Why now is the perfect time to review your workshop insurance 

If you live in the countryside – or even if you’ve simply stepped outside lately – you’ll probably have noticed something wonderful happening. After what felt like an endless stretch of grey skies and rain throughout January and February, spring has finally arrived. Daffodils are popping up, the days feel brighter, and people everywhere seem to be emerging from winter hibernation with a smile. 

March has a way of doing that. It feels like a fresh start – a moment to stretch your legs, shake off the winter chill, and get moving again. In fact, that feeling isn’t just in our imaginations. Historically speaking, March really was the start of the year. 

A fresh start in the Roman style 

Back in 758 BCE, the Roman calendar actually began in March. Known then as Martius, it was the first month of a ten-month calendar created under the leadership of Romulus. The year started around the spring equinox, symbolising renewal and action after winter. 

Their calendar only counted 304 days, with the cold winter period simply… uncounted. When the days were dark and dreary, the Romans didn’t bother marking time at all. It was only later that January and February were added by Numa Pompilius to fill the gap. 

Perhaps Romulus had the right idea. When winter drags on and the days all seem the same, it can feel as though time is standing still. Then March arrives – and suddenly everything springs back to life. 

Marching forth – in nature and beyond 

The Romans didn’t just mark March as the start of the year; they also saw it as the time to get moving again. The month was named after Mars, the god of war, and it traditionally signalled the resumption of military campaigns. Once spring arrived, the Romans quite literally marched forth to conquer new lands. 

Nature follows a similar pattern. Think of the famous “Mad March Hares”. As spring begins, hares can often be seen leaping, chasing, and even boxing one another in open fields. This behaviour is all part of their mating season, when energetic males pursue females and the females sometimes stand on their hind legs to fend off unwanted attention with quick boxing jabs. 

It’s nature’s way of saying the quiet months are over. Time to get moving. 

Even time itself seems to join the charge in March. On the last Sunday of the month, the UK switches from Greenwich Mean Time to British Summer Time. The clocks go forward an hour, giving us those long, bright evenings we all look forward to. Suddenly there’s more daylight after work, more time outdoors, and more energy to get things done. 

A busy season for crafters 

For many crafters, March brings the same sense of renewal. Workshops that may have sat quiet through the cold winter months begin to buzz with activity again. 

Garden studios reopen. Garage workshops warm up. Tools and equipment come back into regular use as new projects begin to take shape. 

It’s an exciting time – but it’s also the perfect moment to think about protection for the space where all that creativity happens. 

Why workshop insurance matters 

When you’re getting back into the swing of things, it’s worth taking a moment to make sure your workspace is properly protected. That’s where workshop insurance comes in. 

Good workshop insurance helps safeguard the tools, equipment and materials you rely on every day. Business equipment cover will protect the specialist items that are essential to your craft. Whatever the machinery, whether it’s hand tools, kilns, sewing machines or woodworking gear, these items represent a significant investment in your business. 

Accidents can happen – equipment can be damaged, stolen, or affected by unexpected events. Having the right workshop insurance in place means you can carry on creating without the constant worry of “what if?”. 

Peace of mind while you create 

For many craftspeople, a workshop is more than just a place to work. It’s a rather special space where ideas become reality, where skills are honed, and where handmade products begin their journey to customers who truly appreciate them. Knowing that your workspace and tools are protected gives you one very important thing: peace of mind. 

Instead of worrying about unexpected setbacks, you can focus on what you do best – designing, making, experimenting, and sharing your creativity with others. 

Ready to “March” forth? 

Spring is a season of new beginnings, fresh ideas and renewed energy. As your workshop comes back to life this March, it’s the perfect time to make sure it’s protected too. 

Take a look at the Craft Insurance website to learn more about our workshop insurance options and how they can support your craft business. If you’d prefer a friendly chat, simply pick up the phone or drop us a message. Sam or Naomi will be more than happy to talk through the cover that suits your unique setup. 

Life can throw the occasional curveball, but the right protection makes all the difference. With the right cover in place, you can march forth into spring with confidence – and get back to creating the beautiful handmade work people love. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed our previous two articles as we’ve taken a look at fine art, some of its history and its important role within a thriving society. We now come to the nuts and bolts of insuring artwork. Looking for fine arts insurance near me? Here’s a little about what artists and galleries should know.

