Anyone who’s been crafting for some while will have his or her own set of disaster stories. Maybe a mug of coffee has tipped over, soaking and staining a pile of ready-for-sale, handmade cards. Maybe an adorable new puppy found its way into a beautifully carded pile of fleece and used it as a toilet. Or maybe the shelf where you keep your finished ceramic products collapses and the whole lot comes crashing to the ground.   

While a sense of humour and natural resilience may allow us to laugh at them after the event…possibly a long time after the event … the actual incident can be heart sinking, financially devastating and even put a stop to your trading for a while. Having organised workspaces and a backup plan for craft fairs will minimise the impact of any unforeseen disaster but unfortunately, as we all know, life happens and sometimes, the curveball comes our way and there is nothing we can do to stop it. This is where having stock insurance for crafters can literally be a business saver. 

And it’s not only stock. Tools and equipment can be stolen or damaged, which not only means an expensive knock to the pocket to replace them, but also can mean a temporary hiatus in product, adding to the financial impact.  

It’s not just in the workshop that disasters can happen, or from the workshop that tools can be stolen. Exhibiting at craft fairs is the backbone of many crafting businesses and, without wishing to sound like a promotion for a blooper reel, being out and about can open another door to mishaps. Imagine … you arrive at a craft fair on a freezing morning with hours’ worth of Christmas themed produce really to sell. As you walk into the hall, you slip on some ice. While fortunately you don’t sustain any major injuries, your beautiful glass decorations take a flying leap. Or conversely, on an unseasonably hot day and after a long car journey stuck in traffic, you unpack your wax melts and find they have not only lost their definition but fused together in the heat.  Both of these could be catastrophic not only for the actual event, but for the financial health of your business. Having stock insurance for crafters in place, while it will not ease the disappointment of having hours of hard work gone in a moment, will ease the financial impact and enable you to pick yourself up and carry on making and selling. 

What is stock insurance for crafters and what have we done to make it simpler?  

We know that behind every craft stall or small craft business there’s a significant investment in materials bought, products made, tools accumulated, and equipment used to trade. But what if that stock was damaged at a fair, tools were stolen from a car, or a laptop was lost on the way to an event? 

Business items and stock cover gives you that extra layer of protection for the physical side of your craft business. It’s an optional add-on to your base public and product liability policy, and like everything at Craft Insurance, we’ve simplified it so you only insure what you have, at the level that makes sense for you. 

You can insure your stock through all stages of production, from raw materials through to finished, saleable products. This could be particularly relevant if you are out and about on the craft circuit, as it includes damage in transit as well as at the event. At large events you may leave your stall set up overnight, and stock insurance will cover you if the unimaginable happens and products are stolen or damaged; theft as well as damage is covered. 

We also cover electronic devices, used for making, promoting or selling your crafts. Laptops, for example, or cameras used for taking photos for your website. If you sell at craft fairs regularly, you will no doubt have a card reader, and these nifty little devices, as well as iPads and laptops, can be susceptible to theft. Our standard excess is £50, regardless of the amount of your claim; you’ll find this is a competitively low excess. 

Another point to consider is that you may wish to add to your insurance. While at first glance our quotes might seem to be higher than big name competitors, this is intentional as we charge a one-off price with clarity of what it includes. We do not charge an initial admin fee, nor do we charge a fee for making amendments to your policy. We work hard to be transparent and ensure you understand the process. To this end, we don’t use call handlers but communicate directly with all our customers. This means that not only do you not waste your time waiting in a call queue, but you also get individual, expert advice. If you prefer to do everything online, you can fill in the form on our website, and we will send you a quote based on what you tell us. This way, you are only paying for what you need.  

All our insurance packages are completely bespoke, as what is included will depend on your unique business needs. Public and product liability are the base cover, and you can then add to that as you weigh the costs versus the risks. As a family business we have learnt about craft insurance over the past few decades, and this knowledge has been passed down through the generations. So, while we are up to speed on all the latest policy changes, we also have a wealth of experience which we can share with you. We understand your journey from the kitchen table upwards, so pick up the phone and Naomi or Sam will be here to answer all your questions about stock insurance for crafters. 

