As a balloon artist, you spur imaginations with mere breath. You harness the very essence of life to conjure unthinkable sculptures, whether it be swords, hats, or animals. You allow your audience to live vicariously through your talent.
Seeing as you are in the business of fun, it's likely that you haven't considered the risks involved in the balloon business. Specifically, you likely think that the gigs you take up as a balloon twister are innocuous and that you do not need balloon business insurance.
To discover some of the risks that make insurance for the balloon business necessary, let's consider a situation where you've been invited to a children's birthday, and one of the kids attending gets their hands on a deflated balloon. The latter is a choking hazard which, given the litigious nature of today's society, you are going to end up facing a lawsuit. Not only would this dent your reputation, but it could also take a toll on your finances.
Further, suppose while at the venue, you end up damaging the client's property. In most instances, the client will expect that you meet the costs of the repair. Imagine how strenuous it would be to meet these costs from your own cash reserves.
Overall, that's where balloon artist insurance comes in. This specialty insurance for balloon decorators is meant to give you peace of mind and let you concentrate on bringing life to the party.
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Balloon business insurance, also called balloon decorator insurance, is an insurance product consisting of different business insurance policies that protect you, as the balloon artist, from unforeseen circumstances, including bodily injury, property damages, and any other risk factors that could bring out third-party claims. It also covers you in the event of business property damage or loss, employee injuries, and more.
Balloon art insurance, while not legally required, makes all the difference before you take up the balloon art gig. First, it provides you as the artist with somewhat of a financial safety net in the event the unexpected happens. Furthermore, some policy providers do accept that you add a couple of insureds to your policy. This is great, especially when you have a couple of other balloon artists working under you.
Besides, there are venues and clients that mandate that you present balloon twister insurance before they allow you to use their property. They actually require that you have the venue to your policy as an additional insured. If there were to be an incident at the venue due to your negligence, your balloon business and the venue should be covered.
Liability insurance is commonly included in the balloon business insurance plans of many carriers. While most use the term synonymously with general liability insurance, liability insurance is actually a generic term that can’t only pertain to general liability but also public liability and professional liability insurance for balloon business as well.
Accidents can happen while you’re providing a service. Citing the example above once again, a child might get his or her hand on a deflated balloon and choke. In such a situation, the parents can sue you for the child's injuries, no matter how baseless the lawsuit might be.
You can also damage a client’s property while installing balloons. Of course, a claim will be filed and you’ll be forced to refund the value of the damaged property.
General liability insurance covers costs if a client files a personal injury claim or property damage claim against you. In personal injury claims, general liability insurance will reimburse or cover the medical expenses of the aggrieved client. On other hand, this will refund the client on your behalf in property damage claims.
There’s more to general liability insurance than meets the eye. You can decide to add optional policies so that it doesn’t only cover the personal injury claim or property damage claim a client made. Common optional policies in the general liability insurance for balloon decorators are:
Products and completed operations coverage-Products and completed operations coverage will cover costs if a client decides to sue long after you completely delivered your services or a product such as a hot air balloon or bounce house
Advertising injury coverage-Advertising injury coverage will cover expenses if you’re sued for copyright infringement, slander, libel, and defamation
Rented premises liability coverage-Rented premises liability coverage will refund the property owner on your behalf if the space you’re renting and using for commercial purposes gets destroyed by a fire
General liability insurance for balloon decorators will have a $1 million-$2 million per occurrence limit. This is the recommended amount of general liability insurance you must have. But note that, you can also find carriers selling general liability insurance for balloon decorators having a $300,000-$500,000 per occurrence limit.
A client can’t only sue you for personal injuries or property damage resulting from an accident. You can also face a lawsuit for committing acts that violate the standards of your profession. In connection, professional liability insurance covers this peril.