In the financial climate in which we are living, no one wants to pay for something they don’t need, and we all want to make sure that when we do make a purchase, we are getting value for money. Although we are focusing especially on fine arts, much of this will also be relevant to any crafter, whether they are searching “fine arts insurance near me” or any other kind of insurance.

Let’s start with public and product liability insurance, products that many individual crafters and business owners decide to invest in. The reason for doing so is that when you have invested hours of your time, a significant amount of money and a huge chunk of your talent into a project, you don’t want to risk losing all that through a claim made against you. It is virtually impossible to predict what could go wrong and hence what claim might be made against you.

This is the whole point of insurance: cushioning yourself against the unforeseen. If we could have a pound for every perplexed call we’ve had regarding a curveball incident which requires compensation, we’d be able to plan our retirement! However thorough your risk assessment is, and however closely you adhere to professional guidelines, you simply cannot rule out those unforeseeable accidents.

You can probably think of a few incidents that have happened in your own life, hopefully whose consequences haven’t been too serious, but which have come completely out of the blue. While you couldn’t predict them, you will have kicked yourself afterwards, with lots of “if onlys”. A series of events and circumstances, of people and timings all worked together towards an unexpected occurrence. If it can happen in general life, it can happen in business and this is why so many artists choose to take out insurance to cover their work, their exhibitions and their gallery events.

Fine art insurance will include public liability insurance. This covers you against any complaints that injury or damage has been caused on your property, by your equipment or at an event. Even if it’s not your fault, it will cover legal costs and any compensation owed. For example, events could conspire together for a particularly vulnerable visitor to collide with a slip or trip hazard with a resulting injury. Our public liability insurance would cover you financially. We often call it our sleep easy insurance, in that it allows you to have peace of mind over the unforeseen and thus pour your energy, time and talent into what is most important; producing, exhibiting and selling beautiful artwork.

If you run a gallery, it might be that you employ staff or have volunteers helping out during exhibitions. In this case, you will need to get Employer’s liability insurance. This is a legal requirement for anyone who employs staff or hosts volunteers, even if they are family members. It too covers you for any accidents or harm caused to your employees or volunteers while working for you, with compensation or legal fees.

Professional indemnity Insurance covers you in the unlikely event that a commissioned piece of work is not considered satisfactory. Art, obviously, is subjective and while you would do your best to ensure that you are fulfilling your client’s instructions there is, as is said, ‘always one’ who may put a spanner in the works and not like your completed work. A dispute would take up a chunk of time which could be used for better purposes, as well as potentially cause damage to your reputation. Professional indemnity insurance would cover you for such a circumstance, again saving you money and stress. Professional indemnity insurance also covers you if you unknowingly make a mistake. For example, if you use an image protected by copyright without permission, or even if you breech the restrictions of a royalty free

image. With the extensive use of social media, however careful you are, a copyright breech is not impossible.

Another arm of insurance which you might consider, is Business items insurance. This is also one which is not legally required but which many artists and crafters choose to take out. It insures you against loss, damage or theft and can include raw materials, tools, saleable finished products and items related to your business eg laptops, card readers or cameras. We quote individually, around your unique requirements, so you don’t need to pay for something you don’t want.

If you google fine art insurance near to me, you will find a variety of options and insurance companies. We have been providing art and craft insurance for over three decades, so our service comes with generational experience. We know we are nothing without our clients, so we communicate directly with each one of you. When you contact us, it will either be Sam or Naomi who answer your query, so no long call queues. We have zero excess on public and product liability insurance, and our professional liability insurance covers you for teaching and demonstrating as well as selling your work.

So, take a look at our website and then drop us a line or give us a call. We look forward to hearing about your fine art business, be it large or small, and tailoring an insurance quote around your specific needs and requirements.

Historically, fine art has been distinguished from other forms of creative expression and traditional crafting skills by the fact that it is created for its own sake; it serves no functional purpose and carries an expression of the artist’s emotional, intellectual or sometimes political perspective. It is designed for display, to be enjoyed and studied. As such, in times past fine art was generally the prerogative of the wealthier classes who had the financial resources to visit studios or exhibitions, and for a few this even included a tour around Europe to compare and learn from artists in different countries.

