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Beauty Salon Insurance Policy Information
Is your salon business protected from liability?
Salons are not immune from the potential for liability claims against them.Beauty shops cut, style, trim, color, and apply permanent wave or straightening solutions to hair. Other services may be offered, such as wig cleaning and styling, massage, nail care, tanning beds, cosmetic consulting, and electrolysis. Although salons traditionally catered to women, many salons now offer their services also to men and children. Services may be offered on a walk-in basis, by appointment only, or both. Beauty shops are subject to state regulations to reduce the possible spread of disease. Each beautician, manicurist or other professional must also be licensed. Shops may employ beauticians and other cosmetic services professionals or may rent space to them as independent contractors who provide their own equipment. The status of the various professionals as an employee or an independent contractor must be determined since it may impact how coverages apply.
Having a faithful customer base and always following package directions is not enough in today's litigious society. Beauty salon insurance protects salon owners from potential financial ruin if an accident occurs or they are sued in a civil court of law.
While stylists and beauticians do their best to provide services that are safe for customers, the truth is things happen and accidents occur. The more than 86,000 hair salons in the United States and 4,000 barber shops produce revenue of more than $20 billion per year - which means there's a lot of room for things to go awry.
More than 80 percent of salons in the United States have fewer than five employees working. This makes them small and particularly vulnerable to financial loss, whether from a lawsuit, or from damage to equipment and other assets from storms, fire, or theft. This is where beauty salon insurance can help.
Salon Insurance Types
For most owners of small salons, the business is their primary livelihood - their bread and butter, whether they are just fresh out of beauty school or planning to open additional locations. Having the right salon insurance in place can protect your business and leave you with the peace of mind that a mishap won't destroy your livelihood. Some types of salon insurance to consider:
- Salon liability insurance - This type of insurance for salon owners provides financial security if a customer is injured or the customer's property is damaged while on your premises. For instance, if a client falls in your bathroom, general liability insurance pays for her medical costs and any settlement or judgment that is ordered. It also pays the salon owner's legal expense. For all these reasons, it's important that New York salon owners purchase the maximum amount of coverage they can afford.
- Commercial property insurance - Whether you own or rent the building that houses your salon, it is important to insure it. Property insurance covers loss to the building, while business personal property insurance covers the building's contents, such as chairs, counters, tanning equipment, and other items.
- Plate glass coverage - For salons with storefronts that have a lot of glass, a separate policy or a rider for plate glass coverage may be necessary if the property/casual policy does not cover damage to it.
- Worker's compensation insurance for salon owners - NY workers compensation coverage is required for all employees but the owner and protects employees who become injured or ill on the job. It also guards the business against lawsuits.
Specific Issues for Salon Owners
There are additional considerations for beauty salon owners who rent space to manicurists, hair stylists, and other related professionals. A general liability policy may not cover the work that they do. Stylists may even face claims over small things, such as bad dye jobs or bad haircuts.
Salon owners who rent space to others can require that their contract workers all carry professional liability insurance. This protects not only the professional but the salon owner as well.
Another special situation arises when a beauty salon sells beauty products. If there is a flaw in the manufacture of these products or an imbalance in a chemical, and this flaw or imbalance causes the customer harm, you can be held liable, at least in part.
Faulty product suits often involve everyone from the manufacturer down to the end seller, so product liability insurance is an essential. This ensures that salon owners don't pay for the mistakes of the products manufacturers.