Professional liability insurance for balloon business covers costs if an employee sues and accuses you of causing economic or financial losses by committing any of the following:
Negligence
Violation of good faith
Violation of fair dealing
Missed deadlines
Breach of confidentiality
Other acts considered errors and omissions
Professional liability insurance provides $1 million-$2 million insurance money you can use to cover settlements, administrative costs, attorney fees, and other legal expenses
Just to give you one quick clarification, know that professional liability insurance for balloon artists is also called professional indemnity insurance or errors and omissions insurance.
We recommend you get occurrence professional liability insurance. An occurrence professional liability insurance provides coverage for a peril regardless if it has expired. What’s important is that the peril took place while the terms of the insurance were active.
Public liability insurance works the same way as general liability insurance. It also covers personal injury claims and property damage claims. But note that it doesn’t offer optional policies. Public liability insurance provides $1 million-$2 million coverage for personal injury claims and property damage claims.
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Your balloon business insurance plan can be added with commercial property insurance provided that you’re renting, leasing, or owning a commercial space used as an office and storage for equipment. If you’re a balloon artist operating from home, then there’s no need for this.
So what does commercial property insurance actually do? This insurance primarily functions to:
Cover repair expenses or reimburse the value of broken structures if the commercial space you own,rent, or lease becomes damaged
Pay for reconstruction or recoup lost investments if the commercial space you rent, lease, or own as a balloon artist is destroyed
Now let’s talk about the perils covered. Commercial property insurance will give you funds if something happens to the commercial space as caused by fire, theft, vandalism, weather, or other covered perils. Recognize that commercial property insurance doesn’t include floods, earthquakes, and mudslides.
How much can you get from commercial property insurance anyway? Unlike general liability or professional liability insurance, there’s no set amount you can get from the policy. It all depends how much the insurance company can cover.
Additionally, commercial property insurance for balloon decorators can offer the following for more protection:
Stocks and contents coverage-Stocks and contents coverage will recover losses if the furniture in the commercial space, important documents, and balloons in the inventory become damaged or lost due to the perils we mentioned earlier
Business equipment and tools coverage-Business equipment and tools coverage will reimburse losses if specialty equipment you use as a balloon artist becomes damaged or lost due to the previously-mentioned perils
Carriers selling balloon business insurance allow you to bundle commercial property insurance and general liability insurance into a business owner’s policy. But additional perks might be provided. And so, it’s possible for you to get a BOP that doesn’t only have commercial property or general liability insurance but also workers compensation insurance, commercial auto insurance, and more.
Workers' compensation insurance is useful if you have one or more assistants. This will cover costs if something happens to them while working. Particularly, the policy pays for the following:
Medical expenses-If an employee sustains an injury or disease while working, workers compensation insurance will pay for ambulance fees, surgeries, therapies, emergency room fees, and other resulting expenses
Hospitalization-Workers compensation insurance will cover hospital bills if your assistant needs to be admitted after sustaining a work-related injury or disease
Medication-With workers compensation insurance, you can help the employee buy the prescription medicines the doctor recommends
Lost income compensation-Workers compensation covers lost income, provided that your assistant can’t work due to a work-related injury or disease. The policy does this by giving a weekly allowance equal to two-thirds or 67% of the average weekly wage. For instance, if your assistant receives $800 per week, then compensation for lost income through workers comp insurance will be $536
Death benefits-If your assistant dies due to a work-related injury or disease, workers compensation insurance will pay for his or her funeral expenses and give an allowance to dependents
Workers' compensation insurance might be required even if there are no employees - provided that you’re in a state where sole proprietors and independent professionals are required by law to get the coverage. But if the opposite is true, then get personal accident insurance.
Personal accident insurance covers hospitalization, medication, and medical expenses if an accident happens at work and you sustain an injury.