“Fine” does not refer to the superiority of the art but to the purity of it. Traditionally, fine art consisted of five art disciplines: painting, sculpture, architecture, music and poetry.

Today, the boundaries between fine and applied arts and crafts have become much more blurred, and thankfully, with many galleries free to the public, the opportunity to study art forms and appreciate the skill of the artists is open to many more.

However, one distinction does still remain between ‘pure’ art and applied crafts, and that is its lack of any practical functionality. It is beauty for beauty’s sake, and this is arguably not only delightful, but also an essential part of the development of a culture and the cohesive sustainability of it.

The cave paintings that were etched by tribal bushmen are not only incredibly detailed but will have no doubt provided much enjoyment to both the artists and those living within the cave dwellings, as well as providing a narrative of their daily lives to be handed down through the generations. The carved reliefs of the ancient Babylon, Assyrian and Persian Empires reflect much of their culture and history and in the case of Assyria, were also used as a sort of early propaganda, pointing to the victories and strength of the king.

Moving on to the last millennia, we see the influences of the Church in the art and architecture of the Medieval era. Contemplatives painstakingly copied out portions of the Bible and exquisitely illuminated them, sometimes with real gold plate. The soaring buttresses and jewelled rose windows of many a cathedral, beautifully worked icons and The Book of Kells all reflected and contributed to an era of high art, music and literature in which the Church not only funded the creatives of the time but also provided much of the inspiration for much of their work.

The Renaissance brought with it fresh ideas and a whole new era of fine art, funded now by the wealthy families of the time, initially the Medicis in Florence. This was a period of magnificent art in which talented artists sought a patron and, if successful, were free to work solely on their art. Michelangelo’s Sistine chapel ceiling and David sculpture and Leonardo Da Vinci’s many masterpieces are amongst numerous examples of the fine art of this time.

As both paper and then paints became more affordable and easier to use, artists had the freedom to go outdoors ‘en plein air’ and experiment with further techniques and ideas. The Impressionists, whose work is appreciated around the globe today for its light and its colour, emerged from this time.

Moving into more recent history, the disciplines of the fine arts have still reflected and shaped cultures and societies, and sometimes it’s art that demonstrates the direction of a society more than anything else. Thing about the starkly utilitarian architecture of Soviet communism where, in some Eastern European cities, dull concrete buildings stand cheek to jowl with exquisitely decorative edifices dating from previous centuries.

It could be argued that a nation’s fine art is a barometer for their culture. If we lose the ability to create and enjoy beauty for beauty’s sake, to create artwork which lifts the mind of the beholder to something higher than ourselves, we could all become dull and directionless.

Thus, fine art maybe does have a purpose in addition to display:  an immensely valuable one. So, be encouraged if you spend your available time creating works of beauty for others to enjoy, keep at it. Your country needs you!

How then are you going to exhibit and sell your art? You may be part of an Arts Quarter or work in a shared studio which enables you to welcome the public in to view your work. Or, you could look out for local open studio events, where lots of different arts and crafts people open their workspaces for a co-ordinated trail. These can get good footfall and a lovely variety of visitors. However you display and sell, you will need to ensure your paintings – the products of your talent, time and money – are well protected.

If you type fine art insurance uk into your search engine you will have a considerable range of policies from which to choose. Which is the best? Should you just go for the cheapest, or should you look too at the specifics of the cover that is provided? Fine art insurance uk could become quite complex! However, let us reassure you that it need not be. Of course you will be looking for value for money; you have to know that you are buying a product you need and not paying for something unnecessary.

As a family run business who have specialised in craft cover and fine art insurance uk from one generation to the next, we have time-tested knowledge and experience of providing excellent value for money insurance for artists and crafters. We value each of our clients … without you we have no business… and as such we make sure we communicate with each of you directly. No call queues; either Sam or Naomi will be here to pick up your call or answer your email. So, whether you need to safeguard your collection within a studio, a gallery, an exhibition or elsewhere, get in touch and we’ll make sure you get the best fine art insurance for your unique requirement.

