Why It’s Important To Have Key Man Insurance In Your Business

1. Protect Significant People in Your Organization

A key employee is defined as a crucial person in your team. For instance, as a business owner, there’s a high risk that your company will cease operations in the event of your untimely demise.

You can also consider your development team as key employees because they are the ones most knowledgeable about your products or services. Some even take out insurance on their salespeople partly as a reward for their performance as well as to retain talent as much as possible.

A portion of the money can be allocated to your workers’ retirement plan or a death benefit that their families can receive. While the insurance won’t return their loved one, it’ll lessen the burden that the grieving spouse and children experience for that mournful season.

These are the typical key personnel in the corporate world:

• Top Management – Your executives handle the overall operations of your company. This category includes the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and their vice presidents.
• Managers and Supervisors – Managers and supervisors are vital members of your team because they are the ones who oversee the work of rank and file employees. You’ll have a lot on your plate if you don’t take care of them.
• Accountants and Purchasers – Employees who handle your accounting and purchasing processes are also key personnel. For accounting, they help you calculate your revenue and comply with taxes. Purchasers, on the other hand, have direct access to your suppliers, and they’ve established relationships with them, allowing you to get high-quality materials and merchandise.
• Development Team – The people who help you develop your products and processes have a significant influence on the success of your business. That’s why you should take care of them with a key man insurance policy as an employee benefit and protection to your company simultaneously.

2. Ensure That Your Business Continues

Life’s a risk. Not to be a downer, but there’s no telling when you or your team may be caught in the middle of a car accident or other potentially life-threatening situations like home burglary.

Getting personal life insurance is wise. For business owners, you also have to take out a key man insurance policy to make sure that your enterprise can continue even when you lose a valuable member of your team.

Essentially, a key man insurance policy protects your company and the people in your organization. You minimize the risk of future losses in the event that you lose a valuable employee because you can use the money to find, hire, and train a replacement as well as offset revenue drawbacks that are a result of the worker’s departure.

Ponder on this situation: you run a Software as a Service (SaaS) company, and you have a right-hand person who helped you develop the application. The creation of the program is just the beginning. Both of you have to continue improving the software to cater to consumer needs.

However, one day, your employee suddenly suffers from a heart attack and dies. Aside from leaving behind his family, he also has unprocessed orders and pending tasks regarding the development of the program.

If you took a key man insurance policy right at the start of your business, you wouldn’t have as much of a problem in finding a replacement. As mentioned above, you can use the money to look for new talent and train them.

With this, you won’t have to cease operations or, worse, close down your business and start a new one. Generally, it costs more to declare bankruptcy and put up another company. You can continue working on your product and deliver the best service to your customers without worrying so much about your finances.

The types of losses covered by key man insurance include:

• Damages Caused by Inability to Work – You can use the insurance money to cover the financial drawbacks that you incur while your key personnel is unable to work. This includes the recruitment and training of a replacement.
• Lost Sales – You’ll also get insurance to safeguard your profits against losses due to missed sales opportunities and delays or cancellations of orders. Expansion losses, as well as losing specialized skills and knowledge, are also covered by the policy.
• Shareholder Protection – This plan can also protect the interests of your shareholders and partners. The money can be used to allow the remaining investors to purchase more shares and such.

3. Show Investors that You Mean Business

Taking out a key man insurance policy is part of risk management. It can prove to investors that you have the foresight and business acumen to prepare for the future. It also shows that you are serious about your enterprise and that you take all precautionary measures to ensure that their money won’t be wasted when they invest in your venture.

Having your business and employees insured doesn’t mean that you’re planning to fail. On the contrary, you are actually putting up safeguards in the event that something unfortunate happens to you or your staff.

Reducing the risks for your company can entice investors to trust you with their money. Other ways to attract potential investors are:

• Valuing Your Business Realistically – In today’s highly competitive business world, you still have to prove that you are capable of growing investors’ money exponentially. You shouldn’t put a hefty price tag on a startup. Conversely, if you believe in your product or service, you also shouldn’t underestimate your company but, instead, put a realistic price tag on its shares.
• Allowing Them to Make Money – Business is always a trade-off. Consumers give you cash in exchange for a product or service, while investors put their money in your company to gain more dollars. You have to make a compelling case for investors to trust you to grow their resources.
• Creating a Sound Business Plan – To ensure that you can increase your own and your investors’ money, you have to make a concrete business plan. This entails researching the market and providing details that show that your product and service is attractive to consumers. Make sure that you provide a comprehensive and concise summary at the beginning of the document so that investors can just skim and take the necessary information.
• Conducting Business Professionally – As a business owner, you have to uphold the best values and set an example for your employees. You should conduct business with ethics and professionalism, whether you’re dealing with investors, your workers, or customers.

4. Improve Consumer Perception of Your Brand

Taking a key man insurance policy is a wise strategy to protect your company against future losses. Nonetheless, its other purpose is to serve as a benefit of your employees to lessen the damages they incur when they become incapacitated and are unable to work.

With this, you can boost how consumers see your brand. You won’t just be another company that makes money off of their employees while treating them inhumanely. Instead, you’ll set a standard in your industry and show your clients, investors, and competitors that your team will treat you well if you take care of them.

5. Empower Your Top Performers and Loyal Employees

As mentioned above, key man insurance is one perk that you can provide to your employees. It can be added to their retirement plan. The benefit will make them feel that you notice their efforts and are thankful for their contributions to your company. It’s an excellent way to gain their loyalty and reward them for it.

Conclusion

Taking out a key man insurance policy for essential employees protects your business as well as your workforce. You ensure that your company will continue to operate even when you lose one significant member of your team by using the funds that you will receive to recruit and train their replacement.

It may sound callous, but it’s a practical business strategy. Accidents and injuries are possible, and you have to account for these things to show investors that you are serious about your venture. This practice can also bolster consumers’ perception of your brand as well as boost employee morale.