Of course, you travel from place to place as a balloon artist. If you’re using a car to reach clients and carry equipment as well as balloons, then get commercial auto insurance. Commercial auto insurance offers the following:
Auto liability coverage-If you cause an accident while driving to and from a client’s place, auto liability coverage will cover the medical expenses of injured third parties. It will also refund the properties you damaged. Auto liability coverage also pays for attorney fees, administrative costs, and other legal expenses
Physical damage coverage-Physical damage coverage is available in two forms-collision and comprehensive. Collision physical damage coverage will cover repair or replacement costs if you crashed into something while driving and the car sustained damage. On the other hand, comprehensive physical damage coverage will take care of expenses if the car you’re using for work is damaged by theft, fire, vandalism, and other covered perils
MedPay/personal injury protection-MedPay and personal injury protection cover medical expenses if you get injured after causing an accident or getting involved in an accident with your car. Purchase MedPay if you’re in a “fault state”. Get personal injury protection if you’re in a “no-fault” state
Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage-Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in commercial auto insurance will cover expenses if the driver, who caused the accident, isn’t insured or doesn’t have adequate insurance
Equipment in transit insurance will kick in if the tools you’re using to decorate balloons get lost or sustained damage during a trip. In practice, this insurance will reimburse the value of the covered pieces of equipment. Note that equipment in transit insurance doesn't cover loss or damage as caused by rollovers and malicious mischief.
Having highlighted how inevitable balloon insurance is, you are likely wondering how much balloon business insurance cost.
There are a few factors that determine how much you'll pay for the balloon business insurance. The first is how long the event you'll be performing at will be. If you are in charge of balloon art at a show, party, or corporate event, you will be getting a 1-3 days balloon business insurance policy. The latter will, on average, cost $59 for the event.
Suppose you decide on offering balloon art all year round, the average annual policy will cost you about $199 per year or $16.33 per month.
It would be prudent to mention that the costs you pay are dependent on whether you get either general liability or professional liability insurance. It would be best if you considered bundling these together into a single policy. In such a scenario, the provider will provide you with a custom quote.
Given just how specific the niche is and how varied the different balloon artists structure their business, most insurers shy from providing an umbrella quote for a balloon business. Instead, businesses within the industry are encouraged to get in touch with the insurer to get a custom quote.
By the way, here are the rates of the best balloon business insurance companies:
Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
---|---|---|---|
CoverWallet | $14.91 | $178.92 | Balloon shops and balloon business insurance quotes comparison online |
Tivly | $16 | $192 | Finding the right balloon business insurance policy for greenhorn balloon artists |
Thimble | $17 | $204 | Flexible coverage options |
Hiscox | $18.33 | $219.96 | BOP for balloon shops |
NEXT | $18.75 | $225 | Balloon rental businesses |
Stratum | Stratum doesn't publicly offer information on the cost of its balloon artist business owners policy | Stratum doesn't publicly offer information on the cost of its balloon artist business owners policy | Personalized insurance experience |
As one final recommendation, we suggest you compare quotes to get a better idea of how much your balloon business insurance will actually be. Start by clicking the “Get Quotes” button on this page.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Having highlighted the benefits of having insurance for your balloon business, here's a breakdown of the best balloon business insurance companies in the market today. Read to know their pros, cons, and rates for a $1 million general liability insurance or BOP.
Offers terrorism coverage
Manage your insurance online
Instant coverage
Customize your balloon insurance plan
Doesn’t underwrite the business insurance product it sells to balloon shops
CoverWallet doesn’t cover balloon artists or decorators. But you can use this company’s online quotes comparison platform to find companies that offer the coverage.
Note that if you’re the owner of a balloon shop, then coverage will be provided. CoverWallet offers general liability insurance, commercial property insurance, commercial auto insurance, and other business insurance products for balloon supply shops and online balloon retail stores.
Best for: Balloon shops and balloon business insurance quotes comparison online
Average cost: $14.91 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Online insurance application
Covers a wide range of businesses
Can connect you to other insurance companies
You need to talk to an agent before getting quoted
Tivly (formerly CommercialInsurance.NET) sells balloon business insurance for balloon artists and shops. Options are general liability, workers compensation, professional liability, umbrella insurance, commercial auto insurance, and more. This company also connects you with different carriers in case you’re looking for quick alternative options. Another thing is that Tivly helps you come up with a comprehensive insurance program for the best protection against exposures.