How are you all feeling as you settle down to read this week’s missive from us here at Craft Insurance? Although February is in fact the shortest month of the year, for many of us it feels like the longest. However cold and wet November and December are, the expectation, even if it is somewhat hyped, and the twinkly lights of Christmas carry us through. Then in January a mix of left over Christmas cheer and the sense of a new year with fresh beginnings spur us onward. However, this has usually well and truly run dry by February and the wet, grey days can be reflected in our mood, in our patience with our loved ones and in our outlook. We make it through each day, but often with a sense of guilt that we’re not flying or achieving enough and head wearily to bed each night possibly feeling drained and dejected.

However, we want to offer a few suggestions to help you not only limp through to spring and the warmer, lighter days ahead, but to make the most of this often-dreary month. We can’t change the weather, but we can work with it and even find beauty within it. Not everyone is an artist but we can all paint a different scene in our minds! 

If you close your eyes for a minute and reflect, February might not seem so bad after all! Allow some images of this month of February to come to mind. Try and remember somewhere you’ve been in the past couple of weeks. Even if it’s just been walking down the street, have you noticed the days are stretching out and collecting children from some after school activities can be done in the daylight? Or have you seen any snowdrops bravely peeking their heads up above the cold, damp earth? And the freshness of blue sky when it does appear? If you’ve been out in the countryside, you may have noticed some aspects of your surroundings which, shrouded within the stillness, you would not have observed in the bustle and brightness of Christmas or the sunshine and colour of summer. Maybe you will have noticed anew the delicate silhouette of a bare tree, the tiny buds appearing at the end of sturdy twigs or the exquisite marking and colouring of our native birds.

Despite the grey days, or maybe because of them, we are able to observe some of the perfection of nature, to stop for a moment and realise that the world is gently waking up, in its time honoured and well-ordered rhythm. It is still waiting, with energy levels yet building, ready to burst forth with abundant life in a month or so. Maybe we can learn a little from this. Maybe we can acknowledge our own energy levels might be low at the moment and February might not be the month to make pivoting decisions; maybe we don’t need a magic fix, maybe we just need to keep plodding slowly until our heads peep above ground and we can feel the sunshine seeping into our weary souls again. Maybe what we need is to carve out time, however small, to be generous to ourselves, to observe the slowly awakening world around us, to sink into a cosy chair with a warm mug of tea and a good book, to bake a cake, to pick an interlude in the rain to go and splash in some puddles, to watch a good movie or share a good meal with friends.

Grey days such as these aren’t so bad and can be kept as mental images of hope over the next few weeks. For those amongst us who are artists, maybe you are creating your next range of pictures, ready for sale over the coming year and the grey February days are full of activity, finishing pieces. Although painting outside is most likely not an option, you will no doubt be planning to attend exhibitions or events in which to display and sell your artwork. If so, you will need to consider public liability insurance for art exhibitions. If you are new to the world of selling your artwork, insurance can sound a little overwhelming, but we can assure you that it need not be. In fact, it can be something straightforward enough that it can be done even when energy levels are low in February!

So, what is public liability insurance for art exhibitions? Public liability covers you for any claim made against you, a member of your staff or even a volunteer in relation to your business. It covers you for any mishaps or accidents which, with all the risk assessments in the world, you could not have foreseen. Even if it is not your fault, it will cover any compensation you owe and your legal fees. It is not address specific, so the only address we need is your correspondence address; you will then be covered for any exhibition you attend throughout the year.

Public liability insurance for art exhibitions will also cover you if you are teaching or demonstrating your art.  We often think of it as a sleep easy policy in that once in place, it is there as a back stop allowing you to concentrate on what is important, creating beautiful images and building up your sales.

As a family run business ourselves, we know the importance of ensuring you get value for money, that you don’t pay for something you don’t need. Our policies will probably not be the cheapest when you compare them with others, but they are comprehensive and we make sure you know exactly what is covered so you don’t have to second guess. Our policies also have a zero excess. And finally, as a family run business we like to communicate with each for our customers directly; no long call queues to speak to an anonymous advisor. So, if you’d like to know more, either drop us a line via the website or give us a call and either Sam or Naomi will be here to answer your queries.

As we head into another week, let’s be kind to ourselves and those around us as we gently move towards the end of February.

