Johannes Hesekiel. Photo: Contributed
Johannes Hesekiel. Photo: Contributed

Short-term insurance: A vital shield for small business owners

Unforeseen incidents could interrupt operations
There are numerous uncertainties that arise during the journey, ranging from managing daily tasks to navigating the intricacies of market demands.
Johannes Hesekiel
Small companies experience various challenges in the constantly evolving business landscape of the present day. There are numerous uncertainties that arise during the journey, ranging from managing daily tasks to navigating the intricacies of market demands. Small business owners are most concerned about unforeseen incidents that could interrupt their operations and put their assets at risk. Short-term insurance serves as a safeguard, protecting assets and ensuring business operations continue smoothly.

Short-term insurance, also known as general insurance, shields businesses from possible financial losses. Temporary insurance plans usually last for a specific period, usually up to a year, and can be extended as required - unlike permanent insurance options such as life or disability insurance. Business owners can feel secure and protected financially with these plans, which cover immediate and tangible risks such as theft, property damage, liability and business interruptions.

The resources owned by small business owners - such as property, equipment, and investments - are crucial for the success and functioning of their businesses. Theft, fire or flooding can cause serious financial consequences in a single event. Short-term insurance provides protection for commercial property against losses or damages, thereby mitigating potential risks.

If a retail business owner is the victim of a break-in, he or she may be able to pay for the replacement of the stolen goods and repair of damage to the store with short-term insurance cover. This protection ensures that business owners can quickly recover from setbacks without enduring significant financial damages.

Small business owners are also concerned about third party liability claims their businesses, which is a significant problem. Sometimes accidents happen, leading to lawsuits that can result in financial compensation or large settlements. Public liability insurance and other types of temporary insurance provide protection for businesses against the costs of legal defence in cases where third parties claim property damage or bodily harm.

Another kind of short-term insurance is business interruption insurance. Business interruption insurance, a type of short-term coverage, is designed to compensate a company for its lost earnings in the event of a disaster such as a fire.

In short, short-term insurance offers small business owners a comprehensive safety net that safeguards their assets, lowers liability risks and ensures business operations can continue smoothly during unexpected challenges. It is advisable that entrepreneurs should protect their businesses and effectively navigate the unpredictable nature of today's business environment by familiarising themselves with the different options of short-term insurance and understanding how each one can benefit them.



**Johannes Hesekiel is the general manager of sales and underwriting at Old Mutual Namibia's short-term insurance division.

