Hair will not stop growing, and people will always want to make it look beautiful and neat. That’s why it’s safe to say that personal care businesses will continue to thrive.
However, just like any other business, hair salons and barber shops face exposures. And so, insurance companies offer tailored barber shop insurance and hair salon insurance as protection. Our discussion will provide all you need to know about these. Know the policies included, the cost of premiums, the best insurance companies, and more.
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Why Do Barber Shops and Hair Salons Need Insurance?
Hair salons and barbershops face a lot of risks and insurance can help reduce the resulting losses to zero. Examples of risks that threaten the income-generating ventures of hair salons and barber shops are:
Injuries to Third Parties
Barber shops and hair salons use dangerous tools that can cause serious damage in the wrong hands. Clippers, razor-sharp scissors, straight razors, hair irons, and various dyeing chemicals can all cause cuts, scrapes, burns, or result in hair loss if they’re not used properly.
Damage to Property
While providing a service, a hair salon or barber shop might cause damage to a client’s property. It’s also possible for their own physical assets to get damaged. Hair salon and barber shop business insurance will reimburse the cost of damaged property on your behalf.
Lawsuits
Someone might take legal action against your business. Tailored barber shop and hair salon insurance include policies that will pay for the attorney fees, other legal costs, and compensatory payments the court orders.
Employee Injuries
Hair salon and barber shop employees might experience work-related injuries. Tailored insurance for barber shops and hair salons include an insurance policy that will take care of injured employees on your behalf.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Hair Salon and Barber Liability Insurance
Liability insurance is one of the most common insurance you’ll see offered in barber shop and hair salon insurance quotes. Barber and hair salon liability insurance come in different types. However, the ones offering the best first line of defense against exposures are:
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General liability insurance
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Public Liability Insurance
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Professional liability insurance
General Liability Insurance for Barber Shops and Hair Salons
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
| Products and completed operations aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Advertising injury coverage aggregate limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Tenant’s legal liability coverage limit | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | $5,000 | $100,000 |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Included | Excluded |
| Hired/non-owned auto liability coverage included? | Yes | No | Excluded | Excluded |
| Equipment breakdown floater included? | No | Yes | Yes | Excluded |
| Can you get a certificate of insurance online? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Deductible | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
General liability insurance is the liability insurance policy that provides primary protection for your business against:
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Third-party personal injuries – A client suddenly twitched while an employee is cutting her hair with a razor. As a result, the razor slipped and cut the client’s ear. In this situation, general liability insurance covers the medical treatment of the injured client. It will also pay for attorney fees, and other legal costs if the client decides to take legal action
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Third-party property damage – An employee spilled dye on a client’s leather strapped watch. The leather strap is a high-end piece imported from France, it’s very expensive. The client demands your business reimburse the value of his soiled watch strap. In this situation, general liability insurance will pay the client on your behalf. It will also cover fees if legal action is taken
Use the table above to compare the quotes of general liability insurance from companies that provide comprehensive coverage for barbers and hairstylists.
Note that bodily injuries and property damage aren’t the only perils general liability insurance takes care of. General liability insurance has the following add-ons that provide more protection for your business:
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Advertising injury coverage
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Rented premises liability coverage
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Products and completed operations coverage
Someone might file a claim because a hair salon or barber shop committed advertising or reputational harm. This is a peril that advertising injury coverage protects you against. Advertising injury coverage will cover attorney fees, compensatory payments the court orders, and other legal costs if a client files a claim for:
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Slander
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Libel
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False advertising
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Copyright infringement
Are you leasing or renting a commercial space to run a hair salon or barber shop? If this is the case, rented premises liability coverage is useful. Rented premises liability coverage will kick in if fire damages the commercial space you’re renting. In practice, it will shoulder expenses on your behalf if the property owner files a claim.
Finally, products and completed operations coverage will cover personal injuries or property damage a completed service caused. This insurance will help if a past client demands compensation from your business.
Hair Salon and Barber Public Liability Insurance
Public liability insurance works the same way as general liability insurance – take care of personal injury claims and property damage claims against your business. However, compared to general liability, the protection public liability insurance provides is very limited. It’s because this can’t be added with advertising injury coverage, and other add-ons we discussed earlier.
Professional Liability Insurance for Barber Shops and Hair Salons
| CoverWallet | NEXT | Thimble (Best) | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per occurrence limit | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $1,000,000/$2,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| Name additional insureds? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Waiver of subrogation included? | Yes | No | Yes | Can be included |
| HIPAA coverage included? | No | No | No | No |
| Sexual misconduct coverage included? | No | No | No | No |
| License defense coverage included? | No | No | No | No |
| Deductible | $500 | $500 | $500 | $50/$10,000 |
Professional liability insurance grants protection against claims for negligence, violation of good faith, violation of fair dealing, violation of confidentiality, and other issues that result from a professional service.