Call Tivly now to compare quotes over the phone.
Best for: Finding the right balloon business insurance policy for greenhorn balloon artists
Average cost: $16 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Fast application process
1-minute review
Ability to pause your coverage
Flexible general liability and professional liability policy options
Responsive and accessible mobile application for policy management
Month, daily, and even hourly coverage is available
No 24/7 customer support
Customer support is only available online
Claims can only be filed via email or the phone
Thimble Insurance was founded in 2016 by a group of independent brokers with the sole goal of meeting the needs of drone owners. With time, the company has grown to become a leading insurer with a reputation for offering innovative insurance products to meet the unique needs of clients. Balloon business insurance is one of its specialty products offered as part of its event insurance package.
For the balloon business insurance, you have the option of either a $1 million or $2 million policy. As the policyholder, you will choose the policy based on the amount you want to insure against.
If you were to book a gig out of the blues, you can take advantage of Thimble's episodic insurance coverage. This revolutionary form of on-demand coverage comes in handy when you need coverage for just the gig because traditional insurance coverage couldn't meet your needs.
The policy starts at $5 a day with a $0 deductible ad $ 1 million in coverage. You could also decide to bundle Thimble's general liability insurance, which starts at $17 per month, with the insurer's BOP cover, which charges $42 per month.
Thimble will generate a free quote, sell a policy, and offer a certificate of insurance (COI) online. This comes in handy if you get a last-minute call as a replacement at an event. Note that you can download a COI up to 6 months in advance to the date.
Suppose the gig gets canceled, you can cancel the balloon business insurance policy too without incurring any penalties, even if you cancel the policy an hour before the coverage comes to effect.
Further, consider a situation where your equipment gets damaged. Since Thimble only offers you general liability insurance, this will not cover damages done to a client's or third-party's property. If you need protection for your equipment or your work-related vehicle, you are going to need to purchase both a commercial property policy and an auto insurance policy.
To get balloon business insurance from Thimble, all you need is the Thimble application. You will then provide some information about your business and the location of the event. You will then be required to choose between the hourly, daily, or monthly policy. A quote will then be generated for you, and once you make a purchase, you receive your COI immediately.
Best for: Flexible coverage options
Average cost: $17 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Coverage available in over 40 states
Stratum Insurance Agency LLC takes on smaller businesses with small accounts
You can purchase balloon business insurance online
You can make changes to your policy at any time
Customizable policy options available to fit your specific business needs
The agency's principal is a member of the Professional Liability Underwriting Society
A total of 10 states, including Washington, DC, are not eligible for balloon business insurance
Stratum Insurance Agency LLC, founded in 2004, is an exceptional insurer for your balloon business as they offer you an outstanding balance between price and coverage. Their specialty product for the balloon business, balloon artists, and balloon twisters insurance policy includes general liability coverage, business personal property coverage, and business income coverage, among others. All of these are part of the Balloon Artist Business Owners Policy, which covers, for instance, someone choking on a balloon or a balloon popping and accidentally injuring someone.
What stands out most about Stratum is its independent agent style of service. As a balloon artist looking for balloon business insurance, Stratum connects you to an independent agent who will help you navigate the complicated world that is the insurance landscape.
Stratum doesn't publicly offer information on the cost of its balloon artist business owners policy. You are encouraged to get in touch via the official website or through the phone to get an exact quote on the policy.
Best for: Personalized insurance experience
Average cost: Stratum doesn't publicly offer information on the cost of its balloon artist business owners policy
Our rating: 8/10
BOP for balloon shops can be added with cyber insurance
Generous limits on its general liability policy
Worldwide coverage
Doesn’t offer commercial auto insurance for balloon shops
Hiscox underwrites balloon business insurance for balloon shops in the form of a business owner’s policy. The general liability insurance from this company provides $1 million-$2 million coverage. Business property coverage is also provided. By the way, you can decide to customize Hiscox’s BOP by adding cyber insurance.