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Namibian Sun 2024-09-16

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Currie Cup: Vodacom Bulls 40 vs 40 Hollywoodbets Sharks XV | Fidelity ADT Lions 43 vs 34 Toyota Cheetahs XV Premier League: Wolves 1 vs 2 Newcastle | Tottenham Hotspur 0 vs 1 Arsenal | Bournemouth 0 vs 1 Chelsea | Aston Villa 3 vs 2 Everton | Manchester City 2 vs 1 Brentford | Liverpool 0 vs 1 Nottingham Forest | Fulham 1 vs 1 West Ham | Crystal Palace 2 vs 2 Leicester City | Brighton 0 vs 0 Ipswich Town | Southampton 0 vs 3 Manchester United LaLiga: Atletico Madrid 3 vs 0 Valencia | Las Palmas 2 vs 3 Athletic Club | Girona 1 vs 4 Barcelona | Celta Vigo 3 vs 1 Real Valladolid | Real Sociedad 0 vs 2 Real Madrid | Sevilla 1 vs 0 Getafe | Espanyol 3 vs 2 Deportivo Alaves | Mallorca 1 vs 2 Villarreal | Real Betis 2 vs 0 Leganés SerieA: Parma 2 vs 3 Udinese | Monza 1 vs 1 Inter Milan | Cagliari 0 vs 4 Napoli | Torino 0 vs 0 Lecce | Atalanta 3 vs 2 Fiorentina | Genoa 1 vs 1 AS Roma | AC Milan 4 vs 0 Venezia | Empoli 0 vs 0 Juventus | Como 2 vs 2 Bologna European Championships Qualifying: Portsmouth 0 vs 3 West Bromwich Albion | Watford 1 vs 1 Coventry City | Swansea City 1 vs 0 Norwich City | Sheffield Wednesday 1 vs 1 Queens Park Rangers | Plymouth Argyle 3 vs 2 Sunderland | Middlesbrough 1 vs 1 Preston North End | Derby County 1 vs 0 Cardiff City | Blackburn Rovers 3 vs 0 Bristol City | Oxford United 1 vs 0 Stoke City | Millwall FC 0 vs 1 Luton Town | Leeds United 0 vs 1 Burnley | Hull City 0 vs 2 Sheffield United English Championship: Portsmouth 0 vs 3 West Bromwich Albion | Watford 1 vs 1 Coventry City | Swansea City 1 vs 0 Norwich City | Sheffield Wednesday 1 vs 1 Queens Park Rangers | Plymouth Argyle 3 vs 2 Sunderland | Middlesbrough 1 vs 1 Preston North End | Derby County 1 vs 0 Cardiff City | Blackburn Rovers 3 vs 0 Bristol City | Oxford United 1 vs 0 Stoke City | Millwall FC 0 vs 1 Luton Town | Leeds United 0 vs 1 Burnley | Hull City 0 vs 2 Sheffield United Katima Mulilo: 22° | 40° Rundu: 20° | 40° Eenhana: 17° | 35° Oshakati: 17° | 35° Ruacana: 18° | 36° Tsumeb: 20° | 34° Otjiwarongo: 13° | 32° Omaruru: 10° | 31° Windhoek: 10° | 28° Gobabis: 10° | 29° Henties Bay: 12° | 16° Wind speed: 26km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 12:42, High tide: 06:54, Low Tide: 01:25, High tide: 19:15 Swakopmund: 11° | 14° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 12:40, High tide: 06:52, Low Tide: 01:23, High tide: 19:13 Walvis Bay: 11° | 20° Wind speed: 36km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 12:40, High tide: 06:51, Low Tide: 01:23, High tide: 19:12 Rehoboth: 8° | 26° Mariental: 11° | 27° Keetmanshoop: 11° | 26° Aranos: 10° | 28° Lüderitz: 10° | 22° Ariamsvlei: 11° | 27° Oranjemund: 11° | 17° Luanda: 21° | 22° Gaborone: 23° | 35° Lubumbashi: 16° | 38° Mbabane: 16° | 25° Maseru: 12° | 20° Antananarivo: 9° | 27° Lilongwe: 21° | 32° Maputo: 21° | 30° Windhoek: 10° | 28° Cape Town: 11° | 17° Durban: 18° | 23° Johannesburg: 17° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 24° | 29° Lusaka: 22° | 35° Harare: 19° | 31° Currency: GBP to NAD 23.25 | EUR to NAD 19.61 | CNY to NAD 2.48 | USD to NAD 17.63 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.29 | EGP to NAD 0.36 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.66 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.19 | RUB to NAD 0.19 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 131.63 | USD to AOA 926.34 | USD to BWP 13.26 | USD to EGP 48.38 | USD to KES 128.73 | USD to NGN 1645.13 | USD to ZAR 17.64 | USD to ZMW 26.47 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1787.81 Up +0.05% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13998.92 Up +0.82% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 30260.24 Down -0.78% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9625.57 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 581.88/OZ UP +0.10% | Copper US$ 4.24/lb UP +1.05% | Zinc US$ 2 961.30/T UP 0.23% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 73.22/BBP UP +1.68% | Platinum US$ 982.72/OZ DOWN -0.0121 Sport results: Currie Cup: Vodacom Bulls 40 vs 40 Hollywoodbets Sharks XV | Fidelity ADT Lions 43 vs 34 Toyota Cheetahs XV Premier League: Wolves 1 vs 2 Newcastle | Tottenham Hotspur 0 vs 1 Arsenal | Bournemouth 0 vs 1 Chelsea | Aston Villa 3 vs 2 Everton | Manchester City 2 vs 1 Brentford | Liverpool 0 vs 1 Nottingham Forest | Fulham 1 vs 1 West Ham | Crystal Palace 2 vs 2 Leicester City | Brighton 0 vs 0 Ipswich Town | Southampton 0 vs 3 Manchester United LaLiga: Atletico Madrid 3 vs 0 Valencia | Las Palmas 2 vs 3 Athletic Club | Girona 1 vs 4 Barcelona | Celta Vigo 3 vs 1 Real Valladolid | Real Sociedad 0 vs 2 Real Madrid | Sevilla 1 vs 0 Getafe | Espanyol 3 vs 2 Deportivo Alaves | Mallorca 1 vs 2 Villarreal | Real Betis 2 vs 0 Leganés SerieA: Parma 2 vs 3 Udinese | Monza 1 vs 1 Inter Milan | Cagliari 0 vs 4 Napoli | Torino 0 vs 0 Lecce | Atalanta 3 vs 2 Fiorentina | Genoa 1 vs 1 AS Roma | AC Milan 4 vs 0 Venezia | Empoli 0 vs 0 Juventus | Como 2 vs 2 Bologna European Championships Qualifying: Portsmouth 0 vs 3 West Bromwich Albion | Watford 1 vs 1 Coventry City | Swansea City 1 vs 0 Norwich City | Sheffield Wednesday 1 vs 1 Queens Park Rangers | Plymouth Argyle 3 vs 2 Sunderland | Middlesbrough 1 vs 1 Preston North End | Derby County 1 vs 0 Cardiff City | Blackburn Rovers 3 vs 0 Bristol City | Oxford United 1 vs 0 Stoke City | Millwall FC 0 vs 1 Luton Town | Leeds United 0 vs 1 Burnley | Hull City 0 vs 2 Sheffield United English Championship: Portsmouth 0 vs 3 West Bromwich Albion | Watford 1 vs 1 Coventry City | Swansea City 1 vs 0 Norwich City | Sheffield Wednesday 1 vs 1 Queens Park Rangers | Plymouth Argyle 3 vs 2 Sunderland | Middlesbrough 1 vs 1 Preston North End | Derby County 1 vs 0 Cardiff City | Blackburn Rovers 3 vs 0 Bristol City | Oxford United 1 vs 0 Stoke City | Millwall FC 0 vs 1 Luton Town | Leeds United 0 vs 1 Burnley | Hull City 0 vs 2 Sheffield United Weather: Katima Mulilo: 22° | 40° Rundu: 20° | 40° Eenhana: 17° | 35° Oshakati: 17° | 35° Ruacana: 18° | 36° Tsumeb: 20° | 34° Otjiwarongo: 13° | 32° Omaruru: 10° | 31° Windhoek: 10° | 28° Gobabis: 10° | 29° Henties Bay: 12° | 16° Wind speed: 26km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 12:42, High tide: 06:54, Low Tide: 01:25, High tide: 19:15 Swakopmund: 11° | 14° Wind speed: 33km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 12:40, High tide: 06:52, Low Tide: 01:23, High tide: 19:13 Walvis Bay: 11° | 20° Wind speed: 36km/h, Wind direction: S, Low tide: 12:40, High tide: 06:51, Low Tide: 01:23, High tide: 19:12 Rehoboth: 8° | 26° Mariental: 11° | 27° Keetmanshoop: 11° | 26° Aranos: 10° | 28° Lüderitz: 10° | 22° Ariamsvlei: 11° | 27° Oranjemund: 11° | 17° Luanda: 21° | 22° Gaborone: 23° | 35° Lubumbashi: 16° | 38° Mbabane: 16° | 25° Maseru: 12° | 20° Antananarivo: 9° | 27° Lilongwe: 21° | 32° Maputo: 21° | 30° Windhoek: 10° | 28° Cape Town: 11° | 17° Durban: 18° | 23° Johannesburg: 17° | 28° Dar es Salaam: 24° | 29° Lusaka: 22° | 35° Harare: 19° | 31° Economic Indicators: Currency: GBP to NAD 23.25 | EUR to NAD 19.61 | CNY to NAD 2.48 | USD to NAD 17.63 | DZD to NAD 0.13 | AOA to NAD 0.02 | BWP to NAD 1.29 | EGP to NAD 0.36 | KES to NAD 0.14 | NGN to NAD 0.01 | ZMW to NAD 0.66 | ZWL to NAD 0.04 | BRL to NAD 3.19 | RUB to NAD 0.19 | INR to NAD 0.21 | USD to DZD 131.63 | USD to AOA 926.34 | USD to BWP 13.26 | USD to EGP 48.38 | USD to KES 128.73 | USD to NGN 1645.13 | USD to ZAR 17.64 | USD to ZMW 26.47 | USD to ZWL 321 | Stock Exchange: JSE All Share Index Same 0 | Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX) Overall Index 1787.81 Up +0.05% | Casablanca Stock Exchange (CSE) MASI 13998.92 Up +0.82% | Egyptian Exchange (EGX) 30 Index 30260.24 Down -0.78% | Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) DCI 9625.57 Same 0 | NSX: MTC 7.75 SAME | Anirep 8.99 SAME | Capricorn Investment group 17.34 SAME | FirstRand Namibia Ltd 49 DOWN 0.50% | Letshego Holdings (Namibia) Ltd 4.1 UP 2.50% | Namibia Asset Management Ltd 0.7 SAME | Namibia Breweries Ltd 31.49 UP 0.03% | Nictus Holdings - Nam 2.22 SAME | Oryx Properties Ltd 12.1 UP 1.70% | Paratus Namibia Holdings 11.99 SAME | SBN Holdings 8.45 SAME | Trustco Group Holdings Ltd 0.48 SAME | B2Gold Corporation 47.34 DOWN 1.50% | Local Index closed 677.62 UP 0.12% | Overall Index closed 1534.6 DOWN 0.05% | Osino Resources Corp 19.47 DOWN 2.41% | Commodities: Gold US$ 2 581.88/OZ UP +0.10% | Copper US$ 4.24/lb UP +1.05% | Zinc US$ 2 961.30/T UP 0.23% | Brent Crude Oil US$ 73.22/BBP UP +1.68% | Platinum US$ 982.72/OZ DOWN -0.0121