Form BQ-101 · Small-business coverage worksheet
Know what coverage your business actually needs.
The underwriter’s worksheet, handed to the owner-operator. Answer three questions and see which policies your trade and state actually call for — with typical cost ranges, every figure sourced and dated. No fear-selling, no premium promises.
Researchers, not agents — we don’t sell insurance. We read the policy forms and route quote intent to marketplace partners.
Three questions, one honest answer
- 01
Your trade
Pick from ~40 seeded trades — cleaner, consultant, food truck, GC.
- 02
Your state
All 50 + DC, including the four monopolistic state-fund states.
- 03
Your headcount
Employees drive the workers’-comp answer more than anything else.
You get a policy checklist tiered required by law / commonly required by clients / worth considering, each with typical annual ranges and a “compare quotes” link. Run the checker →
The six business lines we cover
Business coverage only — never personal, pet, home warranty, or health.
- GLGeneral liabilityThe slip-and-fall and property-damage policy nearly every business starts with.
- BOPBusiness owner's policyGeneral liability plus property, bundled — usually cheaper than buying each apart.
- WCWorkers' compEmployee-injury coverage. Required by most states once you hire — rules vary widely.
- PLProfessional liability / E&OCovers your advice and services, not your ladder. Claims-made mechanics matter.
- AUTOCommercial autoWork vehicles and business use of personal cars — where the exclusions bite.
- CYBERCyber liabilityData, payments, and breach costs for operations that hold customer information.
Start with your trade
All trades →Coverage topics
- General LiabilityThe slip-and-fall policy: what GL covers, excludes, and typically costs
- Business Owner's PolicyGL + property bundled — when the bundle beats à-la-carte
- Workers' CompEmployee-injury coverage: state mandates, class codes, audits, e-mods
- Professional Liability & E&OCoverage for advice and services — claims-made mechanics decoded
- Commercial AutoWork vehicles, business use of personal cars, hired & non-owned auto
- Cyber LiabilityData, payments, and breach coverage for small operations
- Contractors & TradesConstruction, handyman, electrical, landscaping coverage stacks
- Cleaning & JanitorialGL + janitorial bonds + the COI gate to commercial contracts
- Food & HospitalityFood trucks, caterers, vendors — where auto meets liability
- Online & ProfessionalE-commerce sellers, consultants, freelancers — product + E&O risk
- State RequirementsWhat each state actually mandates, including the monopolistic four
- Costs, Quotes & CarriersTypical ranges, what drives them, and how the sellers compare
- Claims & CertificatesCOIs, additional insureds, audits, and filing claims without regret
Latest guides
All guides →- How Much Does Workers' Comp Cost? The Per-$100 FormulaWorkers' comp posts a $54-a-month published median, but comp isn't priced like other insurance — it's manufactured from your payroll: rate per $100 × payroll ÷ 100 × e-mod. The formula worked in the open, class codes decoded, and the state spread from North Dakota's floor to California's filings.Dan Reyes · Aug 2, 2026
- Best Insurance for Landscaping & Lawn Care (2026)Landscaping is a general-liability-plus trade: mowers and trailers add commercial auto, five-figure equipment adds inland marine, and a seasonal crew makes workers'-comp audits routine. Here's the coverage stack, which seller fits which operator, and the sourced ranges — ranges, never quotes.Dan Reyes · Aug 2, 2026
- Thimble vs. NEXT: Gig-Friendly Coverage ComparedThimble sells insurance by the hour, day, or month; NEXT sells annual policies with instant certificates. For event vendors, side hustles, and gig trades, the right answer is mostly arithmetic about how often you actually work — here's the honest version of that math.Maya Trent · Aug 2, 2026
- Workers' Comp Requirements by State (All 50, One Table)Most states require workers' comp at the first employee — but not all, and four states make you buy it from a state fund. One table covers every state's general threshold, the monopolistic four, sole-proprietor and officer exemptions, and what enforcement looks like when you skip required coverage.Dan Reyes · Aug 2, 2026
- Professional Liability Insurance, Explained for Service BusinessesProfessional liability covers your advice, not your ladder. Here's what E&O actually pays for, how claims-made policies and retroactive dates really work, what tail coverage is for, and what service businesses typically pay — with every figure sourced.Maya Trent · Aug 2, 2026
- How to Survive Your First Workers' Comp AuditThe audit letter isn't an accusation — it's arithmetic: your premium was priced on estimated payroll, and the true-up is contractual. How to walk in ready: records assembled, payroll split by class code, a COI on file for every sub, and the dispute window used when the statement is wrong.Dan Reyes · Aug 1, 2026
30 coverage guides published
Still guessing what you need?
Two minutes in the coverage checker beats an hour of listicles. Honest ranges, real state rules, no premium promises.
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