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Who qualifies for the BHTA member benefit insurance?

Any Canadian BHTA Member where 80% of their sales come from handcrafted items.

What is meant by "handcrafted"?

For purpose of this policy, "handcrafted" (or "handmade") means you either made it from scratch by hand, someone under your control made the product from scratch by hand or you purchased the unscented and/or uncolored product in bulk and added your own scent and/or color and/or other additive to distinguish it in your line of products. If 80% or more of your products are "handcrafted" within this definition, then they qualify for coverage under this policy.

Products that are made for you by an outside company and which you purchase packaged and ready to go do not qualify as handcrafted.

Not handcrafted: If more than 20% of your annual revenue comes from the sale of ingredients, supplies, products that are produced for you complete and ready to sell, and/or non-consumer products such as consulting or other services.

What products are covered?

Handcrafted soaps , lotion, bath salts, perfume, essential oils, fragrances, candles, jewelry, clothing, fragrance oils, base oils, waxes, powders, masks, scrubs and just about anything else that is used to beautify the body, the home or the environment and is handcrafted. This list is not a full list, but a representative sampling of the kinds of products covered. Pet products are covered if they are handcrafted by you. If they are made elsewhere and repackaged by you, or you buy them in bulk and repackage them, they are not covered by this program.

Coffee, tea, brownies, cookies and other consumables are covered only if they are prepackaged and sold in a set (such as a gift basket) in conjunction with handcrafted items that are covered as above. If they are sold separately, they are not covered. Children's toys are not covered.

When will my insurance become effective?

Immediately upon processing of your payment or if you are renewing your membership in advance, then effective your renewal date.

Does the insurance cover home-based businesses?

Yes. This insurance is mainly liability; it doesn't cover your premises or stock, so it doesn't matter if you work out of your home.

Can I make monthly payments?

No. The membership dues (which include your insurance) must be paid in full before your membership and insurance become active.

Is the premium refundable?

No. The policy becomes effective as soon as payment is processed when you join BHTA. The policy will cover you for a year in exchange for payment in advance of the policy premium. You may choose to renew it or not when it expires, but it is in place for a year and the premium is not refundable.

What if I sell my product online, through a distributor or even outside the US and Canada?

You may sell your product in any way you want. As long as the law suit or claim is brought back to Canada or the US, the insurance policy will respond to your claim.

What if I want to attend farmers markets?

No problem! Your policy will cover you anywhere you go: farmers markets, trade shows, local events etc. And if you are required to provide additional insured certificate, you can issue it by logging in to your account and adding it under your policy.

Do I need to purchase additional insurance if I open my own store?

If you open your own store where you sell beauty products, there is no need to purchase separate liability insurance. However, your landlord by contract may require you to carry additional coverages. For example, higher liability limits, property coverage not only for your property but also for flooring, glass windows and doors and other permanently fixed items in the rented space.

Who do I contact if I have questions about the insurance policy and what it covers?

Contact us at mybhta@steerinsurance.com.

How much does the insurance cost?

The insurance costs $400.00 per year.

What is the coverage?

This is a Commercial General Liability policy. Coverage is for businesses and individuals domiciled in Canada (except Quebec). The limits are:
$2,000,000 General Aggregate Limit
$2,000,000 Products-Completed Operations Aggregate Limit
$1,000,000 Personal and Advertising Injury Limit
$1,000,000 Each Occurrence Limit
$300,000 Damage to Rented Premises Limit
$5,000 Medical Expense Limit

There is also Inland Marine (business personal property) coverage which includes "miscellaneous property of a floating nature." It basically covers "business personal property you own or is in your care, custody or control," like when you go to a show or have items on consignment in a store. The limits are:
$1,000 Maximum Pay Out Per any One Item Limit
$5,000 Total Annual Aggregate
$100 Deductible

If you need additional property insurance (over the $5,000 already included) you can increase the limits. Up to $10,000 in coverage is an additional $50; up to $20,000 is $100; and up to $30,000 is $150. Higher amounts are also available, but requires an application process. Please contact us!

