Insurance is obviously a very important commodity in life, and for the modern day professional, it is essential. Professional/Business insurance is vital in the fast paced, often high risk commercial sphere, and it takes understanding its benefits to fully appreciate its importance.
Business Insurance comes in many forms depending on circumstance and situation, and each cover policy is designed with an area of professional risk in mind.
Contractor insurance specifically is small business insurance designed for those who are classed as contractors and work from a contract to contract basis.
Contractors are skilled professionals who are not under direct employment by any company or firm and instead work via their own limited companies. Although a contractor may be working for a firm or company, they are not employees, rather hired hands on behalf of their limited companies who will have agreed to a prior working contract (6 months / a year for example).
Contractors fundamentally are self-employed and work for themselves. As well as certain benefits that come with being a one man company hired within a larger firm, the largest advantage that contractors have is that their tax bracket is far lower than that of an average employee, thus making their take home pay considerably more.
Contractors are able to earn up to 25% more than the average worker due to a much lower tax bracket. This is because contractors work for their own limited companies therefore do not fall under the typical taxed payroll of an employee. This amount of freedom does however come with downsides, as being your own boss means that you are not covered with sick pay, health benefits or welfares that large cooperate businesses offer, and that is where the benefits of contractor insurance become apparent. Contractor Insurance provides the relevant and helpful protective cover to any contractor or freelancer.
Contractors protect themselves with appropriate Contractor Insurance. It can be extremely useful if mistakes are made throughout the course of a contract, or if misfortune such as accidents or illness occurs.
Without the proper insurance, tax investigations, negligence claims, illness and much more would be an extremely costly and harsh process. Insurance for contractors is designed in a way in which a contractor is covered both for all costs and efforts should any claims occur or legal action (IR35 for example) is taken against the contractor.
As a professional, insurance is obviously important, but as contractors are practically self-employed, their high risk position makes the need for specific insurance far greater. Contractor insurances range from Professional Indemnity Insurance, a policy designed to protect a contractor in any case of claims of negligence being made against them, to full IR35 insurance, a must have policy for any secure contractor.
Not all contractor insurance policies will be necessary to all areas of expertise, but most apply across the board and provide benefits to a vast number of contracting professions.
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