherwise faced by many small businesses. Whilst most aspects of such a home-based business are plain sailing, it repays to check some of the measures you keep in place to protect your investment in the business and its successful continuation. Work from home insurance, for instance, is an indispensable package offering just the sort of financial security you might need.

In principle, working from home is not so different from the needs of a business operated from any other location. The insurance needs can be many and varied.

• Buildings and contents – the structural fabric of your home is probably already covered by your home insurance. When it comes to the contents, however, insurers will need to distinguish home contents from business contents in order to cover both categories against the risks of accidental damage, loss and theft;
• Office equipment – if your home-based business relies on computer equipment, you might want to consider cover specifically designed to protect you against computer breakdown. If you take out “all risks” cover on your business equipment, then this will also extend cover to any laptops or other portable equipment you might need to use away from home;
• Public liability – this is a central element of any business insurance and you might find that your current home insurance provides some measure of cover, but typically for private use, not commercial. It would be important to make sure, since this component of your work from home insurance will indemnify you against claims from customers, clients or even members of the public who visit your home in any way connected with your business. So typically you may need to have public liability insurance for your business. For example, a caller at your door simply needs to trip up the step, suffer an injury, hold you liable and sue you for expensive compensation. Speak to your home insurer to see where you stand regarding public liability cover.

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