If you've always been a fitness fanatic and enjoy helping others, you may have decided to open up an independent personal training business. Some people in your situation offer to do this on a mobile basis by travelling to the client's home or workplace. Others may come to an agreement with their local gym so they can practice within this space, while yet others will open their own facility. Clearly, insurance is important with this type of venture, but you will likely need a special category of insurance to protect you from all eventualities. What do you need to consider?

Public Liability Coverage

Whenever you interact with members of the public, it is always a good idea to have public liability insurance. If someone were to trip and fall when they were on your premises, this insurance would kick in. Now, if you were practising your trade a gym under a special arrangement, their public liability insurance would probably be sufficient, but you would need to check this with the facility, just to be sure.

Is Professional Indemnity Enough?

You may have heard of professional indemnity insurance. This type of coverage can protect the holder if they give advice to a customer that is incorrect and subsequently causes injury or loss. While this particular type of insurance may help you in certain circumstances, it is unlikely to cover you if somebody sustains actual, physical harm while you are coaching them.

Malpractice Insurance

Instead, talk to your broker about malpractice insurance. This type of coverage is specifically designed to cover professionals in a healthcare environment but can be extended to personal trainers as well as others who provide services that could potentially harm a client.

Pushing Too Far

The very nature of your work determines that you may occasionally ask a client to lift a certain weight and, for one reason or another, it may be too much for them. Should they sustain a serious and long-term injury, they will likely try to sue you for compensation. And in this situation, it's not unheard of for suits to include claims for pain and suffering, emotional distress and other factors, quite apart from the cost of treatment, lost wages, etc.

Doing Things Right

So, before you jump into your new business venture, talk with an experienced insurance broker. They will put together a package that will provide you with the best protection possible.

For more information, contact a business insurance broker near you.