Public liability insurance for life coaches

In case your life coaching business causes an injury or property damage.

What’s typically covered by public liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• damage to someone’s property
• injury or illness caused by your coaching business
• accidental damage or injury caused by your employees, if you have any

For example:

• you spill coffee on an expensive beige-coloured carpet while visiting a client at home
• a client trips over your laptop charger cable while you’re setting up for an appointment, breaking their wrist

What you’ll need additional cover for

• If you do employ anyone, you’re usually required by law to have employers’ liability insurance too.

Read more about public liability insurance

Employers’ liability insurance

In case something happens to an employee while working for your life coaching business.

What’s typically covered by employers’ liability insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• an injury or illness that comes as a result of working for you (including temps and casual workers)

**Employers’ liability insurance is required by law if you have people working for you. Without it, you could be fined up to £2,500 a day for each employee.**

For example:

• your receptionist trips and falls down a flight of stairs on his way out of the office
• an employee suffers concussion when a shelf collapses onto them while moving into a new workspace

Professional indemnity insurance for life coaches

In case there’s a claim for negligence, or breaches in your duty of care.

What’s typically covered by professional indemnity insurance?

Claims against your business for:

• advice which turns out to be incorrect
• mistakes in your work that cost others money to fix

For example:

• your client decides to leave her job and invest in her own small business, but suffers a financial loss and blames the advice you’ve given
• you send a follow-up email containing links and discussion points to the wrong client group, causing a GDPR breach

Read more about professional indemnity insurance

Business and office equipment insurance

In case things like your phone or laptop are lost, stolen, or damaged

What’s typically covered by business and office equipment insurance?

• theft, flood, fire, or accidental damage to the equipment you use to run your business
• operational equipment like your laptop, office printer, and phone

For example:

• one of your laptops gets damaged during an office refurb, and will need replacing
• a leak in your workspace damages your desk and other equipment over the Christmas holidays, and you need to delay a few appointments

Read more about business and office equipment insurance

Legal expenses insurance

In case you and your coaching business face legal costs.

What’s typically covered by legal expenses insurance?

• legal costs attributed to your life coaching business
• property damage, nuisance, or trespass – specifically, the associated legal claims and compensation payouts
• tax and compliance disputes and investigations you need help with
• access to expert advice – including a tax advice phone line, confidential 24/7 legal phone line, and crisis PR support to help protect your reputation as an in-demand coach

For example:

• a client is disputing their sessions with you, saying you haven’t met their stated objectives. They’re refusing to pay your invoice, which is now three months overdue
• an employee that left of their own accord is now raising a claim against you for breach of contract and unfair dismissal

Read more about legal expenses insurance

Personal accident insurance

In case anyone you’ve covered is accidentally injured, at work or elsewhere.

What’s typically covered by personal accident insurance?

• accidental injury or death at or outside of work, for anyone covered on the policy
• lost income, medical costs, and hospitalisation benefit

For example:

• you injure your ankle while running at the weekend, and need to cancel three weeks of in-person appointments
• your employee falls down the stairs at work and breaks their knee – they need surgery and time off for recovery

Read more about personal accident insurance

Which type of workers do I need insurance for?

Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you employ people.

If you have people working for you, including bona fide subcontractors (BFSC), labour-only subcontractors (LOSC), part-timers, or full-time staff, employers’ liability insurance is required by law.

Read on for our simplified guide to the difference between labour-only subcontractors and bona fide subcontractors.

Does life coaching insurance cover my work correctly?

Make sure you’re picking the right cover to protect you properly. It’s important to know that if you have another trade or job, you’ll need additional cover. For example, do you need to consider life style insurance or fitness instructor insurance?

Do I need cover for other types of work?

If you provide other services, make sure you’re covered:

• Nutritionist insurance
• Dance teacher insurance
• Gym insurance
• Personal trainer insurance
• Complementary therapy insurance
• Counselling insurance
• Massage insurance
• Self employed insurance
• Health & alternative therapy insurance
• More health, fitness and wellbeing industry insurance

Other types of insurance

• Limited company insurance
• Self-employed insurance
• Freelance insurance
• Consultant insurance
• Contractors insurance
• Sole trader insurance

Which public liability cover limit should I choose?

Think about the maximum possible loss your business could face in the event of a claim, and make sure you take legal fees and damages into consideration. You can choose from three levels of coverage – £1 million, £2 million, or up to £5 million.