This insurance provides the money for settlements and legal defense expenses. Use the table above to compare the features of professional liability insurance from the recommended companies.
Other Insurance Hair Salons and Barber Shops Need
Commercial Property Insurance for Barber Shops & Hair Salons
| CoverWallet | NEXT (Best) | Thimble | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $260,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 |
| Contents coverage limit (minimum) | $50,000 | $18,000 | $25,000/$500,000 | $25,000 |
| Outdoor signs | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Accounts receivable | Excluded | Excluded | $5,000/10,000 | Included |
| Money and securities | Excluded | $2,500 | $1,000 | Included |
| Lock and keys | Excluded | $2,500 | Excluded | Excluded |
| Business interruption floater | Excluded | Included | Included | Included |
| Equipment breakdown floater | Excluded | Included | Excluded | Excluded |
| Inland marine insurance floater | Excluded | Excluded | $10,000 | Excluded |
| Employee dishonesty floater | Excluded | $5,000 | $2,500 | Included |
Commercial property insurance will cover the building you’re owning, renting, or leasing. It provides help in two ways:
- Reimburse your losses if the commercial building is destroyed by fire, extreme weather, and other related events
- Reimburse your losses if the commercial building is destroyed by fire, extreme weather, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils
Use the table above to compare the commercial property insurance of the recommended insurance companies.
Commercial property insurance for barber shops and hair salons has stocks and contents coverage. What this does is pay for replacements and repair of glass panes, swivel chairs, mirrors, and other valuables that got lost or damaged due to fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils.
Additionally, business equipment and tools coverage is also included in commercial property insurance. This will reimburse your losses if fire, theft, vandalism, and other covered perils cause the loss or damage of scissor sets, razors, shears, shampoo bowls, dryers, steamers, and other related items.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance for Hair Salons and Barber Shops
Employees working in barber shops and salons commonly experience cuts, scalding, burns, and rashes. Sometimes, they also contract hepatitis and blood-borne infections. If you employ one or more people in your barber shop and hair salon, then you’ll need to purchase workers’ compensation insurance.
Workers’ compensation insurance will help if an employee suffers from a work-related injury or disease. This type of haircut insurance will pay for treatment, rehabilitation, hospitalization, and lost income compensation. Lost income compensation will be equal to two-thirds or 67% of the average weekly wage. This means that if the employee earns $1,323 per week, compensation for lost income will be $886.41
In case of death, workers’ compensation insurance will provide death benefits to the dependents of the employee. Death benefits come in the form of payment for funeral expenses and a weekly allowance equal to 67% of the dead employee’s average weekly wage.
Employee Dishonesty Insurance
Crimes committed by an employee will surely result in financial losses. This is why insurance companies offer employee dishonesty insurance for barber shops and hair salons. Employee dishonesty insurance will cover losses if an employee or group of employees commit the following against your business.
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Social engineering
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Misappropriation
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Unauthorized use of business funds
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Destruction or theft of money and securities
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Forgery
Employer’s Liability Insurance
Your employee might sue for negligence after experiencing a work-related injury or disease, and employer’s liability insurance will take care of this. In practice, this will help by taking care of attorney fees, the amount of compensation the court ordered, and other legal costs.
An employee might also sue your hair salon and barber shop for sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and discrimination. Employer’s liability insurance doesn’t cover this. Instead, what provides protection is employment practices liability insurance, which also shoulders legal expenses on your behalf.
Hair Stylist Insurance
Insurance companies offer tailored hairstylist insurance. Just like insurance for barber shops and salons, the protection this insurance provides begins with liability insurance policies.
Hair Stylist Liability Insurance
General Liability Insurance for Hair Stylist
Hairstylist general liability insurance covers third-party personal injuries and property damage. It pays for compensatory payments, attorney fees, and other legal costs on your behalf. Add-ons are products and completed operations. There’s also rented premises liability coverage that’s a very useful insurance for hairdressers renting a chair.
Professional Liability Insurance for Hairstylist
Professional liability insurance policy will cover you if a client files a claim because you committed a mistake or any other related acts. Here are situations where this applies:
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You’ve mistakenly given a client the wrong haircut
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You disregarded the instruction of the client and caused injuries
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You were not paying attention while working and cut the client’s cheek, face, or scalp with a scissor or razor
It’s easy to understand which situations professional liability insurance works. All that you need to remember is that this inclusion in independent hair stylist insurance kicks in whenever your business committed or allegedly committed negligence, misrepresentation, violation of good faith and fair dealing, and other acts considered errors and omissions.
Hairdressing Salon Insurance
Hairdressing salon insurance offers general liability and professional liability insurance. You can also decide to add commercial property insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. Some insurance companies offering this tailored coverage also include product liability insurance, which will cover expenses if a client sues your hairdressing salon for selling defective and substandard products.
