What Is Business Income Coverage?

Business income insurance helps cover lost income if you can’t operate because of a covered property loss.
small business owner feels secure knowing What Is Business Income Coverage

Key Takeaways

  • Business income insurance applies an extra layer of protection beyond commercial property insurance coverage.
  • Businesses with a physical location with products, services or equipment can benefit from this insurance.
  • You can add endorsements to get more protection, like “extended business income coverage” to protect against a slowdown after reopening or “business income for off-premises operations” to cover an interruption in utility services.

Understanding the Business Income Definition

Business income insurance helps replace your lost income if you can’t operate because of property damage from:
  • Fire
  • Theft
  • Wind
For example, if you must temporarily close your restaurant after a kitchen fire while repairs get made, this insurance can help cover your lost income. You can use this coverage to help pay ongoing expenses, such as rent, mortgage payments and payroll.
 
Other names for this insurance are business interruption insurance and extra expense insurance.
 
 

Business Income Insurance Terms

To fully understand your business income insurance, you’ll need to understand these key terms:
The monetary payment you receive from insurance covering the actual loss of income to your business.
Any income that would result from regular business activity.
     The time your business is unable to operate after a loss.
The amount of time that must pass following a covered cause of loss before business income coverage begins.
In some cases, you may encounter extra expenses when your business is temporarily closed for repairs and you have to move. Extra expenses can also include the cost of expedited shipping on a replacement order of your business’ inventory.
The interruption in your operation or the closing of your business if a third-party you depend on suffers a loss, or if your company loses power because of damage to the third-party’s property.
When natural disasters strike, civil authorities may order excavations. You may have to shut down your operation as a result. Depending on your policy, your business income insurance can help cover your lost income when you’re interrupted by civil or military authorities.

What Does a Business Income Policy Cover?

Your business income policy can help replace lost incomes if you need to close your business suddenly. It applies an extra layer of protection beyond a commercial property insurance policy.
 
The Hartford also offers endorsements to add more protection against other causes of loss. For example, you can add a business income extension for off-premises utility services if there’s an interruption in utilities, such as power, communication or water services. Or you can add extended business income coverage to protect against a slowdown after reopening.
 
Learn more about how business income insurance can help your business survive after a fire, storm or theft in this video.
business income insurance video
Video Transcription
As a business owner, you know that time is money. If something unexpected happens and forces you to close, you could miss out on much-needed income. But with business income insurance, you don't have to worry so much when certain issues arise. To understand it a little better, let's answer the question we know you're wondering. What is business income insurance, exactly? Simply put, it'll keep your company covered when you need it most. Business income insurance steps in to help replace any loss of business income when a covered issue causes you to close. That's why it's also called business interruption insurance, because you'll need it if your business is interrupted by an accident or disaster you never saw coming. Believe it or not, these kinds of issues bring damages that devastate small businesses every day, and we mean devastate them so much that their doors close and never reopen. We don't want that to happen to you. That's why it's important to have this business interruption coverage. But you'll need to know what it does and doesn't cover when it comes to damages. So let's go over that. What does business income insurance cover? Having this insurance coverage can help business owners pay for bills like mortgage or rent payments. It can also help cover operating expenses like payroll, assuring employees don't miss paychecks. However, business income insurance will only step in if certain issues cause you to close. This includes damages done by wind, made by a fire, or even created by a thief that breaks into your business. These kinds of issues often result in businesses shutting down for what's called a restoration period, which is essentially the time that repairs are being made. Having to close your doors for any length of time can be devastating for small business owners who rely on daily sales or appointments. So how does business income insurance work to cover you? Well, let's say you're a restaurant owner who sells the best pizza in town. At least that's what your Google reviews say. One night, a fire breaks out and ends up damaging your entire kitchen. You have no choice but to shut down while the repairs are made. Your contractor says it could be a few months until you're back up and running. That's when business income insurance steps in. Your coverage goes into action the moment the issue or covered peril, as we say in the insurance world, occurs. Many insurance companies have a waiting period of up to 72 hours until coverage can start. But with business income insurance from The Hartford, we offer a zero hour waiting period. That means your coverage begins at the time your business is physically damaged until the day you're back open. That's what we're here for, to get you back open as quickly as possible while helping replace the income you've lost. We have a huge heart for small business owners, and it shows in our history of protecting them for over 200 years. Of all the insurance companies you can work with, none do small business like us. See what it's like to have a partner that truly puts you first. Get a quote from us today.

What Is Not Covered by Business Income?

Business income insurance won’t help cover lost income in the event of:
 
  • Closures from inoperable power lines. Adding an endorsement to your policy can help cover this.
  • Undocumented income not listed on your business’ financial records.
  • Flood damage, which you’ll need a separate policy for.

Examples of Business Income Coverage

To better understand how business income coverage can help replace your lost income, consider these scenarios:
 
  • Your catering shop is in an attached building. A fire breaks out in the store next to yours and it spreads to your business. As a result, you must shut down to repair the damages.
  • After you close your computer store for the day, thieves break in and steal valuable inventory. Because of this, you temporarily close while you replace your inventory.
  • A hurricane makes landfall in your area, causing extensive wind damage to the building where you operate your sports equipment store. You must close your business to repair the damages.
  • The payout amounts you receive on your business income coverage are based on your business’ income and expense records. As a business owner, you should store these records in a safe location. You may even want to store them off-site or in digital locations.
 

Common Questions About What Business Income Insurance Is

Most small businesses can benefit from a business income insurance policy. This coverage helps pay for lost income if your company must shut down due to a covered loss, such as a fire.
Yes, business income coverage can help pay your operating expenses, including payroll.
In most cases, business income coverage doesn’t have a monetary deductible. However, there is sometimes a time deductible or a waiting period. Some insurers may have a waiting period up to 72 hours after the covered loss occurs before coverage starts. The Hartford’s business income coverage has a zero hour waiting period, so coverage begins immediately after your business suffers covered property damage.
If your business has a physical location with products, services or equipment, you can benefit from this coverage.
 
 
Additional disclosures below.
The Hartford shall not be liable for any damages in connection with the use of any information provided on this page. Please consult with your insurance agent/broker or insurance company to determine specific coverage needs as this information is intended to be educational in nature.
 
The information contained on this page should not be construed as specific legal, HR, financial, or insurance advice and is not a guarantee of coverage. In the event of a loss or claim, coverage determinations will be subject to the policy language, and any potential claim payment will be determined following a claim investigation.
 
Certain coverages vary by state and may not be available to all businesses. All Hartford coverages and services described on this page may be offered by one or more of the property and casualty insurance company subsidiaries of The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc. listed in the Legal Notice.
 
The Hartford Insurance Group, Inc., (NYSE: HIG) operates through its subsidiaries under the brand name, The Hartford, and is headquartered in Hartford, CT. For additional details, please read The Hartford’s Legal Notice.
 
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