KEY TAKEAWAYS: Barbers need insurance to protect their businesses, assets, and other interests, but common myths could undermine those protections. Understanding barber insurance myths is key to investing in the right insurance coverage and avoiding potential pitfalls.
It was supposed to be a good day. One of your favorite clients, someone who has been visiting your shop for nearly a decade, had an appointment. You were looking forward to catching up with them and delivering a stunning haircut for their upcoming job interview, when they slipped as they approached your chair.
Next thing you know, you’re facing legal troubles as a result of their injury, all because you missed some loose hair on the floor from your last customer. It’s not a mistake you make often, but you were rushed, and this time, the worst-case scenario happened.
If you have barber liability insurance, you have a blanket of protection that could protect your career and your shop in situations such as these. Unfortunately, there are a number of barber insurance myths and coverage misconceptions in the barber world that could compromise your future. We’re here to help expose them and set you on the right course.
What You Need to Know About Barber Liability Insurance
Common Misconceptions About Barber Insurance
As valuable as barber liability insurance is for aspiring barbers, established barbers, and everyone in between, there are a number of coverage misconceptions that can sway just how effective your shop insurance is (or whether you choose to invest in it in the first place).
Familiarizing yourself with common misconceptions about barber insurance, including the ones listed here, can set you up for success and ensure you are covered should an unforeseen challenge ever arise.
- Myth: "If I'm not doing anything wrong, I don't need insurance."
- Fact: Self-employed barbers face an average $3,000-$15,000 for common barber insurance claims.
- Myth: A barber shop insurance policy covers you personally.
- Fact: You will likely need your own barber liability insurance to fully cover your work and your interests, even if you practice in a shop with insurance.
- Myth: You don’t need insurance if you are experienced or part-time.
- Fact: Even the most seasoned barbers can make mistakes or experience accidents outside of their control. Part-time barber coverage is also a must, as the hours you work do not dictate the risk you incur.
- Myth: Professional liability insurance and general liability insurance cover the same things.
- Fact: You need both types of insurance coverage, especially as an independent barber, to ensure that you are protected across a spectrum of potential legal risks.
What Liability Insurance Covers
One of the biggest mistakes barbers make is assuming that their barber insurance policy covers every kind of incident they might encounter in the course of their career. In reality, different types of insurance offer different legal coverage, and professional liability insurance is an excellent example of that principle.
Liability insurance for barbers covers events that happen as a result of the services you offer. This includes situations where your clippers slip and cut a client or a customer has an allergic reaction to one of your products. While such scenarios might be uncommon, they can be devastating to your business and career.
When you invest in the right professional liability barber insurance policy, everything from medical costs to legal fees will be covered, even if the problem is caused by negligence. Without proper coverage, you could be on the hook to pay expensive client claims out of your own pocket.
Why General Liability Insurance Matters for Barbers
If liability insurance relates to the hands-on services you provide, general liability insurance is more of a “slip-and-fall” coverage. In other words, it helps when accidents happen that are not a direct result of your mistake or negligence.
Unfortunately, many barbers believe that general liability insurance is optional or totally unnecessary, thereby leaving themselves and their business exposed to serious risk. To enjoy truly comprehensive barber accident coverage, you need professional and general liability insurance, not one or the other.
From a wet floor that causes client slips to accidents that happen on your premises, investing in general liability insurance protects you from physical injury claims, making it a critical piece in securing the right insurance coverage for your barbering business.
How Barber Liability Insurance Supports Long-Term Career Stability
Some barbers fear that investing in liability insurance signals to clients that they are incompetent or have a history of legal problems, but this is a myth. In fact, insurance for barbers is a sign of barber professionalism and can build client trust, encouraging current and future customers to choose you over the competition.
Additionally, the long-term protection of barber insurance not only promotes financial security but also creates the opportunity for career longevity. Things that may derail your career can no longer be the source of financial ruin or reputational disruption that they would be without insurance.
Whether you work in a shop or run a solo barber business, taking the responsibility to protect yourself, your business, and your clients’ interests is a must, and insurance for barbers demonstrates exactly that.
By choosing the right barber insurance coverage, you set yourself up for a long, successful career, even if you face challenges and uphill battles. It is an investment worth making, and you will be glad you made it.
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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.
