What a Hershey small business actually needs on day one

New business owners around Hershey usually discover insurance through a request rather than a plan: a landlord wants a certificate before handing over keys, a venue wants to be named as an additional insured, or a larger client will not release a contract without proof of coverage.

The core coverages

• General liability — third-party bodily injury and property damage. This is the policy most certificates are referring to.
• Commercial property — your equipment, inventory, and improvements to a leased space. Your landlord's policy does not cover your belongings.
• Workers' compensation — required in Pennsylvania once you have employees, with specific rules about who counts.
• Business auto or hired-and-non-owned auto — personal auto policies commonly exclude business use, which surprises people who drive to job sites.
• Professional liability — for advice, design, or services where the claim is a mistake rather than an injury.
• Cyber liability — increasingly requested by clients, and relevant to anyone holding customer payment or personal data.

Certificates of insurance

A certificate is proof, not coverage. If a contract requires you to name someone as an additional insured, or requires a waiver of subrogation, those are changes to the policy itself — they need to be added before the certificate can show them. Send us the insurance requirements page of a contract before you sign it; reading it takes minutes and prevents a scramble later.

The seasonal wrinkle here

Tourism shapes a lot of local businesses. Payroll swings, seasonal staff, festival and pop-up locations, and equipment moved off site all affect what your policy needs to say. Tell your agent about the busy months rather than describing an average one.

Agency 1 clients can request certificates through our Client Center, usually the same business day.