Maybe you’re new to selling your crafts, or perhaps you’ve tried to make a claim with your current insurer and found that there was an exclusion in your policy that you were unaware of. You scroll through the plethora of online companies and wonder which one will offer you the best deal. What type of insurance do you need? Or, could you get away without it? Money is tight, so do you simply go for the cheapest? How do you find out more? Can you talk to a real person about the best option? 

All the above are very valid questions, and we’ll go through them one at a time now.  

The first thing to say is that yes, you do need to have crafters’ liability insurance. With Craft Insurance, this includes both public and product liability with professional indemnity thrown into the bundle. Public liability insurance covers you for any claim made that you or a member of your team has caused harm or injury to a member of the public or their property. It covers legal defence costs and/or any compensation you owe. Product liability insurance covers you for any claim made that a product of yours has caused injury or harm to a customer. Again, even if it is not your fault, the insurance covers you, so you do not have to face lengthy, time consuming and costly legal battles. It covers face-to-face sales at markets and fairs and worldwide online sales. 

Alongside this, our professional indemnity insurance covers you when you are out and about teaching and demonstrating your craft. It will even cover you if you inadvertently give some wrong advice. With these three in place, there is no limit to the number of events you can attend, and you do not have to notify us of specific events. Just book yourself in, gather all you need for a successful day, and you’re good to go, knowing that your crafters’ liability insurance is in place. 

Public and product liability insurance is the basic, bread and butter insurance for crafters. However, once this is in place, you can add extra insurance to cover stock, finished products, tools or other items necessary for your business. This insurance covers you for loss, damage or theft of any of the above. Items necessary for your business include electronic devices such as laptops, cameras or card machines. You insure item by item, so you can weigh up the benefits versus the cost of insurance. For example, if you have invested in high-cost tools or equipment for your business, eg a potter’s wheel or kiln without which you could not work, you might consider insuring them. However, if you create beautiful, knitted blankets, it is probably not worth insuring your knitting needles!  

You will find that most craft fair and event organisers request that you have public liability before you book your spot. The reason being that while you will carry out risk assessments and follow all guidelines and regulations necessary for your products, it is those completely unexpected incidents which can floor us and cause serious issues for event organisers too. Curveballs that come out of nowhere. If you have the correct crafters’ liability insurance in place, you don’t need to lose sleep over these and can pour your time and energy into doing what you do best; creating and selling unique, stylish and stunning products and thus growing your business.  

Onto our third question, which is also a good one. It is not uncommon to feel the pain of the cost of insurance…in fact, you are definitely not alone. If you have come to the conclusion that you need it, then wouldn’t it be better just to go for the cheapest option and be done with it? This is where some good advice really can save you money in the long run. We at Craft Insurance may not be the cheapest up-front option. This, however, is intentional. We take care to ensure that the insurance packages we sell do what they say they do. We don’t have exclusions and we cover all your selling, demonstrating and teaching.  

Our policies are inclusive, which means there is no initial admin fee and no charge for making amendments should you need to do so. A package with no hidden extras makes it easier to budget and saves you from unexpected costs later.  

It’s also worth taking into account that we are a family business with decades of experience in insuring craft businesses. It’s a specialised area and a good knowledge and understanding of the risks involved enables us to both ensure you have the correct cover for your unique business, and also to keep the costs down. The problem with an insurer not having a good understanding of risks specific to the vast array of craft insurance we deal with, is that the policies will overcompensate for very unlikely risks; thus policy holders are charged more to cover potential shortfalls.  

As we come into land on our journey to discover more about crafters’ liability insurance, the last two questions can be answered together. Yes, you can talk to a real person at Craft Insurance. Our names are Naomi and Sam and we’d love to hear from you. You can explore the website to find out the answer to some of your questions, but as your business is totally unique, we recommend you either call us or, if you prefer, send us a message. We deal with each client individually, delving into the pools of knowledge and experience we’ve gained over the years and working out the best package for your completely individual business needs. 

We hope this has given you some clarity and answered some of your questions but do now get in touch and we can talk further.  

