What is a Business Owners policy?
Business owners policy is, in the simplest of terms, a packaged insurance policy that combines two key areas of insurance coverage that small businesses always need: general liability and commercial property insurance.
Business owners policy - often referred to as BOP - is a common package that all insurance carriers working with many small business clients offer as a standard product. Depending on the nature of their clientele, many carriers offer different combinations of various types of insurance, including inland marine, commercial auto, professional liability, and crime - apart from the often mandatory commercial property and general liability insurance.
Since it is a product built for broad coverage of risks involved in small business operations, it sells as a standard insurance product that small business owners buy for its usually low premium.
Who needs Business Owners insurance?

Every small business owner could immensely benefit from business owners insurance. These small businesses would include retail businesses and outlets, such as restaurants, small consulting firms, barber shops, hotels and motels, day care centers, convenience stores, cafes, and building owners, to name a few.
If you manage a small business, you can certainly gain a lot from buying business owners insurance from a reliable carrier. As an independent insurance agency committed to helping businesses and individuals getting proper insurance coverage for affordable premiums, we can help you get business owners insurance that fits your industry-specific risks.
Key benefits of a Business Owners policy
- Broad coverage for primary risks involved in a small business
- Affordable premium
- Customer support designed for small businesses
- One policy to fit all your major insurance needs
Business Owners policy coverage
The matter of insurance coverage in general liability insurance is complex, as this kind of policy is built around the specific needs of the policy buyer. If you manufacture equipment for disabled individuals, your general liability policy should provide product liability coverage to compensate for costs of possible lawsuits that your customers file after getting hurt by your equipment.
Therefore, you can only trust a general liability broker that demonstrates the will to develop a personalized policy for your business based on your industry, field of work, and any other important factors that make commercial general liability insurance important for your business practices.
What Does a Business Owners policy cover?
A business owners policy comes with compact insurance coverage, often providing small businesses shelter against risks related to most areas associated with small business operations.
Business owners policy coverage is often quite cheap because you are supposed to get one policy for multiple types of business insurance and pay a combo premium that costs much less than purchasing these coverages separately.
If your needs for coverage exceed the coverage limits provided by a general business owners policy, you can easily find a BOP that provides a commercial umbrella, allowing you to purchase your policy with adequate insurance coverage for your business.
Insurance included in Business Owners policy coverage
When it comes to insurance coverage offered in a BOP, you can expect commercial property and general liability coverage as a standard along with a handful of other kinds of insurance. However, you can then get endorsements for other types of insurance you need for your policy.
The contents of a standard business owners policy may include:
- Commercial property coverage for the following types of property
- Structures and buildings listed in your policy, which may include permanently installed plants, equipment, and other machinery
- All business property within structures and buildings listed in the policy
- All third-party property within the listed structures
- Improvements made by tenants
- General liability coverage for:
- Third-party property damages
- Third-party bodily injury
- Personal injury liability
- Advertising injury liability
- Other coverages included in a standard BOP may include:
- Civil authority coverage
- Accounts receivable coverage
- Newly acquired property
- Valuable documents
- Extra expenses
Additionally, your insurance agency will be able to have other coverages you need included in your business owners policy coverage.
What kinds of businesses often benefit from a Business Owners policy?
With the growing popularity for business owners insurance, many carriers have built their own standard and specialized BOP products that cater the needs of business industries they mostly work with. However, generally speaking, the following types of businesses can easily get a business owners policy coverage:
- Restaurants
- Fast food outlets
- Sandwich shops
- Cafes
- Laundries
- Meat wholesalers and retailers
- Barber shops
- Convenience stores
- Small construction contractors
- Carpenters
- Landscaping services
- And many more
The following types of business have trouble proving eligibility for business owners policy coverage:
- Theaters
- Parking garages
- Gardeners
- Bars
- Automobile dealerships
- High-rises
- And others