The External Financial Threats Small Businesses Face

by Magical Penny on May 2, 2019

Try as you might, there’s no getting away from some external threats in business.

It’s okay for large businesses as they have a plethora of legal teams ready and waiting to take on any new case. However for small businesses you’re kind of on your own and thus you have to pick and choose your battles more carefully. It’s highly unlikely that any small business will never face some kind of financial threat that comes directly from the outside. No matter how well you plan, how well you execute a project, there will always be something that could be used against you. Clients may turn on you as well as customers and try to take you to court over any kind of liability claim. You rivals could undercut you and present to the world a cheaper product that has actually been modelled using some of your designs. Local authorities also pose somewhat of a threat as if you don’t comply with the local laws such as zoning, planning and building permission then you may also be taken to court. But, is there any way to create a buffer zone between your business and these threats?

Devil’s in the detail

It’s not common but it’s also not uncommon for a client relationship to turn sour. Usually, all the creases are ironed out in the beginning. Yet, if the contract you both agree to is not properly read and accepted by both parties, it could turn nasty down the line. For example, the fine print will always go into detail about the numbers and the methodology that will need to be applied by a certain or both parties. This could be in the way of agreeing to produce a particular amount of products in the manufacturing factory or perhaps correlating market price drops into the pricing strategy as and when needed. You should try everything you can to avoid having the tables turned on you by a client and that means insuring the agreement.

Take a look at a contractual liability insurance policy that can back up the agreement you have signed. However this can only be attached if both parties agree to these terms. Yet, any company that doesn’t want to enter into a contract that is insured is most likely not even worth your time. Sometimes a contractual liability insurance policy will have some exemptions. There may be some inherent leeway which may not offer protection against the key part that you wish to insure. Therefore you’ll need to find a policy that fits your needs or essentially hire a team that will forge the contract exactly to your liking. Again, the client also needs to agree to this so be weary of their disagreements.

A stand alone risk

Working for yourself is truly liberating. You’re not bound by any company lurking over you and you’re in charge of your professional life. This is why many people who find a passion outside of their normal work, tend to head off in their own direction. Setting up a business, they begin to be their own boss and take on new challenges for the first time. As ever this not fraught without risk. For example if you’re a personal trainer you are truly an independent trader. You’re using your skills to help clients become better physically and that has its own stand alone risks. For example, they might break your equipment by improper usage. Maybe they didn’t listen to your instructions and they break something that’s worth a few hundred dollars. To prepare yourself for this and not make a loss ready these Personal training insurance reviews.

Other risks that you might run into are when a client claims sexual harassment. Personal training is all about working with a client and helping them workout. Inevitably, this means touching them in order to maintain proper posture and range of movement. Unfortunately, some people see this as an opportunity to bring a business owner down while benefiting themselves. Other risks are the stereotypical claims of professional negligence which many small business owners have put against them. This kind of insurance saves you from having massive financial holes punched through your business.

There are plenty of internal threats to your business and external threats just add to the headache of running a business. However if you take the proper precautions you can save so much money. Be aware of some clients that do not live up to their end of the contract, and attach an insurance policy to the contract to avoid this happening without repercussions. If you work for yourself in a singular capacity, then insurance plans for your occupation of industry are great idea too.

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