Taking the step to monetise your crafting hobby can seem daunting; more of a leap into the unknown than an orderly walk in the park. However, although there are obviously unknown factors, there is much you can do to minimise the risk and establish yourself on good footing from which your business can flourish. 

Once your vision has grown into a viable business plan, via some market research, costings and financial forecasts, you will need to register with HMRC for self-assessment as either a sole trader or a limited company. As a sole trader, you will need to fill in a tax return each year. You have two options for how you do this; on paper or digitally. Paper returns must be in by the end of October and digital ones by the end of January. You will need to keep a record of all your outgoings (with tax receipts) and the income you receive from sales. 

As a sole trader, you also need to look at what insurance you need. Working out what sole trader cover consists of and what you need for your unique business can also seem somewhat daunting, but it really doesn’t need to be so. If it’s all new to you, finish reading this blog, then check out our website including the FAQ’s, and then simply give us a call. We are a family run business ourselves and this means that we communicate individually with each of our customers. You won’t have to wait for a long time in a queue and will speak to either Sam or Naomi in our office. 

Sole trader cover includes four main areas of insurance: public liability insurance, product liability insurance, employers’ liability insurance and business items cover. 

Public liability insurance covers you for any claims made against you by a member of the public for damage or harm they believe has been caused by you or one of your employees or volunteers, while you are out teaching, demonstrating or selling your crafts. Even if you are not at fault, this insurance will still cover you for compensation or legal fees. 

Product liability insurance provides cover for any claim made that one of your products has caused harm or injury to a member of the public. Again, even if this is not the case, you will still be covered. Neither public nor product liability insurance are a legal requirement, but they are well worth having. Despite all the risk assessments of your work and selling space and the rigorous testing through which you put your products, you cannot prepare completely for the unexpected. This is the reasoning behind taking out public and product liability insurance. We sometimes call it ‘sleep easy’ insurance as, once it is in place, you can forget about any potential mishaps and focus on what you do best; creating beautiful products for your customers to enjoy. 

The third part of sole trader cover is employers’ liability insurance. Unlike public and product liability, this is a legal requirement if you employ staff or have volunteers or work placement students working for you. It covers legal costs and compensation for any claim made for injury or illness that is a result of the work they do for you. The price will be based on the number of employees and volunteers that you have, and the package includes zero excess. 

The final segment of sole trader cover is business items cover. This allows you to insure any specialist equipment used for your craft, as well as completed stock products and raw materials. You might also consider covering electronic items used at your base and when you are out and about selling, demonstrating or teaching. These could include laptops, electronic card readersand cameras. Like public and product liability, single items business cover is not a legal requirement. However, it makes sense to purchase it if you have equipment in which you have made a significant financial investment, which would be difficult to replace and without which your business could not function. This could be specialist equipment such as a potters’ wheel or kiln, or a general laptop from which you run your website, receive orders and communicate with customers and business contacts. Business items insurance will cover you for breakages, damage and theft. 

In an increasingly difficult and uncertain financial climate, we all need to make tighter decisions about how we spend our limited financial resources. Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement, but it is for you to weigh up the pros and cons of the other three. To do this, it is good to have as much information as possible and to ensure you are only paying for a product you need. It could be helpful to think through the impact on your business if a complaint wasmade against you, or if a piece of equipment was damaged or stolen. Would you have enough of a buffer to replace or cover liabilities? 

To keep costs to a minimum, you will need a quote based around your particular business and requirements. This is where we at Craft Insurance can help in that before we give you a quote, we will ensure we have a good understanding of your business situation and needs. We are a business of generations, learning from those who have worked in this arena before us. Our speciality is insuring those who sell, teach or demonstrate their craft, and we have many years of experience doing this. Family is important to us, and we love hearing about each of our customers’ businesses, which have often been built around their own families and have included family members as they have grown. 

So, if you are a crafter who is considering setting up as a sole trader, or if you have been running your own business for a good while but would like to take a fresh look at sole trader cover, give us a ring or drop us a line and either Sam or Naomi will be here to talk with you.

