For pet lovers, running a pet grooming service can be the perfect business opportunity. After all, you are getting paid to spend your day with dogs. And you get to decide whether you want set up shop and run your business from a store front, or enjoy the freedom and flexibility that running a mobile grooming salon offers. Either way, it’s important to protect your business against your legal liabilities and other unexpected events. So, here’s the lowdown on getting the right business insurance cover for groomers on the move vs a shopfront grooming salons.

Public Liability

Groomers are in close contact with people all the time, so Public Liability insurance is a key cover for your business.  This type of cover protects you if a client, supplier or member of the public makes a claim against you if they believe you (or one of your charges) are responsible for causing accidental injury to them, or for damaging their property.   This ma

No matter where your work takes you, your Public Liability will cover you – whether it’s your physical salon, a mobile service, or in your own home. So, for traditional grooming salons it will safeguard against common risks such as slips and falls, as well as other accidental injuries. But let’s say you’re running a mobile salon… you head to your client’s home and whilst you’re in the middle of grooming, somebody trips over a power lead that you’ve left lying on the ground breaking their ankle. Or that beloved furry family member escapes from your arms, and as you’re chasing it down their hall you accidentally knock over their family heirloom vase. Gulp!

As well as picking up the tab for compensation awarded to your client, your Public Liability policy also covers any legal costs and other expenses that are incurred during the handling of a claim. Another great thing about this type of cover is that it also includes Product Liability, so it protects against injury or damage that may be caused by any of the pet products you sell.

Professional Indemnity

Making your clients pets clean and look their best is what you are all about.   But what if you accidentally shave the wrong section of hair on a prized show dog right before a big competition?

As a professional, you have a duty of care to your clients (both human and canine) regardless of where you are providing your service from.  And small errors can lead to big problems. They’re expensive to fix and can be damaging to your reputation. Protecting yourself with Professional Indemnity insurance can protect you if you are accused of negligence or malpractice in your professional capacity. Or even if somebody simply decides they’re not happy with the service you’ve provided they can still make a claim against you.

Professional Indemnity insurance can cover your legal costs and any damages that you may have to pay to your client. It can also help protect your reputation, so it doesn’t end up looking like a dog’s breakfast. One important thing to remember is that even if you aren’t at fault, a simple claim of wrongdoing could still cost you thousands of dollars in legal fees to defend yourself.

Equipment, Contents and Stock

This is where the main point of difference is between insuring a shopfront salon and a mobile grooming business. Taking your business on the road may be deceiving when it comes to estimating the value of your business assets, but once you start to add them all up it can be surprising. No matter what type of business you operate, you need lots of specialised equipment and stock to get the job done – grooming products, clippers, shears, grooming tables, hydro-baths and dryers. Then there’s laptops and mobile phones you’ll be using for managing your bookings, accounts and talking to your clients.

Portable Equipment insurance, also known as General Property, covers the cost of repairing or replacing the ‘tools of your trade’ if they are accidentally damaged, lost or stolen (from a locked premises or vehicle). Unlike other types of dog grooming insurance which only provide cover at a specified premises, Portable Equipment insurance protects items that are not attached to you vehicle or van like your equipment and stock.

Operating a grooming salon from a physical premises means that there are other types of cover options that need to be considered. Contents & Stock will protect just that – the array of contents and stock that your business owns.  Whether it be the equipment and grooming supplies that you use to groom your pets, or pet products that you sell directly to your clients. It will protect against unexpected events such as fire, storm and accidental damage. If you own your premises, Building cover will help protect against the cost of repair or rebuilding any physical buildings if they are damaged or destroyed by fire or other perils. And Business Interruption cover will help get you back on your feet after suffering one of those events by covering your loss of income if you are unable to trade, as well as the increased costs of running your business.

Additional types options that owners of a shopfront salon should consider, include Glass to cover the costs of replacing damaged or broken glass frontage; Theft to protect against loss or damage to contents or stock due to a burglary or attempted theft; Money to protect the cash that belongs to your business if it is lost, stolen or damaged; and lastly but not least, Machinery Breakdown to cover the cost of repairing electronic or mechanical machinery equipment, such as hydraulic grooming tables.

Personal Accident & Illness

Accidents happen to everyone. As does illness.  Have you stopped to think about how your business would survive if were out of action for a few weeks or even months on end? Being self-employed means you don’t get any sick pay if you’re unable to work due to illness or injury.

Personal Accident & Illness insurance is an important form of cover for all groomers. It compensates you if you are temporarily unable to work by paying up to 85% of your income, with a benefit period of up to two years. And because it’s tax deductible it’s not a drain on your finances. The best part is that it provides 24-hour protection, so you’re covered whether you injure yourself or fall ill at work, home or whilst on holiday.

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Liz Walden

Liz has a passion for all things animal - whether it's cats, dogs, rabbit or horses! Liz was one of the first in Australia to bring Pet Insurance to the market. She has headed up Petsecure Pet Insurance for the past 12 years, and Pet Professional Insurance since 2018. Liz is committed to promoting and supporting the amazing work done by rescue groups around Australia, supporting those who work in the pet industry, as well as those who work to promote a better life for all animals.