Those in the realty business say location is everything. Whether you are buying or selling, a good location always commands a good price. When you apply this to the insurance industry, location is also a vital part of the assessment of risk. Excluding California which had the wisdom to exclude the use of zip codes in calculating auto insurance premiums, almost all the other states allow insurers to price risk based on where you and your vehicle live. If this is a high-crime area where vehicles are more routinely stolen or vandalised, and there is a higher than average number of traffic accidents, the premiums will reflect the higher risks. This will be so even though you are a driver with long exprience and no claims history. When it comes to business insurance, the same principles apply, but the detail is slightly different.

When you are planning a new business or making one of your routine assessments of the prevailing risks, one of the key decisions is the value of the liability coverage you put in place. Although there are some types of liability policy specific to areas of business or trade, the majority of the general commercial policies offer coverage against the risk of injury to employees and third parties who are injured by the way the business is run. Because the cost of medical treatment has been rising faster than inflation over the last five years, premiums have also been rising fast. When you add in the risk of having to pay incidental and consequential damages for losses flowing from the injuries, the total value of coverage may have to be quite significant, particularly if the net worth of people using your business may make them expensive to injure. So where does this leave the assessment of your business location(s)?

Central city areas often have a higher crime rate than suburbs. This can put employees and customers at a higher risk of violent assault, but the more usual reason for premium hikes is the level of petty crime. The rate will also rise if you occupy older premises which represent a fire hazard either because of building materials or a lack of easy escape routes. Look carefully at what your neighbors are doing. If their businesses have a higher fire risk, e.g. as dry cleaners, they produce fumes, your own rates will be high. If there is traffic congestion, how long will it take emergency services to arrive when you call 911? Are there fire hydrants nearby? Where is the nearest emergency room? If you lease your premises, what are the minimum amounts of coverage required and are there covenants for you to insure common parts, the parking lots, etc? There are so many different factors to take into account.

This is something to discuss with your existing insurer or agent. Remember what may look good, e.g. a waterfront location, may come with a flood risk or some other threat that is not so obvious. It may save you a lot of money in premiums if you move to a different location. As always, you should get the maximum possible number of business insurance quotes. If there is any doubt at all, always hold a discussion on site to discuss the detail of the location risks. It is not enough to rely on the business insurance quotes alone. You should always negotiate to get the best terms.