KEY TAKEAWAYS: Barber liability insurance is an absolute necessity for any professional barber. The protection it offers is essential to working with your clients with confidence and surviving challenging situations without losing what you’ve worked hard to build.
You’re well on your way to the barbering career you’ve always dreamed of, building your reputation, improving your technical and business skills, and helping your clients look and feel their best. Sounds pretty idyllic, doesn’t it?
Then, one of your loyal clients trips over a charging cable or has an allergic reaction to one of the products you swear by, and everything changes in an instant. What happens in a scenario like this where the career you’re building is suddenly in jeopardy?
Understanding barber liability insurance can give you the peace of mind you need to pursue your barber business with unbridled passion, even in the face of difficult circumstances.
What is Barber Liability Insurance & Why Do You Need It?
Any time that you are working directly with clients, have visitors to a barber shop, or otherwise work in a professional capacity, the potential for accidents and mistakes is present. This means that you need to take steps to mitigate the risk you experience, which is where barber insurance comes into play.
Barber insurance comes in many forms, all with the goal of protecting you and your business when legal issues rear their ugly head. So, why do you need barber insurance? Because you shouldn't leave your career and business open to risk. Depending on the type of insurance, you can secure protection from slip-and-fall lawsuits, professional mistakes, equipment malfunctions, product reactions, and more.
Some of the specific protections provided by barber liability insurance include coverage of legal fees, medical bills, and client claims.
"Understanding barber liability insurance can give you the peace of mind you need to pursue your barber business with unbridled passion, even in the face of difficult circumstances."
Professional Liability Insurance & General Liability Insurance: What Kind of Insurance Do Barbers Need?
There are several types of barber insurance, but the two primary policies every barber should have are professional liability insurance and general liability insurance. Between these two coverages, nearly all of the most common legal scenarios a barber might experience are covered.
General liability insurance for barbers is often referred to as “slip-and-fall” coverage because it covers exactly that: accidents that occur under your watch that are not directly related to your services. If a client slips on a wet spot in your barber shop and twists their ankle, for example, general liability insurance would cover the legal fees, claims-related bodily injury, and so on.
Professional liability insurance for barbers covers incidents related to the services you offer, making it more of a hands-on policy. If you accidentally cut a client while giving them a shave, they suffer an infection because you didn’t properly clean your tools, or they experience an allergic reaction to a product you use, professional liability insurance has your back.
What Does a Barber Liability Insurance Policy Cover?
Protecting your financial interests, hard-earned business, and positive reputation are all goals of investing in barber insurance. While these big-picture ideas are important and do benefit from your procurement of a barber insurance policy, they are not the only things covered by proper insurance coverage.
To secure the best possible coverage and help protect every aspect of your barbering career, you will want to find a policy that includes the following:
- General liability insurance: covers injuries and medical costs when a client is injured on your premises.
- Professional liability insurance: helps protect you when your services cause a client harm (cuts, burns, allergic reactions, and so on)
- Identity protection coverage: protects your clients and your business when personal records are hacked or identity theft occurs.
- Personal and advertising injury coverage: this coverage helps protect you when a client claims libel or slander, or if you have an accidental copyright issue in a marketing campaign.
How Much Does Barber Insurance Cost - And How You Can Get the Best Value
The cost of barber insurance policies can vary wildly depending on what they cover, where you are located, the structure of your barber business, coverage limits, and more. That being said, the average barber insurance policy falls somewhere between $180 and $300 per year.
At Elite Beauty Society, we provide affordable policies without compromising coverage or perks. With plans starting at $179 per year–or $149 per year with a two-year plan–you can save money while you practice your craft with confidence. In other words, you could secure barber insurance for less than $13 a month, the best value in the industry! We even offer student coverage for only $49 per year up until graduation.
If you are a barber working as an independent contractor, the first thing to do is check if the shop where you are working requires you to list them as an additional insured. This will save you from a massive headache should you ever need to use your insurance only to discover you aren’t fully compliant.
Don’t Wait Until It Happens, Get Covered Now
As a barber with a bright future, it doesn’t matter if you’re renting a chair, just getting started in barber school, or well on your way to achieving your dreams; investing in barber liability insurance is essential. With a policy from Elite Beauty Society, you can experience peace of mind and practice with confidence.
From client claims and injuries to professional mistakes and advertising mishaps, barber insurance is the safety net you need to excel. To learn more, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter and visit our blog. You can also contact us for more information!
Meet Hanna Marcus, the Founder and Head Copy Gal behind Boundless Copy, a one-of-a-kind copywriting agency that specializes in big, bold brand voice and industry-disrupting copy that’s all about resonating with the right audience.
Hanna has proudly teamed up with Elite Beauty Society for several years as their go-to copywriter on all things beauty, small biz marketing, and brand voice development. She’s big on feeling-first writing–her personal soapbox is that the best copy starts with telling a story.
When she’s not writing cheeky, converting copy for clients, she’s mentoring other aspiring copywriters and creating digital copywriting resources designed for service pros and focused on taking the stress out of DIY copywriting.
