2014-04-26

Compare Business Insurance Policies for Personal Trainers

When you run your own business, there is always the potential for things to go wrong. Any business, no matter its size, is susceptible to risks and potential hazards. A storm or fire could cause costly damage, a customer could fall over in your store (causing a protracted court case), or thieves could make off with your hard-earned cash or vital stock.

Protecting your business against these risks is vital, which is where business insurance comes into play. Business insurance for personal trainers is designed to offer protection tailored to your business, ensuring that a range of potential events and problems will not damage your business’ financial standing.

Some form of business insurance is essential for personal trainers, with public liability and professional indemnity cover at the top of the list.

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Table of contents: Business Insurance for Personal Trainers

Do Personal Trainers need Insurance?

Personal Trainer Insurance: What is covered?

Professional Indemnity Insurance for Personal Trainers

Public Liability Insurance for Personal Trainers: Do you need it?

Personal Trainer Insurance General Exclusions

Personal Trainer Insurance FAQs

Do Personal Trainers need Business Insurance?

Business insurance is vital for personal trainers. People who work in the personal training industry are regularly exposed to a unique range of risks that, without coverage, could have disastrous consequences for the future of their business.

This is why having public liability cover in place is such a good idea. If you’re employed by a gym your employers may have an insurance policy in place (though some don’t) while self-employed trainers will be required to take out this cover in order to provide their service.

Professional indemnity cover is also worth considering. If you offer advice or service to your clients and you happen to make an error that leads to your client suffering a loss, you may be found liable and forced to pay damages. Having business insurance cover in place ensures peace of mind and lets you conduct your day-to-day business with confidence.

Personal Trainer Insurance: What is covered?

If you’re a personal trainer thinking of taking out cover, you’ll be pleased to know that there are business insurance policies available that have been specifically designed with your chosen profession in mind. These policies have been created to provide coverage against the risks personal trainers and their business are exposed to on a regular basis.

The first type of cover worth considering for personal trainers is professional indemnity insurance. This feature offers much-needed cover for professionals who offer advice or service to their customers. As personal trainers provide specialised advice and services to their clients, any errors or omissions they make can end up causing customers financial loss in the event something goes wrong. Injuries and health problems can lead to medical costs, time off work and plenty of stress for your customers and, as a result, they may bring a claim of negligence against you. If this occurs, professional indemnity cover will fund your legal costs and cover you for any compensation you’re legally bound to pay.

The second cover aspect is liability insurance, which sometimes provides product's liability cover as well as public liability. Public liability cover provides protection for any injury or property damage a third party suffers as a result of your business activities. If you sell products to your customers, products liability offers protection with regard to those items you sell.

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Professional Indemnity Insurance for Personal Trainers

As mentioned above, professional indemnity insurance is a very important form of cover for personal trainers. As a fitness instructor or personal trainer, you provide advice and service to your customers on a daily basis such as about diet, home exercise programs, or a cardio or weights regime.

However, if a client or another third party alleges that your professional advice or service was negligent and resulted in them suffering a loss, they may level a claim that you have breached your duty as a professional. If the advice you provide is incorrect or misleading, you could soon find yourself in a whole lot of trouble.

You may think this is highly unlikely to ever happen, but all it takes is one disgruntled client to cause a whole lot of damage to your business. Professional indemnity insurance provides cover against these types of claims. Defending yourself against a lawsuit, even one that is based on false allegations, can end up costing a significant amount of time, money and stress. In addition, such claims can harm the financial health of your business and the goodwill you have worked hard to build.

Professional indemnity insurance will cover the cost of your defence, as well as any compensation you are required to pay. Having this cover in place gives you the confidence you need to survive any legal action, and leave you to focus on the more important things like running your business.

Professional Indemnity

Public Liability Insurance for Personal Trainers: Do you need it?

Public liability insurance is another form of cover that is important for personal trainers. Public liability insurance covers your legal liability in the event a third party suffers an injury or property is damaged as a direct result of your operation. If you work in an occupation where members of the public visit your home or business, or where they visit members of the public at their residence, then it is highly recommended that you have this kind of cover.

This is particularly important cover for personal trainers because of the range of unique risks they are exposed to. Your clients could claim that you did not provide adequate supervision, that you did not properly maintain equipment or provide proper instruction for its use, or even that you sexually harassed them. Even if the client’s claim is completely false, a lawsuit is still an expensive endeavor.

This is why public liability insurance is such a good idea. Defending yourself against such claims can be incredibly costly and time-consuming, not to mention stressful, so public liability can help alleviate some of the stress of the situation.

If you’re a self-employed trainer, you need this cover. If you work with a client at a gym but are not a gym employee, the gym’s insurance will not cover you. Even if you are a gym employee, the coverage offered under the gym’s policy will only offer minimal protection, so considering taking out your own business insurance is crucial.

Public Liability insurance

Personal Trainer Insurance General Exclusions

As with any cover, a range of exclusions apply to personal trainer business insurance policies. Exclusions can differ from one policy to the next, but most policies will typically not cover:

Liability for damages or awards that are exemplary or punitive in nature

Claims for loss or damage resulting from acts of war, invasion, civil war, rebellion, revolution or insurrection

Claims related to any nuclear incidents or radioactive contamination

Liability assumed by the insured under any contract

Loss, damage, liability or expense covered under any other insurance policy

Claims relating to acts of terrorism

Claims related to asbestos in any way

Claims arising from activities unconnected with your profession

Claims connected to fitness professionals who are owners/operators of commercial fitness facilities

Fitness professionals who have employees

Fitness professionals who sell or hire fitness machinery

Claims related to swimming teachers and instructors

Internet operations including the sale of products.

Personal Trainer Insurance FAQs

Do I need business insurance?

Yes. Working as a personal trainer exposes you to a wide range of unique risks that could be catastrophic for your financial future. While you may think it is unlikely that anyone would sue you, all it takes is one unhappy client to get you involved in a time-consuming and expensive legal battle.

But my gym already has insurance? Why do I need it?

First of all, consider whether you’re a gym employee or if you’re simply using the gym’s facilities. If you’re not an employee, then you are not covered by the gym’s policy. If you are a gym employee, speak to your boss to find out exactly what coverage is in place—many gyms only offer minimal and insufficient coverage for their employees.

What type of cover do I need?

Public liability cover and professional indemnity cover are the two types of insurance that are most important for professional trainers. Some insurers specialise in tailored business insurance policies for personal trainers, so consider these when comparing your options.

How can I find the right policy for me?

There are various of steps involved in ensuring you end up with the right level of cover. Research insurance providers and seek advice from other personal trainers. Obtain quotes from multiple insurers and compare a range of policies at finder.com.au. If you need help and want advice specific to your needs, contact an insurance broker.

Business insurance is an essential consideration for all companies, and the unique risks that personal trainers face make taking out some form of cover a must. Having public liability and professional indemnity cover in place offers peace of mind and can help secure the financial future of your business.

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