Insurance for an online store might initially sound like a strange concept. How do you insure something that exists on the internet? Let me explain. What we see in the browser, such as on Allegro or individual stores, is just the tip of the iceberg.
Behind the website, there are people, employees, goods, warehouses, and more. Whether you run a store using the dropshipping model, store goods in your basement, or rent a warehouse—it’s worth considering additional protection.
This way, you can ensure that in the event of a loss of sales ability due to a random event or the actions of a third party, you’ll have the resources to resume operations.
Liability Insurance
Liability insurance is, in fact, the most basic insurance, not just for businesses. It involves securing a selected sum insured against claims from third parties. There are many examples of how this might apply to an online store:
- The equipment you sell turns out to be defective and damages your customer’s other electrical devices.
- Software downloaded from your site infects a customer’s laptop with a virus, damaging the device.
- A chair you sold has a manufacturing defect and breaks under the customer, leading to injury.
And yes, you can sometimes argue or defend yourself with “intermediary” claims and other arguments, but why bother? For just a few hundred złoty a year, you can have peace of mind, and often support in various situations thanks to the right extensions—so why hesitate?
Remember the mentioned clauses—standard liability insurance doesn’t protect against everything. For online stores, the coverage should include, for example, damages caused by the product. It’s also worth considering clauses covering combinations—like when you offer semi-finished products. With a well-constructed liability policy, the sum insured can cover virtually all damages caused to a third party.
Insurance for Goods Against Fire or Theft
Purchasing property insurance is relevant for those who have a physical place of business, as well as goods that they ship themselves and which may be stolen or damaged. You can read more about this type of insurance in the article on business insurance, but to summarize briefly:
- You can insure your place of business (e.g., office), warehouse, or the goods themselves.
- The coverage includes random events like fire or flood, as well as theft with burglary and robbery.
- The insurance contract can also cover cases like damage to goods due to defrosting (e.g., a temporary power outage).
- For more risky businesses (flammable items, etc.), insurers may require additional security measures or offer higher premiums.
- The insured sums depend on the value of the property or goods.
- When choosing such insurance, check all exclusions in the general terms and conditions.
For comprehensive business insurance, it’s advisable to seek help from an insurance specialist who can assist in selecting the right coverage.
Additional Life Insurance for the Owner
If you run the store on your own, consider the following questions:
- What if I get sick and can’t run the store?
- What if I spend a few days in the hospital and can’t handle orders during that time?
- What if an injury prevents me from running the business?
The answer to almost all these questions is quite simple—use the funds from a life insurance policy that’s designed for such “occasions.”
For entrepreneurs running their business independently, income protection insurance can be useful, guaranteeing additional funds if you’re unable to work. This could be due to illness or an accident.
For EVERYONE, it’s worth considering additional insurance options such as:
- Accidents and injuries,
- Serious illness,
- Hospitalization due to illness or accident,
- Permanent disability,
- Major surgeries,
- And others.
This way, you not only gain protection in case of health issues but also peace of mind, reducing the “what if” worries. Running a store can be stressful enough, so why add more worries?
Cyber Attack Insurance
In an age where the internet is practically everywhere, customer data often resides in clouds or emails, and the volume of transactions is growing—hackers don’t rest. Especially if you primarily operate online, and losing the store would be disastrous and potentially very costly. For some time now, data breaches have been treated very seriously. A data breach affects not only your customers but also you, as the person responsible for their secure storage.
A good cyber attack insurance policy should protect against:
- The aforementioned data breach, such as the leakage of information like phone numbers, ID numbers, addresses;
- Data theft by competitors;
- Device infections by malware, hacker attacks, or phishing.
Every online store owner should consider this insurance an absolute priority. With such protection, you can avoid financial consequences in the event of a data breach or simply—if you cause damage to third parties, meaning your customers.
Backup for Your Online Store – Don’t Forget About a Backup!
Even if you insure practically everything, it doesn’t mean you can stop caring about security. Here’s a list of additional things to consider when running an online store:
- Ensure strong passwords for all important sites and portals online. Hackers can often break into Facebook accounts and, for example, use your ad account to spread harmful content.
- Don’t click on suspicious links.
- Maintain a clear store policy and privacy policy to protect yourself from false claims.
- If you run a store on platforms like WordPress, PrestaShop, or Shopify, make sure to update regularly and keep your server clean.
- Protect your computer with strong antivirus software and a firewall—the standard Windows protection may be too weak.
- Enable two-step verification wherever possible.
- Encrypt all emails (especially those containing data).
By taking these steps, you’ll strengthen the security of your online store and ensure smoother operations, even in the face of potential cyber threats or unforeseen events.