Our job here at Craft insurance is very varied; one of the parts we love the most is hearing about all your innovative and creative businesses, and one of the most frequently asked questions is “How much does public liability insurance cost?” It is of course, impossible to answer straight away, as it will depend on your unique business and all the variables around that, but we can walk you through it on a phone call or, if you prefer, you can fill in the form on our website to get a quote for public liability insurance cost for your business.  

Most crafters discover their need for public liability insurance the first time they try their hand selling at craft fairs, farmers markets or other in person events, as the organiser will often ask that you have it in place. This might be the first time you have had to consider any kind of insurance. It can feel a little overwhelming, just one extra thing to add to your already overflowing ‘to do’ list, but we can assure you that it only takes a phone call or an email, if you prefer.  

So, what is public liability insurance and what are you getting for your hard-earned cash? It covers you for any claims made that you or a member of your team (which can include a volunteer at a fair or market) have caused harm or damage to a member of the public or their property. A classic example would be a slip or trip hazard, someone stumbling over an extension cable or storage box and twisting their ankle. While you will no doubt complete any necessary risk assessments and employ a good slice of common sense, public liability insurance is all about protecting you for those completely unforeseeable and unavoidable occurrences.  

We call this one our sleep easy insurance, in that once it is in place you can simply forget about it and put your time, energy and creativity into growing your standout business. For this to be the case, you need to be sure that what you are paying, your public liability insurance cost, covers you for what it says it will, if the need arises. You are wise to compare companies, and in doing so you will find that our public liability insurance cost may not be the cheapest. This is deliberate, in that we are determined to ensure that you get what you pay for; cover for any indoor or outdoor event, flexibility and the assurance that there are no nasty surprises if you should have to make a claim. 

In addition, as a family run business with decades of experience of working within the craft insurance arena, we can give advice from storehouses of experience as well as up-to-date training. We do not use call handlers, so there are no long queues or anonymous messages. Either Sam or Naomi are here to talk you through what is the best choice for your unique business. Or, if you prefer, we are here to pick up and reply to your individual messages. We can even walk you through the process of getting a quote through our website and then securing the insurance you need whilst you are on a call. This is something we have done for many clients who needed public liability insurance for the first time.  

So, once you have your public liability insurance in place, what else do you need to do to prepare for a successful time at a craft fair? You obviously need to have built up enough stock. It is always a bit of a gamble as to what products to take and how many of them. A little research beforehand always helps. If it is an event where there will be lots of families, you might go for some more budget friendly merchandise and even some pocket money items. If you are going to an evening event with a touch of glamour and flair, stock up on products at the higher end of your range, as gifts or as a pamper purchase. 

You will also need to think about packaging. Is there some way you can customise your packaging, tying it in with the colour theme or logo of your branding? Have a stack of business cards at the ready, to slip in with each purchase. Alongside this, it is worth considering how you can make your stall stand out from all the others, who will also no doubt be selling beautiful handmade products too! If you will be selling at a sizable number of fairs, you could invest in a custom designed transportable banner to set up behind your table. This captures people’s attention and is also an effective way to convey the essentials of your business. Or, for less financial outlay, a tablecloth in your brand colours and some shelves to add height to your stand are also attention grabbing.  

You will need to work out how to receive digital payment, as well as having a cash box with spare change. And you will need to find a way to transfer all your stock plus selling essentials from your vehicle to the stand. It could be a small trolley might be the answer, and/or someone to help! On that note, it can be a long day, and you will need a break every so often, so it is often helpful to have a friend or family member come along with you. You can both sell during the busy times and cover each other for the much-needed comfort breaks, as well as share the mercy dashes for coffee! 

If you have not dipped your feet into the world of craft fairs and markets, we hope this has given you a flavour. They are wonderful places not only to sell your gorgeous products, but also to connect with other crafters, to glean some of latest ideas and to be inspired. As you begin to do them regularly, you will find you build up friendships as you see ‘old’ faces come back each year and make new acquaintances along the way. There is often a deep sense of camaraderie, so book yourself in, pack up some gorgeously tempting stock and enjoy all the fun of the fair!