A guide to insurance for mobile beauty therapists

Setting up a mobile beauty business can be an exciting endeavour, but it's important not to overlook the slightly less glamorous aspects, such as insurance. Having the right mobile beauty therapist insurance is essential in protecting you and your business against any potentially costly claims.

Not having a fixed business location is part and parcel of being an independent beauty professional. Some of the key benefits include lower overheads and getting to work where your clients feel most at home (quite literally!). However, it can make getting the right business insurance seem like a complex task.

Here at Solo, we empower freelancers to take control of their business and offer clients bookings in a salon, treatment room, or at-home. We have partnered with business insurance provider, Superscript, to bring you just the cover you need.

​​We asked the insurance experts at Superscript to give us the low-down on business insurance for mobile beauty therapists.

Why is insurance important?

Put simply, having suitable insurance can make it possible to financially recover from an unfortunate situation which might otherwise be unaffordable for your business. It’s recommended to have a minimum of £1 million in public liability cover. For good reason – public liability can mean the difference between being able to recover quickly or potentially facing huge financial difficulties if a client makes a claim against you.

Types of business insurance

Business insurance is an umbrella term that encompasses a number of different covers to protect a business. As a business owner, you have the freedom to choose which covers you need, based on the risks your business faces. Let’s take a look at the types of cover available.

Public liability insurance

Public liability insurance is one of the most popular policies for small businesses in the UK. It’s also the one cover which is highly recommended for professionals using Solo. It’s a cover that’s designed to protect you in the event a client or member of the public (anyone who doesn’t work with or for you) makes a claim against your business due to injury or damage to their property. You can generally choose a limit of cover to suit your needs. We recommend a minimum limit of £1 million which is the lowest limit that’s generally available with insurance providers.

Employers’ liability insurance

A legal requirement in the UK for any business with one or more employees. This is designed to protect a business in the event that an employee makes a claim against them for injury. 

Medical malpractice insurance

If you’re a healthcare professional or allied health professional, medical malpractice cover is designed to cover the work you do while practising. Superscript's product covers legal and compensation costs in relation to negligence causing accidents, such as injury and property damage.   

Business equipment cover 

Exactly what it’s called! Business equipment cover is generally taken out by businesses that have equipment that’s expensive to replace. Whether accidentally damaged or stolen, it’s there to get you back on your feet as quickly as possible. 

Personal accident cover 

Designed to pay a sum (£2,000 or £5,000) if someone working for your business suffers an accident at work which is either fatal or under specific circumstances leaves them unable to work.

Cyber insurance

Covers your liabilities around processing data (e.g. client payments, personal information). A few examples of what Superscript's cyber product covers: 

• System outage, e.g. being unable to access your Gmail account due to a phishing attack 
• Data breach, e.g. your client information, which could result in a fine and data restoration costs
• Reputational damage from negative use of your media assets

Factors to consider

Remember, once you’ve got insurance there are still steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of a tricky claim. We’ve listed a few simple ways you can protect your business below: 

Client consent forms

A little admin can go a long way. Client consent forms are a must. Without a signed consultation agreement, you may find your insurance won’t cover you if a client makes a claim for an injury due to your treatment.

If an incident happens

Record everything. Be sure to make a detailed record of important details like dates, documents, receipts, police reports and any communication between you, your insurer and the client involved. 

Bear in mind that during the claims process it’s important to work with your insurer and to avoid admitting to being at fault, unless you’ve been cleared to do so by your insurer. 

Day-to-day

Accidents happen, but here are a few small things you can do when entering a client’s home to reduce the likelihood of a claim against you:

• When a client books a treatment, check that any patch tests have been performed within the required timeframe. This is currently every six months rather than 12 months, as it was in the past. It’s important to make sure you’re performing patch tests for each specific treatment. 
• Take a moment. As soon as you enter your clients’ home, take a few minutes to take in your surroundings and quickly assess any risks. Think narrow hallways to haul your equipment through, obtrusive furniture, objects on the floor. 
• Shoes off! Hygiene aside, you don’t want to accidentally soil a client’s pristine carpets. Alternatively, you can purchase shoe covers or special indoor shoes to keep your client’s floors clean.
• Give yourself space. Once you’ve arrived in the treatment area, work with your client to ensure you have enough space to work comfortably and safely. 
• Protect surfaces. If you’re going to place your products on clients’ furniture, make sure you have something protective beneath. Think towels, heatproof mats or a waterproof table cloth. The last thing you want is an expensive piece of woodwork to replace.
• Take precautions. Ever had an explosive bottle squirt all over a clean white shirt? Some pumps are just prone to doing this, so if you’re working with a new bottle, it’s best to test its mechanism away from your clients’ white walls!  

Get me covered!

Our business insurance partner, Superscript, offers customisable cover for Solo therapists. Visit their dedicated page to get started, where you’ll be guided through your cover options and receive 20% off your policy! 

About Superscript

Superscript provides month-to-month cover that you can adjust or cancel on a monthly basis. Their cover is rated 4.8 stars on Trustpilot and an online quote and cover takes just 10 minutes. Once you have cover, you also get instant access to your insurance documents online.