Italian Ice Business Insurance
Getting insurance for your Italian ice store is essential.
Italian ice stores need to be protected against things like claims of negligence, personal injury claims, and product liability claims.
For example, a customer could trip over a chair in your store and hurt themselves, or someone could claim that your Italian ice gave them an allergic reaction.
We’ll help you find the most personalized and affordable coverage for your unique business.
Recommended: Next Insurance is dedicated to matching small businesses with the right policy at the best price.
Best Insurance for an Italian Ice Business
General liability insurance is — generally speaking — one of the most important insurance policies for Italian ice stores.
Some of the risks general liability insurance covers are:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Medical payments
- Legal defense and judgment
- Personal and advertising injury
While general liability covers a lot of different things, if you need more complete protection for your Italian ice store, consider some of the following:
- Commercial auto insurance for your company’s vehicles
- Commercial property insurance for any equipment your company owns, such as Italian ice machines
- Workers’ compensation insurance for your employees
- Commercial umbrella insurance to cover costs that exceed your other policy limits
The first step in finding an appropriate insurance provider for your Italian ice shop is to decide which category of insurer is best suited to your business:
- Traditional brick-and-mortar insurers — includes well-known, established names like State Farm and Nationwide
- Online insurers — Includes newer names like Tivly and Next Insurance
Typically, small businesses choose to purchase insurance from online insurers because they are much more affordable, thanks to their low operational costs. They’re also faster and typically more flexible.
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Cost of General Liability Insurance
On average, Italian ice businesses in America spend between $500 - $1,200 per year for $1 million in general liability coverage.
Compare the average cost of general liability insurance for an Italian ice business to other professional industries using the graph below.
Several factors will determine the price of your policy. These include your:
- Location
- Deductible
- Number of employees
- Per-occurrence limit
- General aggregate limit
You may be able to acquire general liability insurance at a discounted rate by purchasing it as part of a business owner’s policy (BOP) rather than as a standalone policy.
A BOP is a more comprehensive solution that includes multiple forms of coverage, such as business interruption and property insurance.
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Common Situations That General Liability Insurance May Cover for an Italian Ice Business
Example 1: When you seek additional capital to franchise your business, your bank requires evidence of liability insurance as part of the loan terms. A general liability policy would fulfill this requirement.
Example 2: While delivering Italian ice to a birthday party, an employee backs into the customer’s air conditioning system and causes irreparable damage. General liability insurance would cover the cost of replacing the system and any other damage stemming from the incident.
Example 3: Your cleaning crew used the wrong solution on your floors, creating a slippery surface on which a customers falls and breaks a wrist. General liability insurance would cover her medical expenses and, in the event of a lawsuit, your legal fees and any court-awarded damages.
Other Types of Coverage Italian Ice Businesses Need
While general liability is the most important type of insurance to have, there are several other forms of coverage you should be aware of. Below are some of the most common types of coverage:
Product Liability Insurance
Product liability insurance offers critical protection for businesses selling food for public consumption. If a customer names your business in a lawsuit because they claim they became ill after eating your Italian ice, product liability insurance would cover your legal fees and any required settlement.
You can typically purchase this coverage as part of a business owners policy (BOP).
Commercial Property Insurance
Whether you own or rent your business space, you likely made a major investment in tailoring the building to your needs and filling it with the proper equipment. In the event of a fire, theft, or natural disaster, commercial property insurance would cover the cost of repairing or replacing your business-related property. This includes structural damage to your building as well as the business equipment and supplies stored there.
You can typically purchase commercial property insurance as part of a business owners policy (BOP).
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Most states require businesses to carry workers’ compensation insurance for their part-time and full-time employees. This coverage protects your employees if they become injured at work or fall ill after a work-related accident. It not only covers an employee’s medical bills and lost wages if they need time to recover, but also any disability or death benefits stemming from a workplace accident. For extensive injuries resulting in lawsuits, this type of policy also covers your legal defense costs.
Most insurers offer workers’ compensation insurance as a standalone policy.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Any vehicle you use primarily for business — such as for deliveries — requires commercial auto insurance to protect the vehicle, driver, and others on the road in the event of an accident. Be sure to select a policy that covers not only accident-related vehicle repair costs and medical treatment for anyone injured, but also sufficient protection for any business property you carry in your vehicle. Also consider a policy with limits that exceed the state-mandated minimum coverage.
You can purchase commercial auto insurance as part of a business owners policy (BOP) or as a standalone policy, depending upon the insurer.
Business Interruption Insurance
If you need to close your business temporarily after a fire, severe storm, or other covered event, it could take weeks, months, or even years to complete the necessary repairs. Business interruption insurance helps cover your expenses and lost revenue until you can reopen. Many policies also offer extra expense coverage, which can help you set up a temporary location while you make repairs at your place of business.
You can typically purchase this coverage as part of a business owners policy (BOP).
Additional Steps To Protect Your Business
Although it’s easy (and essential) to invest in business insurance, it shouldn’t be your only defense.
Here are several things you can do to better protect your Italian ice business:
- Use legally robust contracts and other business documents. (We offer free templates for some of the most common legal forms.)
- Set up an LLC or corporation to protect your personal assets. (Visit our step-by-step guides to learn how to form an LLC or corporation in your state.)
- Stay up to date with business licensing.
- Maintain your corporate veil.
Italian Ice Business Insurance FAQ
Yes, absolutely. You will need to first get a quote from an online business insurance provider like Next Insurance. Next allows you to then purchase a policy immediately and your coverage will be active within 48 hours.
A typical business owner’s policy includes general liability, business interruption, and commercial property insurance. However, BOPs are often customizable, so your agent may recommend adding professional liability, commercial auto, or other types of coverage to your package depending on your company’s needs.
"Business insurance" is a generic term used to describe many different types of coverage a business may need. General liability insurance, on the other hand, is a specific type of coverage that business owners need to protect their assets.
To financially protect your Italian ice shop from the multitude of risks it could face, business insurance is an operational requirement.
Moreover, it’s common for certain types of business insurance (e.g., commercial auto insurance and workers’ compensation insurance) to be a legal requirement.
Not necessarily. Certain exceptions may be written directly into your Italian ice business insurance policy, and some perils may be entirely uninsurable.
Yes, an LLC is meant to create a legal barrier between your business and your personal assets and credit. If you haven’t formed an LLC yet, use our Form an LLC guide to get started.
An LLC doesn’t protect your business assets from lawsuits and liability– that’s where business insurance comes in. Business insurance helps protect your business from liability and risk.