Sarah was sipping her morning coffee when the alert popped up on her phone. A fire had broken out overnight in a strip mall just down the road from her shop in Lubbock. One of the stores affected was another small repair business that had been around for years. She had run into the owner several times.
Later that day, she drove by and saw the windows boarded up and fire crews finishing their inspection. It shook her. Sarah had spent the last two years building her own computer repair business from the ground up. She had invested in better tools, upgraded her workstations, and created a place that was finally feeling like it was hers.
But as she stared at that charred storefront, she realized she had no idea what would happen if something like that hit her shop. She decided it was time to look into how to protect the gear and equipment she depended on every day.
Your Gear And Tools Need Business Personal Property Coverage
Sarah reached out to one of the insurance agents at Insurance For Texans. She wanted to make sure that understood if her essential tools were protected. She knew she had general liability coverage because it was required by her landlord, but she didn't know what that meant for her gear.
Sarah learned quickly that her liability insurance didn't cover her business equipment at all. What she needed was something called business personal property coverage. Many renters think they don't need commercial property insurance and try to skip out on something they see as an unnecessary expense. But having a Business Owners Policy that includes both general liability insurance and business personal property insurance will cost about the same and then extend coverage to your expensive equipment.
It is smart to have an insurance policy that helps pay to repair or replace items when covered losses like the fire in that strip mall occur. She was relieved to know that she could easily cover her repair tools, testing equipment, shelves, workbenches, office furniture, and even the computer she used to run appointments.
If there was a fire in her Lubbock shop or someone broke in and stole her gear, this coverage would step in to help her overcome the financial losses that would come with it. She started thinking about all the small things she had collected over time. It wasn’t just the big tools. It was cords, monitors, storage devices, and parts. It all added up fast.
Then she remembered how often she worked outside of her shop.
Your Equipment Might Not Be Covered When You Take It Off-Site
Sarah had a few regular clients who needed her to come to them for rush repairs or other service needs. She would toss her laptop, a few tools, and maybe some extra cables in a bag and drive across town to deliver her repair services. But what she didn’t know was that her coverage for items likely stopped at her shop’s front door.
Most business property insurance only covers items located at the listed business address. If something happened while she was working off-site, her tools might not be protected. Especially the expensive computers!
That’s why our agent told her about something called Inland Marine insurance. Inland marine policies provide protection to tools and equipment no matter where it is located. It’s designed to protect items that travel with you, but it does require you to list our those high-value items so the insurance company can understand what they are covering. Adding the range of items to her policy gave her peace of mind about her gear.
Your Coverage Needs To Reflect What Your Gear Is Worth Now
Sarah had bought a lot of her equipment over time. Some of it was brand new. Other things she picked up used or got on sale. When she added it all up, she realized it was worth way more than she thought.
As our agent discussed the policy limits, he explained that her policy was based on the replacement cost value of the items rather than what she originally paid. Some types of equipment policies worry about the current cash value of the equipment. This means your claimable amount would be far less than what you need to get back up and running. Making sure you have the correct type of insurance policy requires you to understand how it pays out as well as sufficient coverage from incidents.
You Need Protection From Fire, Water, And Theft
The fire in that other shop really stuck with Sarah. But she also knew that there are other types of damages that can happen. What if a pipe burst overnight creating massive water damage? What if a break-in happened during the holidays? What if a power surge fried half her equipment?
All of those could wipe out months or years of investment. Business personal property coverage helps when your gear is damaged by things like fire, water, smoke, or theft.
Sarah pictured herself walking into her Lubbock shop and finding a mess. It was a hard thought, but it helped her understand why getting this part right really mattered.
Then she looked around at all the laptops and hard drives sitting on her shelves and realized there was one more thing she hadn’t thought about.
Your Policy Doesn’t Protect Customer Property In Your Care
Every week, Sarah had customer gear sitting in her shop. Some items were waiting on parts. Others were already fixed and ready for pickup. If anything happened to them, she wondered who would be responsible.
Unfortunately, her business personal property insurance wouldn't include items she didn’t own. That’s where Bailee’s Coverage comes in. It’s a specific insurance coverage that protects customer property that’s in your care.
If someone’s laptop got ruined during a fire or a break-in, that coverage option could help pay to replace it. Without it, she might have to write a check to cover the loss herself. Sarah knew she needed true financial protection to get her business to the next level. She was glad that she had called us.
Working with someone who understands tech shops made a big difference
Sarah didn’t want to piece proper business insurance together all by herself, even if she thought she could. She sat down with our experienced agent who has worked with computer repair shops all across Texas. He started by asking questions about her operations and the types of business that she did. They then went over everything she used in the shop, where she worked, and what risks she might face.
That’s how she got true business insurance coverage options through True Texas Technology Insurance. This program only available from Insurance For Texans is designed to help tech businesses in Texas find a customized solution that actually fits what they do and where they do it.
Now her shop in Lubbock is protected. Her gear is covered. Her customers’ property is covered. And she can keep doing the work she loves without worrying about what one bad day might cost her.
Click the button below to find out how True Texas Technology Insurance can protect your computer repair shop today.