5 Common Risks Faced by Small Businesses

When you operate a small business you take on certain risks that are unique to the type of company it is. The team at Family Insurance Associates of the Ruidoso, NM area will help you get a commercial business package that is specific to your needs.

Strategic Risk

Often, you don’t have a solid plan for your decision-making process if issues come up when you first start your business. If you know the structure, target market, production strategy, and how you’ll handle sales and marketing, you’re definitely in good shape. It makes sense to have a group from different departments (or even if you hire a consultant for some aspects) to discuss how you’ll handle any crises that come up.

Reputation Risk

This is often overlooked but it’s an important one. Since much of business is done by people doing research and deciding that they like how your company operates, it can be disastrous if a customer(s) put up bad reviews or take to their social media and say negative things about your business.

Liability Risk

All organizations must deal with some level of liability risk. However, your business would be more vulnerable if it’s small since you wouldn’t have the means to pay for damages without it hurting the funds for operating your company. If a customer or employee is hurt or you fail to meet any contractual obligations, you may have a lawsuit against your company. It is worthwhile to have a lawyer on your side to seek advice.

Business Interruption Risk

If your business is interrupted by a natural disaster or something else, this can make it difficult or impossible to go to your office. There may be damage to your equipment or supplies. If you have few staff members and one or several have an illness this impacts your operations as well. For this reason, you should have a business continuity plan that you go over with your staff.

Financial Risk

Of course, as a small business, you already have fewer funds than a larger organization. If there’s a hit to the local economy or even a recession across the nation, this can hurt your business. Make sure that you know your options such as funds, state, or federal grants, or if there are paycheck protection programs that will help you pay your employees.

Family Insurance Associates will work with you to put together the commercial insurance policies that make the most sense. Serving the Ruidoso, NM region, we are proud to work with small businesses to give a measure of protection for these risks and more.