Business insurance for Capital Region owners, from one person you can call
General liability, workers' compensation, property, vehicles, professional and cyber cover — arranged by a licensed New York broker who compares carriers for you, explains what each policy actually does, and picks up the phone when something goes wrong.
A New York small business needs workers' compensation and DBL/Paid Family Leave by law from the first employee, general liability because landlords and clients require it, property coverage for what it owns, and commercial auto for its vehicles. Industry adds the rest: liquor liability for restaurants, garagekeepers for repair shops, professional liability for advisers. I place almost every line with private carriers across the Capital Region.
Coverage, explained without the jargon
Most small businesses need four or five of these. Which ones, and how much, depends on what you do — that's the conversation.
General liability
Injuries to other people and damage to their property caused by your business, your products or your work. The policy everyone asks you to show.
General liability →Workers' compensation
Required in New York the moment you have an employee. Pays medical costs and lost wages for work injuries, and protects you from being sued for them.
Workers' comp in NY →Business owners policy (BOP)
General liability and property in one package, usually with business-interruption cover, for shops, offices, restaurants and small contractors.
BOP →Commercial auto
Vehicles owned by or used for the business, including hired and employee-owned vehicles used for work.
Commercial auto →Commercial property
Your building, equipment, stock and improvements — and the income you'd lose while rebuilding.
Property →Professional liability (E&O)
Claims that your advice, design or service caused someone a financial loss. For consultants, agents, designers, IT and health professionals.
Professional liability →Cyber insurance
Data breaches, ransomware, funds-transfer fraud and the notification costs New York's SHIELD Act requires.
Cyber →Commercial umbrella
An extra layer of liability above your general liability, auto and employers' liability limits, for when a claim is bigger than the policy underneath.
Umbrella →Liquor liability
Dram Shop claims by people injured by someone you served. Excluded from general liability; required by landlords and lenders for anyone who sells alcohol.
Liquor liability →DBL & Paid Family Leave
New York's other mandatory policy, alongside workers' comp, and the enriched DBL that makes a small employer competitive.
DBL/PFL →Employment practices liability
Discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination claims, under a Human Rights Law that applies to employers of any size.
EPLI →Inland marine
Tools, equipment, cargo and installation materials: the property that lives in the truck, not the building.
Equipment →By industry
Every trade has its own gaps. These pages go through what actually goes wrong in each business and what covers it.
Restaurants & bars
Coverage guide →Contractors & trades
Coverage guide →Retail shops
Coverage guide →Salons & barbershops
Coverage guide →Landscapers
Coverage guide →Trucking & delivery
Coverage guide →Cleaning & janitorial
Coverage guide →Auto repair shops
Coverage guide →Convenience stores & gas stations
Coverage guide →Daycare & childcare
Coverage guide →Food trucks
Coverage guide →Medical & dental offices
Coverage guide →How I work with business owners
- A conversation about the business — what you do, where, with how many people, what vehicles and equipment, what contracts require. Twenty minutes, by phone or at your premises.
- Quotes from several carriers — I place each risk with the carrier whose appetite fits it, and I show you what each quote does and doesn't include, not just the premium.
- Binding and certificates — once you choose, I bind coverage and issue certificates to your landlord, clients or general contractor, usually the same day.
- One number afterwards — claims, certificates, adding a vehicle, a payroll audit, a renewal. You call me, not a call centre.
Cheapest is rarely the right policy
Two general liability quotes can differ by hundreds of dollars because one excludes the thing you actually do. I'll always tell you what an exclusion means for your business before you choose on price.
Also for your business
- Disability (DBL) and Paid Family Leave — mandatory in New York alongside workers' compensation; usually one small policy.
- Employment practices liability — claims by employees for discrimination, harassment or wrongful termination.
- Liquor liability — essential if you serve or sell alcohol (GL excludes it, and landlords and lenders usually require it); see restaurants & bars.
- Inland marine — tools and equipment that move from job to job.
- Group health and life — small-group plans and key-person coverage; ask.
Guides
- Hiring your first employee in New York — workers' comp, DBL and PFL, in order, with the contractor trap and the penalties.
- Restaurant insurance checklist before you open — lease, law, liquor liability, spoilage, delivery autos, week by week.
- Your first job for a general contractor — the certificate, additional insured endorsements, C-105.2, and the Labor Law exclusion that gets policies rejected.
I'm licensed in New York as both a property & casualty agent and broker (PC-1934647, BR-1934647). Request a quote or call — most small businesses hear back with numbers within a couple of days.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they call.
What insurance is legally required for a business in New York?
If you have any employees — including part-time and family members — New York requires workers' compensation; disability benefits (DBL) and Paid Family Leave follow shortly after (once you've had an employee on 30 days in a calendar year) and are usually set up at the same time. Vehicles owned by the business need commercial auto liability at least at the state minimum. Beyond that, most requirements come from landlords, lenders, licensing bodies and clients, who typically require general liability with themselves named as additional insured.
What does small business insurance cost?
It depends on what you do, your payroll, your revenue, your location and your claims history. A low-risk office or shop might insure for under $1,000 a year on a BOP; a restaurant or contractor with several employees will be in the thousands, with workers' compensation usually the largest line. I'll give you real numbers from several carriers rather than a range.
Do you work with new businesses?
Yes. New ventures, food trucks, first-year contractors and side businesses going full-time are a regular part of my work. I'll tell you what you need on day one and what can wait.
Can you provide a certificate of insurance quickly?
Usually the same day once the policy is in force. A certificate reflects what the policy actually says — additional-insured status or special wording has to be supported by the policy or an endorsement, which I arrange first.
Which carriers do you use?
I'm appointed with major national and regional commercial carriers and place each risk with whichever fits it best. I don't publish a list because it changes as carriers' appetites change — what matters is that I shop your business across several of them.
Let's talk it through
A phone call or a message is all it takes. The first conversation is just a conversation.
Where I work
I'm based in Clifton Park and work across four Capital Region counties, in person or by phone.