When you wake up in the morning, you most likely run through your day’s schedule in your head and plan and prepare for the day’s events. Hopefully, your day will go exactly as planned. But in real life things happen that we don’t expect and we may not be prepared to deal with. There are some things we can’t plan for. So when life throws you a curve ball, what will you do? Are you prepared?
For example, when you’re planning your day you never expect to be in a car accident. You might be the best driver in the country, but guess what? Car accidents still happen every day, and none of us are perfect. People can get hurt and have medical bills that need to be paid, and they may not be able to earn a living for a while. Your car (and theirs) may have extensive damage, and you’re left without a ride. Someone will have to pay these costs, and if it goes to court, we are talking major costs for lawyers. Cha-ching!
Who wants to shell out their hard-earned dollars for repairs or medical bills when they could be planning a fabulous vacation in Hawaii? No one. That’s why we have car insurance. It’s worth the cost you pay each month to make sure you won’t pay thousands of dollars out of pocket if you’re in an accident. Car insurance protects you, your passengers, and the other parties involved.
Protect Yourself with Professional Liability Insurance
So, why do so many hairdressers and barbers not protect themselves financially? Why would they not carry professional hairdresser liability insurance? I know, I know. It’s not something we like to think about, and it’s definitely NOT a sexy topic. You might dismiss liability insurance as just one more expense when you could spend that money on a new outfit, a weekend at the beach, or so many other fun things. The reality is that if you don’t have liability insurance, you are taking the same risk as if you had no car insurance! Liability insurance protects your livelihood so you can continue to earn money to do those fun things. Working without professional cosmetology liability insurance is a risk you simply cannot take.
Accidents Happen and Clients Sue
Think about this for a minute. You see a lot of clients every week. What if one of your clients had a scalp burn from the hair color you used and they were scarred for life? Even a simple allergic reaction to a product that wasn’t your fault can result in pain and misery for your client, not to mention costly medical bills. We are in the cosmetology industry to help people, and when something goes wrong with our client, we feel terrible and want to do the right thing. You WANT to make it right. But, if you don’t want to pay their medical bills out of your own pocket, you need professional liability insurance. Even relatively minor claims can result in thousands of dollars, and if it goes to court, we are talking major costs that you may be responsible for. You don’t want to lose your house or your car or your savings, but if a judge says you are responsible for a $50,000 payout, plus court costs and attorney’s fees, you will have to find a way to pay for that! Just one client injury could have a substantial impact on your finances and set you back for years. It’s just not worth the risk. You might be saying to yourself, “I’ve been in business for years, and never had any problem with injuring my clients.” That may very well be true. But it only takes one time, one client, to ruin you financially. Professional liability insurance protects you from these financial pitfalls.
Insurance for Hairstylists and Barbers
Purchasing professional liability insurance for hairstylists and barbers can be intimidating, especially if you don’t know what to look for. It’s not an investment that should be made based on cost alone, but if you’re thinking it’s going to break the bank, you may be pleasantly surprised! Comprehensive liability can be very affordable—much less than car insurance. But the peace of mind it provides is just as valuable.
No one plans for accidents—that’s why they’re called accidents. But planning, preparing, and protecting your assets, your career, and your clients with liability insurance is the professional thing to do. In Part Two of this blog, we’ll share the three types of liability insurance you need to protect any mishaps - general liability, professional liability, and product liability. We’ll address the different types of hairstylist insurance that are available and what the best choice is for the best protection.
Smart hair professionals realize that, while being named in a lawsuit is unlikely, it’s not worth risking your career. In this sue-happy age, it’s expensive to defend yourself even when you’ve done nothing wrong. Why chance it when excellent liability protection is so affordable? Associated Hair Professionals (AHP) offers protection with the industry’s best value in liability insurance coverage for hair stylists and barbers.