Crafting on the go – Insurance tips for travelling makers 

Summer is beckoning us from around the corner, with whispers of warm, sunny days, leisurely barbecues spent with with family and friends, gentle strolls through quietly slumbering countryside and balmy evenings when the sun barely sets. Maybe you will be heading off with tents and a carful of children in tow, maybe you prefer a comfortable bed and plug in kettle and will be enjoying the delights of our countryside from an Airbnb, or maybe you are dreaming of even sunnier climes and will be boarding a flight to destinations beyond our shores. 

Summer also brings with it a plethora of opportunities to sell your crafts, whether that be at local craft fairs, fetes and markets, regional festivals, county shows or annual crafting events. It all happens over the summer and, if you’ve not already done so, now is the time to book yourself into a few events. While some fairs or markets may be very local to you many will involve a journey to reach them, and this will require packing all your exquisitely made stock, plus sales equipment such as electronic card readers and laptops, into your vehicle. If your chosen event runs over several days, or is at a distance, you will be needing overnight accommodation, and this will require you to leave your products in the venue or back in your vehicle.  

So, will you be insured for these exciting times when you are out and about, and if so what type of small maker business cover do you need to have in place? The answer to the first half of this question is easy; yes, if you are travelling within the UK, including the Channel Islands, you can rest assured in the knowledge that insurance will cover your stock and all the equipment required for promotion and sales. There are a few options when it comes to insuring your products for a summer season of travel, which we’ll outline in this blog post. It may sound complicated but is in fact very easy to set up. We are a family business ourselves and as such place value on every one of our customers. Here at Craft Insurance, we communicate directly with each of you who contacts us with an enquiry, so you will not have to wait in a queue and speak with an anonymous call handler. So, when you’ve finished reading, give us a call or drop us a line and either Sam or Naomi will talk you through a package specific to your business’s needs. 

Public and product liability insurance are your first port of call. Public liability insurance covers you for any claim made that harm or injury caused by yourself or a member of your team. For example, a slip hazard or accident involving some specialist equipment. Product liability covers you for any claims made for harm or injury caused by a product. Even if it is not your fault, the policy covers you for compensation and/or legal fees. There is no excess and it covers you worldwide if you are taking your crafts on a global trip. There are some limitations if you are selling in the USA or Canada, but we can talk you through those. Our product liability will cover your craft products sold, distributed or supplied anywhere in the world, but the claim has to be made within the U.K. or Ireland. 

Another component of small market business cover which you might like to consider if you are travelling is business items cover. This enables you to protect not only tools, but also stock, raw materials and any technical equipment used in creating your products. It will also cover items necessary for sales and promotion as you tour eg electronic card readers, laptops and photography equipment. In addition to all this, it covers cash connected with your business which has been lost or stolen for up to £500 anywhere in the world.  

The summer is a busy time for craft fairs and markets, and we hope you will be making the most of this and booking yourself a spot at some of them. They are a great way to showcase and sell your stunning products but always require a good deal of planning, financial outlay and time as you produce stock, promote your presence there and, if you are travelling a distance, book accommodation. Most organisers will require you to have a level of public and product liability insurance as you book and while our package doesn’t cover you if you are organising an event yourself, it will cover you as a stall holder or exhibitor. In addition, business items cover will compensate you if a pre-booked fair or event is cancelled or rearranged; something which could be valuable as you invest your time and money in preparation. 

While most crafters will be based within the four solid brick walls of home and making forays out into the world of fairs and festivals, a few of our intrepid community have packed yourselves and your crafting equipment into a van and travel from show to show demonstrating and selling your crafts. Some may do this just during the summer months, spending the winter making stock, but others have dived in headfirst and are enjoying the wonderful freedom van life offers, making friends and business connections as they travel from show to show. 

Whatever exciting travel and crafting plans you have for this summer, you will need to take a look at small maker business cover. Once you have the best insurance for your business venture in place, you can have complete peace of mind and be free to enjoy all the fun of fairs and festivals you attend. So pick up the phone or drop us a line and we will talk you through the cover which best suits your unique business needs. We are looking forward to hearing your exciting travel plans!