Insurance for yoga and Pilates teachers

Why do yoga & Pilates teachers need professional insurance?

There’s a whole lot of bending, flexing and stretching going on out there. Not just bodies, but minds too.

The trouble with exercise, though, is that people sometimes get hurt. All it takes is one bad move, or a stretch too far, and muscle strain, ligament trouble and back problems can follow.

That’s when the finger pointing can start – because people are sometimes quick to pin the blame for their pain on ‘bad tuition’ from their teacher. And that’s especially so if they say they can’t work because of it.

And don’t forget there are other mishaps waiting to happen when exercise is involved. Like unintentional collisions or accidents with equipment.

That’s why it’s best to be prepared, and why our professional insurance package can help. It provides the legal muscle to fight your corner and takes care of any compensation.

So that’s peace of mind sorted in one easy move.

How much treatment and public liability insurance do I need?

These policies protect your business, no one else’s. And since it’s you who knows your business best, you’re the one best-placed to decide on the right level of cover.

A good starting point is to think about what you do, how you do it, and what could go wrong. How many people do you teach and where do you teach them? What’s the worst that could happen or the most expensive mistake you could make (or be accused of making)?

Bear in mind that your legal defence can cost many tens of thousands of pounds... and that’s before the compensation bill from your client rolls in. Your level of cover has to be enough to take care of the lot – so really, you can’t ever have too much.

What does treatment and public liability insurance cover?

Treatment and public liability insurance provides cover for mistakes you make in the course of your work and any accidental mishaps involving members of the public. It protects you in two ways:

Malpractice: covers physical or mental injury, illness or death of clients caused by your negligence or error. Like recommending some exercises that aren’t suitable for a client, leading to an injury.

Public liability: covers physical damage and injuries caused by your business or the products you supply. Like a client slipping on a wet floor in your yoga studio and being injured.

Why do I need public liability insurance?

Because it covers your business against third-party claims for injuries or property damage.

And that means you’re insured every which way – whether you’re operating out of your own home or studio, renting space elsewhere, or visiting clients in their homes.

Let’s say you’re doing a one-to-one session in a client’s home, but you underestimate the space and break a glass patio door while demonstrating a move. You’re covered. Or you leave a rolled-up yoga mat on the floor and someone trips over it, injuring themselves. Again, you’re covered.

Your public liability policy picks up the tab and pays to defend you, to fix whatever’s wrong and to compensate someone if needs be.

What else do I need?

Employers’ liability insurance covers your business if an employee sues it for damages. Claims are usually because they’ve suffered injuries and illnesses as a consequence of working for you. It’s a legal requirement for UK businesses with employees.

Office and property insurance covers the things in your office (furniture, plants, fixed IT equipment etc) and portable insurance covers gadgets and technical equipment away from the office (laptops, tablets, projectors etc). If you’re not sure it’s worth insuring, add it all up – it’s probably worth more than you think.

Business interruption insurance means you can still work when your office is out of action. Be it flood, fire or flea infestation, you’re covered for the costs of setting up elsewhere and for any lost revenue in that time.

Directors’ and officers’ insurance covers your company bosses. Anyone from regulators to shareholders to competitors can accuse you of not running a business with due care. Worse, directors are personally liable for their actions. The good thing is this insurance covers your defence costs and any compensation you have to pay. So you can put away your chequebook.

Why should I buy insurance from you?

Hmmm – good question. And one we’re very happy to answer.

Basically, we’re specialists – small business insurance is all we do – so we know our stuff.

We also pride ourselves on making the whole ‘buying insurance’ thing as quick and as painless as possible. And we’re anti-jargon, so you won’t find us spouting insurance gobbledygook.

That means you can buy simply and speedily online, or talk to one of our advisers for expert advice. They’re phone-friendly people with real knowledge – no call centres or phone menus here.

Oh, and you also get some great add-ons – like an ‘I’m insured’ badge for your website, for that professional touch. Plus, we’ll give you a cash bonus each time you recommend us.

But it’s customer feedback that really counts, so check ours out. We think it speaks for itself.