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What are the 4 biggest risks to your e-commerce business?         


Door Lou Benders


Posted on 22 June, 2022


Running an e-commerce business is not without risk. While you easily attract many customers through bol.com and Amazon, it also increases your risk of liability. Serving a larger audience and selling more products means more potential for problems. But what could really happen? And is there a chance it will happen to you? Find out the 4 biggest risks to your business and how to insure against them. No matter how big or small your business is.

1. You, your employees or your belongings accidentally break something

Unfortunately, not everything always runs smoothly. Sometimes you knock something over, your employee drops a box or a charger explodes. Oops. 

Just like a regular store, you as the owner are liable for damage or injury to others. For example, if you tip coffee over a customer's laptop or an employee gets hurt in your warehouse by a lying object. You are the one who pays for the costs. In other words, your company is liable. 

The good news is that you can properly insure yourself against this with a customized business liability insurance policy for e-commerce businesses that insures you in 3 main cases: 

  1. When you or your employees cause damage or injury
  2. When your products cause damage or injury
  3. When something happens to your employees during working hours

When your products cause harm or injury

Just like a regular store, as a webshop owner you also want to protect yourself from product liability - as the manufacturer of your products. Whether you sell clothing or electronics. If your products cause damage or injury, you can be held liable.

As a webshop owner, you are also considered a producer under the law if: 

  • You import products from outside the EU
  • You buy products within the EU and resell them under your own brand name

For dropshippers, this is important to know. Even if you know exactly who produced your products, if you resell them under your own brand name, you can be held liable for any damages or injuries. To protect yourself against this, it is best to take out business liability insurance (avb).

When something happens to your employee during working hours

As your business grows, at some point you will need help with marketing, production, delivery or administration. But hiring employees is not without risk. As an employer, you have an obligation to provide a safe environment, even when your employees are working from home, during company outings or when they are on the road for work.  

Should something happen to your employee during working hours, you could be held liable. Also, if you as a self-employed person regularly hire other self-employed people, in some cases they are considered employees under the law and you need employer's liability insurance as part of your avb insurance - for a few extra dollars a month. 


2. Your inventory or stock suffer damage

Without products, you have no income. If something happens to your stock, such as a leak, fire or burglary, you don't want to pay to replace or repair your stuff yourself. Now you may think you don't have to do that anyway because you have private contents insurance anyway. But beware, because it doesn't cover business contents. 

To insure your inventory, you need inventory and property insurance. When looking for this, it's helpful if you choose one that is flexible and you can cancel every day. So that your insurance will grow (or shrink) with you when needed. 

3. Your electronics break down or get stolen

Your laptop is the driving force behind your web shop. You probably have an expensive MacBook Pro for you and your employees. Maybe a few more tablets... And you probably also have a good camera to take nice pictures of your products. These expensive devices are at risk of getting damaged. 

Coffee all over the laptop, stolen along the way or just breaking down. You'll want to cover these risks. Electronics insurance is often inexpensive and important to have.

You can simply buy your electronics insurance so that it covers the total value of your laptops, tablets and cameras. And this insurance applies wherever you are!

4. Last but not least, you get out of the running yourself

35% of all entrepreneurs in the Netherlands become temporarily or long-term disabled at least once during their working life. This means that you cannot work (for a while). For example, due to an accident, pregnancy or burnout. 

When that happens you want to be able to pay your monthly expenses, for example with disability insurance. This insurance is best taken out when you are still fit as a fiddle. Then you qualify for it anyway and your premium is as low as possible, so you can continue your business and take risks without worries. Even when you have to haul boxes, make and ship products. 

Choose the right insurance for your shop

When you start looking for business insurance for your e-commerce business, you want to be able to get it quickly and easily online. We recommend that you make sure you're not stuck with an annual contract right away. 

Insify was founded for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs and focuses their insurance policies specifically on your business. Insify also works with bol.com to offer the best e-commerce insurance. 

Within 2 minutes you can calculate your premium and apply for your webshop insurance 100% online. And you can cancel them any day for any reason. Calculate your premium now and choose the webshop insurances that offer you the best coverage and ensure that you can continue your business without worries.

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