Why consider Hairdressing Treatment Risk Policies?

As a hairdresser, your job involves making clients feel good about themselves day-in and day-out. From quick trims to freshly coloured locks, your clients come to you for a whole range of different treatments, in the hope they will look and feel their best – and maybe have a bit of a natter too!

Haircare is seeing a shift in trends, with new technologies leading to what Glamour Magazine term the “skinification” of haircare, with a targeted, ingredients filled approach to get luscious locks. And with summer fast approaching, there are plenty of new hair styles and trends that are set to dominate 2019, from multi-tonal hair colours to blunt bobs.

However, as exciting as hair treatments can be, they might not always go to plan. A client looking for copper-toned locks could easily suffer a reaction to colour, leaving you to face a compensation claim. But that’s where treatment risk insurance can save the day.

How to find the right policy

When it comes to hair, you’re a pro. You know how to plan each treatment, mix colours to find the perfect shade for your clients and add the finishing touches to achieve shiny, healthy-looking hair.

But when it comes to insurance, it can feel a bit overwhelming when choosing the right policy. There are lots of different factors to consider, and it’s important to make sure that the risks you face are covered.

You should ensure your business is protected at all times, no matter whether you work from home, in a salon or are mobile. However, you will need different types of cover, depending on your particular business.

So, if you are employing staff for your business then you are legally required to take out employers’ liability insurance. This is designed to protect you against claims made by employees who have suffered injury or illness as a result of their work.

Public liability insurance will protect you against claims made by your clients or other members of the public who place blame with your business for any injury caused. Likewise, product liability covers claims made by members of the public who are injured by a product that you sell or supply.

It’s important to protect all aspects of your business, from your premises to the tools you use – even your own health with personal accident insurance. After all, hairdressing is your livelihood, so you want to know you still have an income even if you are unable to work.

What are treatment risk policies?

Whether you’re a mobile hairdresser or the owner of your own salon, it is likely that you have taken out public liability insurance. This protects you in the event of any accidental injury to one of your clients or their property as a result of you or your business.

But did you know that public liability insurance does NOT cover the majority of, if not all the treatments you carry out on your clients? Public liability doesn’t cover professional services – and that includes the treatments you offer as a hairdresser.

Hairdressing is a treatment-based career, which means that if a claim is made against you over your services, then you could be found liable even with public liability insurance.

Treatment risk insurance can often be viewed as essential to hairdressers. It’s a cover extension to your insurance policy to protect you for any treatments you provide to your clients. Clients may have suffered from an allergic reaction to a product you have used. No matter how careful you are, treatments you provide can sometimes leave clients with damaged hair or serious injury.

So, should there come a time when a claim is made against you, having a treatment risk policy keeps you and your business protected.

Why is treatment risk insurance so important?

Unlike other professions, as a hairdresser you know that there is always the risk your treatments could go wrong. In some cases, it can be easy to laugh it off with a client when a technical style proves too challenging. For some, a discount, offer of a free treatment or even a simple apology is enough to smooth things over with some clients.

But in some cases, it can be tricky to come to any resolve, and some clients may feel the need to make a claim against you. It’s during times like these where you need to know that you are protected with treatment risk insurance.

A claim could be made against your business at any time and unfortunately, you may be found liable. Without treatment risk insurance, claims that arise from treatments you have given to clients would not be covered by public liability insurance, as previously mentioned.

When it comes to running your own hairdressing business, you rely on profit margins to survive. Not only do your profits help pay your wages (and employees’ if you have them), but they allow you to reinvest into your business or fund business growth or expansion. The money you make might even go into a savings fund.

However, if you’re hit with a claim and aren’t covered by treatment risk, this could mean you need to turn to any money you’ve put aside for a rainy day and use your hard-earned cash to cover compensation pay-outs.

Even before it’s decided whether or not you need to make any pay-outs there are still legal costs to consider. These can quickly add up and eat away at profits which could leave you out of pocket or worse – bankrupt. Many solicitors charge by the hour, with junior staff charging around £100 an hour whereas senior solicitors are closer to £200, according to Vouchedfor.co.uk.

Here at Salon Gold, we know that treatment risk insurance is vital to anyone in the hairdressing industry and that is why it’s included in our mobile hairdresser insurance policy.With this cover, you are protected and can fight any legal claims without having the financial burden looming over your revenue. Get started with your hairdressing insurance and call us on 020 8655 0444