Key Person Insurance

When a small business is dependent upon the work of one, or even two people, what happens in the event of their illness must be seriously considered. While individuals may be covered for income protection, ongoing business costs also need to be covered if revenue stops.

Typical expenses include rent, wages, advertising, accounting fees, business risk insurance, equipment leasing, telephone and electricity.

Each business has its own unique expenses. Some items require special consideration, particularly if there may be a personal use factor. This could apply to the leasing of motor vehicles, mortgage payments or use of a home office. Employees may also be less productive in the absence of their employer.

In these instances it is important to obtain professional guidance when establishing the policy to ensure full and correct cover in the event of a claim.

Could this be you?

Bill and Ben operated a small manufacturing business. Their personal skills and experience were highly complementary with Ben supervising manufacturing while Bill handled administration and marketing. They recognised the risks of one becoming unavailable and after taking appropriate advice, entered into an appropriate buy/sell agreement including taking out a “Key Person” business risk insurance policy on the life of each partner.

Shortly after, Ben died in a car accident. The proceeds from the policy on Ben’s life enabled Bill to buy Ben’s share and pay out his widow. Without this, Bill would not have had sufficient funds available and may have been forced to sell the business.

You might be a busy business owner, but don’t get too busy to settle the important things. Talk to a professional adviser about the potential business risks and the protection available.