Mobile Barber Insurance
Mobile barber insurance is a tailored coverage for barbers who own a mobile barber shop and go to clients’ places to provide a service. This one also offers general liability and professional liability insurance. However, what makes this different from the usual barber shop insurance is that commercial auto insurance is included in its terms.
Commercial auto insurance is a coverage for the vehicle you’re using as a mobile barber to visit clients, transport equipment, etc. It offers the following types of protection:
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Auto liability coverage
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Physical damage coverage
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Medical payments/personal injury protection
Vehicular accidents happen and it’s possible for you to be the one at fault. Upon causing an accident, it’s your duty to pay for the medical treatment of injured third parties. You also need to reimburse individuals who had their property damaged. In connection, auto liability coverage will help by paying for such expenses on your behalf. This will also pay for attorney fees and other related costs if an aggrieved party decides to take legal action against you.
Auto liability coverage doesn’t cover your treatment if you got injured in a vehicular accident. This is where medical payments coverage/personal injury protection kicks in. Personal injury protection covers your treatment and medication. The same is also true for medical payments coverage but it includes compensation for lost income. PIP is available if you’re in a no-fault state. On the other hand, medical payments coverage is available if you’re in a state that doesn’t adopt “no-fault” auto liability legal principles.
Physical damage coverage ensures that the vehicle you’re using as a mobile barber stays in tip-top shape. This has two types:
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Collision physical damage coverage – Collision physical damage coverage will cover parts repair or replacement if the vehicle you’re using as a mobile barber incurred damage after crashing into an object or another vehicle on the road
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Comprehensive physical damage coverage – Fire, extreme weather, vandalism, theft, and other covered perils might result in the loss or damage of your commercial vehicle. In this case, comprehensive physical damage coverage will cover parts repair or replacement. Remember though that comprehensive physical damage coverage won’t repair your vehicle if it’s stolen. It won’t also cover damage to aftermarket vehicle parts just like collision physical damage coverage.
BOP for Barber Shops, Hair Salons, & Hairdressers
| CoverWallet | Thimble | NEXT (Best) | Hiscox | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General liability aggregate limit | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 | $300,000/$2,000,000 |
| Commercial property insurance coverage limit | $50,000 | $500,000 | $260,000 | $25,000 |
| Optional policies can be added? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Name additional insureds for free? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| BOP discount? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Business Owners Policy (BOP) is a combination of different types of policies that your business needs. The way this insurance works is simple to understand; it combines general liability insurance and commercial property insurance and then offers additional inclusions such as workers’ compensation insurance, professional liability insurance, commercial property insurance, etc.
Use the table above to compare the business owner’s policy of the recommended insurance companies.
Help others make better decisions
Hair Salon and Barber Shop Insurance Cost
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Insurance for barber shops cost $64 per month or $768 per year for $1 million general liability insurance. When figuring out premiums, insurance companies look into claims history, number of customers, revenue, location, business history, and other factors.
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Hair salon insurance cost is $75 per month or $900 per year for $1 million general liability insurance. Your actual rate will vary based on factors such as claims history, business history, the types of services offered, number of employees, revenue, location, and more.
So that you’ll get a firmer grip on the cost of premiums, we’ve made a table showing the cost of the $1 million general liability insurance of the best salon insurance and best barber insurance companies:
| Cost per Month | Cost per Year | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEXT | $8 | $96 | Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for barbers and hairstylists |
| CoverWallet | $17 | $204 | Hair salon, barber shop, and beauty salon insurance quotes comparison online |
| Tivly | $19 | $228 | Comparing barber shop insurance quotes over the phone |
| Thimble | $25 | $300 | Short-term hairstylist insurance |
| Hiscox | $34 | $408 | Barber and hairstylist insurance with automatic policy renewal |
Hair Stylist Insurance Cost
Hairstylist insurance cost $20.83 per month or $250 per year for $1 million general liability insurance. Factors that affect pricing are location, annual revenue, claims history, and more.
Get all the best quotes from leading providers in a click of a button!
Best Barber Shop, Hair Salon, and Hairstylist Insurance Companies
Get the best barbershop insurance coverage by only working with the best carriers. Here are some reviews talking about the pros, cons, and the pricing of the top carriers for $1 million general liability coverage.
NEXT Barber and Hairstylist Insurance
Pros
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Best overall
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Get an online proof of insurance and send as a text message, email, or social media post
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Fastest general liability insurance for barbers and hairstylists
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Great customer service and reputation
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Issues an online proof of insurance instantly
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Outstanding value for money
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Bundle two or more insurance policies and get a 10% discount
Cons
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Couldn’t find any
NEXT offers tailored insurance for independent barbers and hairstylists. But still, shops and salons are catered also. Coverage options are general liability insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, professional liability insurance, commercial auto insurance, and commercial property insurance.