It’s fun to wonder what might be a crafter’s idea of an Aladdin’s cave. Might it be a treasure trove of glittery gems, colourful beads, sparkling silver wire, clasps and studs? Or could it be a neatly ordered room with every colour and texture of yarn you can imagine, organised by hue and tone in ceiling-high, fully stuffed box shelves? Or maybe a gorgeously fragranced room of essential oils, dried herbs and other botanicals, lye, bowls, spatulas and thermometers; all you would need to develop the most enticing range of handmade soap? Or possibly it could be floor-to-ceiling rolls of fabric, with plenty of overflowing baskets of tempting offcuts through which to rummage? 

What might your crafter’s Aladdin’s cave look like? It’s fun to imagine, and while your dreams may not become a reality, there might be some reflection of them in real life, in the very tangible Scrap Stores located around our nation. These amazing stores, filled to bursting with salvaged surplus from local industry or business can be located throughout our towns, cities and countryside. They generally run under one or two business models. The first one, a charity called Children’s Scrap Store is open to schools, youth or children’s groups, churches or other social organisations. For a small fee, a membership card is issued and then donations given for the materials collected on each visit. Membership is often extended to commercial crafters. The second model is a social enterprise model, by which the scrap store is opened to anyone and profit ploughed back into local social projects. Clothes and furniture may be collected for distribution alongside the scrap store materials, workshops, training and children’s holiday clubs may be held on the premises. Funds might be raised through initiatives such as children’s parties. Either of these models offer opportunities for crafters.

Scrap stores exhibited recycling before the main population had begun to think in this way.

By collecting clean and safe waste products from local business and industries, they are both reducing landfill and lowering carbon emissions by minimising the need for incineration. The stores have a constant flow of scrap material, and part of the fun of visiting one is that it is a bit of a lottery as to what you will find. You may go with a mental shopping list and come away with none of what you were looking for but a couple of bagfuls of quirky materials full of creative potential. They are thus a wonderful and exciting source of sustainable materials.

Here at Craft Insurers we often champion our clients’ ability to source environmentally sustainable and ethically sourced raw products. If you are able to do this, it is well worth flying your ethical credentials on your promotion and marketing media.  Customers are increasingly looking for goods made with sustainable products and will pay a premium for them; scrap store finds certainly fulfil this criteria.

Imagine now you have created some unique and beautiful products using sustainable materials, maybe from a scrap store, and are ready to release them to a band of delighted customers. It is sometimes at this stage that crafters think about insurance, and in particular product liability insurance. Is this something you will need, even if your goods are of a high standard and made with sustainable materials? The answer is, that while product liability insurance is not a legal requirement, it is highly advisable. If you are selling in any real-life setting, such as a market, fair or small shop, the organiser or owner may well ask for it.

So, what is it and why is it a good idea to have it? Basically, product liability insurance covers you against any claim a customer may make against your product even when it is not your fault. It covers your legal defence and costs, and any compensation that may be demanded. It is often hard to imagine what might go wrong with your product and thus lead to a situation like this. However, the whole point of both public and product liability insurance is that it offers protection against those incidents you cannot possibly foresee and thus cannot possibly prevent. This is why we call it a sleep easy insurance. Once in place, you can put all your creativity and energy into creating the best possible products for your appreciative customers.

Would you need it for online selling? The answer again is that while it is not essential, it is a wise precaution. There could be an argument that it is even more advisable if selling online. Relationship with our customers is so important and while you will do all you can to give your customers a good buying experience online, it will not be the same as a smile and chat when selling face to face. If there were a problem with one of your products, it could be argued that a customer who has met you, maybe heard a bit of your story and seen both your passion and hard work, would be less likely to file a legal complaint and more inclined to resolve the issue directly with yourself. Either way, product liability insurance will have you covered and put your mind at rest. Pick up the phone or drop us an email and either Naomi or Sam will get back to you and guide you through the best, most cost-effective cover for your unique business.

As we look towards Christmas, increasing numbers of consumers are not happy with the excessive commercialism around this time and the waste, landfill and general damage to both our beautiful world and our squeezed bank accounts. This is an excellent opportunity for small, local crafters to take centre stage, emphasising your sustainable credentials and lasting value of your products. Time to go and gather together an Aladdin’s cave of sustainable raw materials and get creating!