Is there a cap on gross revenues with this insurance?

No, but remember that this insurance covers product and general liability. If you have expensive equipment, a retail establishment or other valuables they are not covered by this policy unless you get additional property insurance.

The policy has a "fungi exclusion." What does that mean?

The policy excludes fungi and mold specifically involving any type of structure/building. It doesn't exclude fungi or mold relating to the products you make and sell. For example if a mold or bacteria were to get into your finished product that you had sold to a consumer. This policy would respond to this type of claim.

The policy has a "hazardous materials exclusion". Does that include lye?

The policy excludes covering hazardous materials and any kind of cleanup of hazardous materials. If you or your employee were damaged by lye (or slipping and falling in the workplace) it wouldn't be covered under this policy anyway.

However, if a customer is harmed by your soap because it's incorrectly made and lye heavy (heaven forbid again!) you would be covered for any potential liability exposure. Or if you were doing a demonstration and a public viewer was splashed by lye or unsaponified soap and sued you over it, you would be covered.

If I sell my business, is the policy transferable to the new owner?

No. The new owner would have to procure their own coverage.

When does the insurance coverage expire?

The policy will expire a year from the day you purchase insurance. It is your responsibility to renew your membership with insurance before it expires 12 months from the day you join or renew, or the policy will lapse. The insurance broker will not mail you a renewal notice. However, courtesy reminder will be sent to you via email we have on file.

Who is the insurance carrier?

Who is the insurance broker?

The insurance broker is Steer Insurance. They can be contacted by email at mybhta@steerinsurance.com.

General Aggregate Limit

The most your insurance policy will pay out for all claims during a 12-month policy period.

Products Liability

Coverage protects an insured against claims that occur as a result of an insured's products that are manufactured, sold, or distributed. Completed Operations coverage protects against claims arising from a completed project or job.

Occurrence Limit

The maximum amount that an insurance company will pay for any one claim.

Damages to Premises Rented to You

Protection for damage by fire to premises rented by you and to damage regardless of cause to premises (including contents) occupied by you for 7 days or less. The basic limit is $100,000.

Medical Expense

Coverage that reimburses others, without regard to the insured’s liability, for medical or funeral expenses incurred by such persons as a result of bodily injury or death sustained by accident under the conditions specified in the policy. This does not apply to the named insured or their employees.

Inland Marine Coverage

A group of property insurance coverages designed to insure exposures that are not at a fixed location. Includes coverage for property in transit over land, certain moveable property, property under construction, and computerized equipment. This coverage does not include structural property

What is an "Additional Insured"?

An additional insured is a person or organization that is added to your insurance policy by endorsement – this is a common request.

When you add someone to your policy as an Additional Insured, you are extending your policy coverages to protect the additional insured from a lawsuit that was caused by your negligence.

In other words, if someone slipped in your booth and broke their arm, the injured person would sue you and the venue. Since the venue is added as an Additional Insured your insurance policy would protect both you and the venue in the suit.

When should I name an Additional Insured?

The majority of venues, promoters, vendors or stores will require you to add them as an Additional Insured before they will allow you to occupy their premises and/or sell product.

Those that will require an Additional Insured status on your policy will usually have it written into a contract or agreement. It is a simple procedure to add them onto your policy.

Can I add additional insured after I purchase my policy?

Yes. Simply log back in to your account. Under the policy screen, you should see an option of adding additional insured. Enter required information, email and/or print your certificate.

How do I file a claim?

If you should ever have a claim or would like to report an incident, simply email. We will determine the type of loss and send you appropriate claim forms. Once claim is submitted to the carrier, an insurance adjuster will be assigned and you will work with the adjuster on the claim.

Is there a deductible?

There is NO liability deductible. The only deductible you have is $100 per claim under Inland Marine Coverage (business personal property).

A deductible is the amount of the loss that is your responsibility. For example, if you have a theft claim of $500 dollars, you will be responsible for $100 dollars of that claim. The insurance company will pay you $400 dollars.