If you're like most small-business owners, you probably spend a good deal of time worrying about your overhead. After all, there's a lot to keep track of, like payroll, rent, office maintenance, taxes, you name it. These things not only take up a lot of your time, but cost a lot of your money, too.

Because your overhead is so important, you've probably wondered:

How can I afford to pay for my overhead if I'm ever disabled?

It's an important question, especially because living with a disability is more common than you might think. In 2012, the Canadian Survey on Disability estimated that 1 in 10 working-age Canadians (aged 15 to 64) had some sort of disability.¹ Some people imagine disabilities to always involve a wheelchair, but in truth, the term is much broader than that. Here's how the World Health Organization defines it:

"Disabilities" is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. Disability is thus not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person's body and features of the society in which he or she lives."²

A disability can be physical or mental, and can involve everything from chronic pain to depression, from mobility loss to being hard of hearing. As a business owner, you can think of a disability as any condition that prevents you from working.

So ask yourself again: "How can I afford to pay for my overhead if I'm ever disabled?"

Fortunately, there's an answer: business overhead insurance.

Business overhead insurance is a way to protect yourself and your business should you ever become disabled. It's designed to help ensure that your business survives if you can't work for a period of time by covering all or most your operating expenses, so you can keep your doors open while simultaneously focusing on getting better.

Business overhead insurance is different from the better-known individual disability insurance. Individual disability insurance is for covering your personal expenses, but it has no effect on your business expenses. Business overhead insurance, on the other hand, typically covers:

• Payroll expenses (so you don't have to lay off or risk losing valuable employees)
• Rent and utility expenses
• Equipment expenses
• Office supply expenses
• Taxes, accounting, and legal fees

Another benefit? Some policies are tax deductible!

As you can see, business overhead insurance is a great safety net should you ever find yourself unable to work. It's not necessarily right for everyone, but it may be right for you. To learn more, please give my office a call at 905-338-7689 or e-mail me at brian@rightinsurance.ca. I would be happy to send you more information…all free, of course! It only takes a few minutes, and the benefits can last until the day you retire.

I look forward to hearing from you!