Business Income vs. Business Interruption Insurance

What's the Difference Between Business Interruption and Business Income Insurance?

Business interruption and business income insurance are the same thing. They refer to the same coverage, which helps replace your business' lost income if you can't operate due to a covered property loss.
small business owner knows the difference between Business Income vs. Business Interruption Insurance

Key Takeaways

  • This coverage can help while you're recovering from a loss that damaged your business' property and caused a temporary pause in operations.
  •  Business income insurance can help you pay for ongoing expenses, such as payroll, loan bills and mortgage or rent payments.
  • Business income insurance is included in a Business Owner's Policy (BOP).
Insurance companies often use “business income insurance,” “business interruption insurance” and “extra expense coverage” interchangeably. Both names can be abbreviated to BI insurance. If you come across any of these terms, just remember it refers to the same coverage.
 
Business income insurance is an essential type of coverage for small business owners to have. If you can’t operate because of covered property damage, this insurance can help replace lost income, which you can use to help pay for necessary business expenses. This includes:
 
  • Payroll
  • Rent
  • Mortgage payments
  • Loans

What Does BI Insurance Cover?

BI insurance helps replace your business’ lost income if you can’t operate because of a covered property loss, such as:
 
  • Fire
  • Theft
  • Wind
It’s important to remember that business income insurance doesn’t cover every cause of property damage. For example, if you can’t operate because of flood damage or broken items, business income insurance can’t help you.
Tip:
Business income insurance is included in a Business Owner’s Policy (BOP) in addition to general liability insurance and commercial property insurance.

Do I Need Business Income Coverage?

If you can’t operate and don’t have income coming into your business, how long could you pay for ongoing expenses? Business income coverage can give you peace of mind if the unexpected happens. Learn more about this insurance and how it could help you survive after a fire, storm or theft.
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.

Frequently Asked Questions About Business Income vs. Business Interruption

Loss of income is the same type of protection as business income insurance or business interruption insurance. It can help replace lost income if your small business can’t open temporarily after a covered loss, like property damage.
Small business owners can follow these simple steps to calculate your business income for insurance:
 
  1. Calculate your total revenue. This includes all items and services you sell.
  2. Subtract your business’ expenses, cost of goods sold and operating costs from your total revenue. This calculates your business’ earnings before tax.
  3. Deduct taxes from this amount to find your business’ net income. Your net income will be your business’ income.
The equation for business income is:
 
Business Income = Revenue - Expenses
There’s not a simple, one-size-fits-all answer for how much BI coverage you need. That’s because every small business is unique. If your business interruption costs exceed the coverage limit you choose for your policy, you’ll have to pay out of pocket for the extra expenses. A good rule of thumb is to use your gross earnings and projections to estimate your future profits.
 
 
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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