Why Summer Is Prime Time for a Business Insurance Policy Review
Whether it’s increased foot traffic for retailers, a surge in bookings for hospitality businesses, or more field activity for contractors and landscapers, the warmer months often bring an uptick in operations. Amid this seasonal spike in activity, business owners are focused on managing schedules, serving customers, and meeting demand. But one important task often gets overlooked: reviewing your business insurance coverage.
A comprehensive business insurance policy review during the summer can help ensure your company is protected against evolving risks. Learn how.
Why Summer? Increased Risk and Activity
For many businesses, summer isn’t just about warmer weather, but change. You might be hiring seasonal employees, hosting events, or increasing your inventory to meet demand. Each of these changes can alter your risk exposure, meaning your existing policy may no longer provide adequate protection.
Increased activity often means more interactions with customers, vendors, and employees. This naturally raises the chances of incidents that could trigger a claim, such as:
- Slip-and-fall accidents on your property
- Property damage from storms or heat-related hazards
- Liability from hosted events or off-site projects
A business insurance policy review ensures your coverage reflects your current operating conditions, not just the conditions when you initially purchased the policy.
Seasonal Staffing Brings New Considerations
It’s common for businesses to expand their workforce during the summer. Whether you’re adding part-time retail staff or bringing on temporary workers for a busy construction season, this influx of employees can change your liability landscape.
Your current workers’ compensation insurance may need adjustments based on the number of employees, job duties (which influence risk levels), and duration and nature of the employment Failing to update your coverage to match your actual workforce could lead to denied claims or penalties if an injury occurs and your policy doesn’t reflect accurate staffing information.
A business insurance policy review helps align your coverage with your seasonal workforce changes.
Expanding Services or Locations
Summer often inspires business growth. For some, it’s a new product line. For others, it might be a pop-up location, a food truck, or an outdoor service expansion. Any of these changes can affect your insurance needs.
Examples include:
- Launching a mobile unit that requires commercial auto insurance
- Hosting public events that require event liability insurance
- Leasing new property or equipment that should be added to your property insurance
Growth is exciting, but it also comes with added risk. If you don’t update your insurance policy to reflect your expanded operations, you may be on the hook for damages that your current coverage excludes.
Reviewing Your Existing Policy Limits
With costs rising and business demands shifting, the limits of your commercial insurance coverage may no longer be adequate. For example, inflation may have increased the replacement cost of your property or equipment. If you haven’t updated your policy limits in the past year, you might not be fully protected.
A business insurance policy review allows you to reassess the value of your commercial property and calculate potential liability exposures. Additionally, you should consider adding endorsements or umbrella coverage for extra protection
Weather-Related Risks and Property Damage
In many states, summer is prime time for extreme weather, such as thunderstorms, hail, wildfires, and even hurricanes. These events can wreak havoc on your physical location and operational continuity.
Your commercial property insurance should be evaluated to ensure it includes coverage for:
- Wind and hail damage
- Business interruption due to weather-related closures
- Flood protection (note: standard policies often exclude this)
Reviewing your policy in the early summer months allows you to adjust coverage before these events occur. It’s better to have the right protection in place than to face an unexpected loss that isn’t fully covered.
Stay ahead of summer storms, heatwaves, and seasonal business changes by ensuring your coverage adjusts with the times. Explore our guide on seasonal insurance coverage to learn how to protect your operations year-round.
Cyber Threats and Digital Operations
Summer doesn’t just bring changes to physical operations. It also affects digital risks. Increased travel and remote work during summer months can open new vulnerabilities in your systems.
If your business relies heavily on technology, consider cyber liability insurance for data breach protection. You should also secure coverage for business income loss due to digital outages or ransomware. Finally, ensure employees using personal devices for work are covered under your cyber policy
Your business insurance policy review should take into account any digital expansion or changes in operations, especially if remote access is more common during summer.
Mid-Year Is a Natural Time for Financial Planning
Many businesses perform financial check-ins at mid-year to assess revenue, budgets, and forecasting. Adding a business insurance policy review to this process ensures that your financial planning also includes risk management.
It’s an ideal time to:
- Compare current premiums and deductibles with your budget
- Shop for better rates or explore bundling options
- Confirm you’re receiving all available discounts (e.g., for safe driving, no claims, or bundled policies)
Financial efficiency goes hand-in-hand with proper protection. Reviewing your insurance in the summer can help ensure you’re not overspending or underinsured.
What to Review in Your Business Insurance Policy
When conducting a business insurance policy review, focus on the following:
- Coverage Types: Do you have general liability, commercial property, business interruption, workers’ comp, commercial auto, cyber liability, and professional liability?
- Policy Limits: Are your current limits high enough to cover worst-case scenarios?
- Endorsements and Riders: Are there any additional coverages you should consider based on recent business changes?
- Exclusions: Understand what is not covered by your policy.
- Claims History: If you’ve filed any claims recently, how has your insurer handled them? Are you still getting good value?
Taking the time to review these elements can help you identify potential gaps and make informed decisions about adjusting your coverage.
The Bottom Line
Reviewing your business insurance policy may not be the most glamorous summer task, but it can be one of the most valuable. As your operations evolve during the busy season, your insurance should keep up. A business insurance policy review ensures you’re adequately covered before disaster or liability strikes.
With a few proactive steps, you can reduce your risk, protect your bottom line, and head into the second half of the year with confidence.
Let NEC Insurance Help You Prepare for the Season Ahead
Make the most of your summer by ensuring your coverage is aligned with your business goals. Contact NEC Insurance for a personalized business insurance policy review and discover whether your current protection meets your seasonal demands.
Share This Post
More Like This
About Us
NEC Insurance supports Missourians with high-quality coverage for businesses and individuals. We apply over 45 years of experience to help you navigate the market and deliver the policies you deserve.