Best for: BOP for balloon shops
Average cost: $18.33 per month
Our rating: 7/10
Live certificate of insurance
Low deductibles
Custom dedicated limits
Doesn’t underwrite a specialized insurance for balloon businesses
NEXT doesn’t sell balloon business insurance for decorators. However, if you’re a balloon business, then you can get insured through the company’s bounce house and inflatable party rental equipment insurance plan. Coverage options are general liability insurance, workers compensation insurance, commercial property insurance, and equipment and tools coverage.
Best for: Balloon rental businesses
Average cost: $18.75 per month
Our rating: 7/10
Use anyone except Employers. Period. They are non-transparent and shameful. After I complained long enough to warrant a call from a supervisor, the supervisor called back from a PRIVATE NUMBER (no caller ID), left a message that they are not reversing their decision (without any communication with me), and failed to leave a phone number for me to call back. She was hiding! They also fact find via email and phone calls, which is terrific for speed and communication. However, after setting a precedence of email or phone calls, they send time sensitive information via email, without any heads up... they are hoping you miss it and forfeit via expiration. Evil policies. Go elsewhere.
This place is an absolute joke of a company and should be ashamed of the way they conduct business. I was hurt on the job at the end of July and it took them just shy of 7 weeks to issue out a paycheck to me. Yes the amount was back dated but still. Not many have the luxury of not receiving a paycheck for almost 2 months. To top it all off, the original adjuster marked me down for the wrong state which caused a problem from the get go, I've had 3 different adjusters now since each one can't seem to figure out the simplicity of my claim. All my paperwork which includes, my job, house, and drs visits all are from the same state and city but yet some how I have been filed under a completely different state 1500 miles away. They do not answer your phone calls or emails no matter how many you leave. I've had to escalate my frustrations to the supervisors of each of these individuals in order to even get some kind of response. I've had more communication and information given to me about my claim from the customer service representatives then the actual adjusters.......... please tell me how that works?! A serious overhaul needs to happen here in order to serve your clients the way they deserve to be taken care of. 10/10 do not recommend this company to a single soul on earth
I have never had the displeasure of working with a more incompetent and disrespectful person in my life. I’m an injured worker and the adjuster that was assigned to my case was named Carrie Furgeson. In the past 6 weeks that I’ve been injured and out of work I have only been able to get ahold of her twice, not for lack of trying. I have left countless voicemails, countless emails, and she ignores them all. When I am finally able to get ahold of her I’m greeted with terrible customer service. She is rude, she talks over me and I’m hardly able to get a word in edgewise. She spelled my name wrong on my documents even after I spelled it for her properly countless times, this caused a whole new issue with my bank. I have bill collectors from the hospital calling me demanding payment and Carrie Furgeson won’t do a single thing to help, or to get them paid. All of my documentation is in Colorado, my job is in Colorado, my address is in Colorado, all my Dr offices and appointments have been in Colorado and Carrie still managed to hold my claim because she wasn’t sure what state she needed to file it under. It’s been 6 weeks since my Injury and my company still hasn’t received the wage paperwork to fill out so they can get me my correct wages. When she’s not ignoring me she’s answering my questions with “I don’t know” well I don’t know how she got this job, because apparently she doesn’t know anything about it. She is a disgusting morose individual inside and out and I genuinely wish her the worst in all of her future endeavors. I highly recommend you don’t use this company. Please if you are a business owner and your looking into this company please don’t use them. I’m sure they have the cheapest payment and that’s why companies use them in the first place, but you will be doing your employees a grave disservice by forcing them to venture into this absolute dumpster fire of a company. I would rate 0/5 if possible but 1 was the lowest I was allowed.
Their general liability insurance purchase process is simply the best online experience I've ever had in my life!
As long as they cover your line of business, you're literally covered! best rates, best coverage, best online experience, best professionals, can't be happier that I chose them!