Best for: Best overall; Fastest general liability insurance for barbers and hairstylists
Average cost: $8 per month
Our rating: 10/10
CoverWallet Barber Shop, Hair Salon, and Beauty Salon Insurance
Pros
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Has an online quotes comparison platform for an informed buying decision
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Insures you instantly online
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Cancel your policy anytime
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View the status of your insurance policies via the MyCoverWallet website or app
Cons
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An insurance broker – sells the barber shop, hair salon, and beauty salon insurance of its partners
CoverWallet offers tailored barber, hair and beauty salon insurance. You have four insurance options to choose from – general liability with products and completed operations, general liability and commercial property insurance (bundle these in a BOP), business owner’s policy with workers compensation insurance, and a custom plan.
We suggest you go for the custom plan for the best coverage. The custom plan allows you to get commercial auto insurance, employee dishonesty insurance, employment practices liability insurance, professional liability insurance, and other products CoverWallet offers.
You’ll enjoy many perks with CoverWallet. This company insures you instantly and there’s no need to talk with an insurance agent. Upon purchasing insurance, you can then use the MyCoverWallet app or website to check the status of your insurance policies, pay premiums, and get proof of insurance online.
By the way, CoverWallet is also helpful even if you’re just looking for options. This company’s website has an insurance quotes comparison platform you can use to find carriers that offer comprehensive coverage for barbers, hair salons, and beauty salons at the most reasonable price.
Best for: Hair salon, barber shop, and beauty salon insurance quotes comparison online
Average cost: $17 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Tivly Barber Shop Insurance
Pros
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Responsive customer service
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Compare barber shop insurance quotes over the phone
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A partner of many reputable insurance companies
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Has online resources that help you understand the ins and outs of business insurance
Cons
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You need to call to get a quote
Tivly (formerly CommercialInsurance.NET) sells general liability insurance, professional liability, business interruption insurance, and commercial property insurance for barbers. The specifics of your coverage will be discussed by a representative. And to get covered, you need to call Tivly now and compare barber shop insurance quotes over the phone.
Best for: Comparing barber shop insurance quotes over the phone
Average cost: $19 per month
Our rating: 10/10
Thimble Hair Stylist, Barber Shop, and Hairdresser Insurance
Pros
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Offers tailored barber shop insurance and hairstylist insurance
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You can choose not to have any deductible
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Get an instant ACORD proof of insurance
Cons
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Doesn’t offer commercial auto insurance for barber shops and hairstylists
Thimble offers tailored hairstylist and barber shop insurance. The table below outlines the features each:
| Inclusions | |
|---|---|
| Barber Shop Insurance | General liability insurance, professional liability insurance, commercial property insurance, and business interruption insurance. You can also opt to get a business owner’s policy. |
| Hairstylist Insurance | General liability insurance and professional liability insurance. You can decide to get this tailored insurance as a short-term policy that lasts for hours, days, weeks, or months. |
Best for: Short-term hairstylist and barber insurance
Average cost: $25 per month
Our rating: 9/10
Hiscox Hairstylist, Hairdresser, and Barber Insurance
Pros
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Offers hefty liability coverage for barbers, hairdressers, and hairstylists
Cons
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Has a lot of customer complaints
Hiscox offers liability policies having more than $2 million coverage for barbers, hairdressers, and hairstylists. This company’s tailored insurance suits the needs of shops, salons, and independent hair service professionals. Note that Hiscox takes pride in its in-house risk management consultants that will help you find the most efficient ways to reduce exposures and save costs on premiums.
Best for: Barber and hairstylist insurance with automatic policy renewal
Average cost: $34 per month
Our rating: 7/10
Frequently Asked Questions
What Insurance Does an Independent Barber Need?
If you cut and style hair on your own, there’s no need to get a lot of insurance policies. You only need to choose between public liability insurance or general liability insurance, and then get commercial property insurance.
What Insurance Does a Barber Shop/Hair Salon Need?
If you own your own barber shop or hair salon, make sure that your tailored barber shop or hair salon insurance has all the useful insurance policies applicable to the exposures your business faces. Usually, what you’ll need to have are general liability coverage, commercial property insurance, workers’ compensation insurance, and professional liability insurance.
Compare Quotes, Find the Best Coverage
Always do your research before getting covered. By doing so, you’ll have a solid understanding of the pricing and the coverage options available, and this will help you avoid carriers only out for their customers’ money. The best way to research is to compare quotes. Start here by clicking the “Get Quotes” button. After doing so, you’ll then receive the barber shop, hairstylist, and hair salon insurance quotes of the most recommended carriers.
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