When you’re starting a business, you may think about getting insurance or a surety bond. Both types of coverage protect your business from loss. What’s the difference between these two options and which one should you get? A surety bond and an insurance policy are two different types of risk management tools that small businesses can use to protect themselves from potential financial losses. Both a surety bond and an insurance policy offer protection against certain risks. Understanding the difference between these two risk management tools will help you decide which one is right for your business.
What is a surety bond?
A surety bond is a type of commercial insurance that protects individuals or organizations from financial loss. A surety bond guarantees that an agreement or contract will be fulfilled. It’s important to note that a surety bond is different from an insurance policy. A surety bond is a contract between three parties: the principal (or the person who has agreed to do something), the obligee (the party who has hired the principal to do something), and the surety (the insurer). The surety bond contract is designed to provide financial security in case the principal fails to perform their contractual obligations as stipulated in the agreement.
What is insurance?
Insurance is a contractual agreement between a policyholder and an insurer. The policyholder pays a premium and, in exchange, the insurer promises to cover certain financial losses related to specific risks. Like a surety bond, insurance provides financial protection against a specific risk. The difference is that insurance coverage is not legally required like a surety bond is. When you get a small business insurance policy, you agree to pay a premium and accept the terms of the contract. If you file a claim and the insurance company pays out, you’ll likely have to pay a deductible.
Types of small business insurance
There are many types of insurance that can protect your small business. Depending on your specific business needs, you may want to look into getting insurance for one or more of these categories:
– Commercial property insurance: Protects your business’s assets that are at your commercial property. This could include things like a building or machinery.
– Commercial liability insurance: Protects your company in case a customer or another party is injured or suffers property damage on your premises. This can include general liability insurance or workers’ compensation insurance.
– Business interruption insurance: Helps offset the financial costs associated with interrupting business operations, like lost revenue from customers unable to complete projects due to a fire or flood.
– Cybersecurity insurance: Helps cover the costs associated with financial loss or reputational damage that results from a cyber-attack.
– Employer liability insurance: Helps offset the financial costs associated with an employee claim such as workers’ compensation, unemployment or wrongful termination.
– Umbrella liability insurance: Provides increased protection in the event that your commercial liability insurance covers costs that exceed the amount of your policy.
– General liability insurance: Helps cover the financial costs associated with injuries or property damage that you cause to others.
– Property insurance: Helps cover the cost of repairing or replacing your business’s property, like property damage or theft.
How does a surety bond work?
A surety bond is a type of financial guarantee that protects a third party who might otherwise be at risk in your business activity. This could be a client, a government agency, or a vendor. The surety bond ensures that you will complete a contractual agreement or perform a certain task. For example, if you do painting work for clients, you may need a surety bond to protect your clients in case you damage their property. A surety bond ensures that you will make the repairs or pay for the damages if you fail to do so. If you fail to fulfill your contractual obligations and the third party submits a claim, the surety bond will be used to pay the third party for their loss. The amount of the bond is determined based on the risk you pose to the third party.
Is a surety bond the same as insurance?
A surety bond is not the same as insurance. While insurance provides coverage against certain risks, a surety bond is a form of financial guarantee that protects the third party against a contractual default. The main difference between a surety bond and insurance is that a surety bond is a contractual agreement between two parties. In other words, the third party is the obligee, who hires the principal to do something and agrees to be responsible for the third party’s loss. Meanwhile, the principal and the insurer are the two parties who create the contract by signing the surety bond.
Summing up
A surety bond is a type of financial guarantee that protects the third party against a contractual default. Insurance is a contractual agreement between a policyholder and an insurer that provides coverage against certain risks. While both a surety bond and an insurance policy offer protection against certain risks, there are several differences between the two types of risk management tools. Understanding the difference between these two risk management tools will help you decide which one is right for your business. Now that you understand the difference between a surety bond and insurance, you can decide which type of coverage is best for your small business.