Fitness Studios: Decoding The Insurance Mystery Part 2
Many fitness studio owners find insurance coverage to be a mystery, and when it comes to property insurance...well, that’s just another layer of confusion. The main thing that fitness professionals need to understand is that property insurance is very different from general liability insurance. If a rock flies through a glass door at the studio, you may find you’re responsible, and you’re not covered under the general liability insurance policy. Here’s where it gets really [...]
Strategic Partnership Helps Martial Arts Experts Defend Against Liability
After years of teaching defense, Martial Arts experts will be learning a new one thanks to a strategic partnership between the Sports and Fitness Insurance Company (SFIC) and the Martial Arts Teachers’ Association. This partnership seeks to educate and prepare school owners and instructors for the potential liabilities they face while teaching self-defense and martial arts. John Graden is the founder of MATA and the author of many books on how to run a martial [...]
A Few Words From A Satisfied Customer
It's always a thrill here at SFIC to hear from our satisfied customers. After all, we're in the business of keeping fitness studios and professionals in business themselves. So it was great to hear from Jayah Faye Paley at Poles For Mobility, a unique California company, who truly values the service we provide. She writes: I have been a loyal and satisfied customer of Sports & Fitness Insurance Corporation for 9 years. In addition to [...]
Setting Up Systems for Your Fitness Business
Josh Leve Co-founder & President of Association of Fitness Studios By Josh Leve As small business owners, you juggle everything. From marketing, accounting, human relations…oh and you’re probably training too. So how do you keep all those balls in the air? How do you make it all work, while generating the revenue necessary to pay the bills today and live the lifestyle you want tomorrow? While it’s one thing to map out sales [...]
How to Power Up the Heart Through Exercise and Nutrition
By Tammy LeBoss, thefitprofoodie.com “Nature itself is the best medicine.” - Hippocrates. Hello Fitness Professionals! Did you know that February is Healthy Heart month? Chances are if you’re not already working with a client with a heart condition, you will, and we want to prepare you for this. The statistics are alarming and heart disease is no joke. The good news is, according to recent studies, heart disease may be prevented, even reversible through exercise [...]
Fitness Studios: Decoding The Insurance Mystery Part I
By Jennifer Urmston Lowe As an owner of a health club, gym, or group exercise studio, you know there are risks and responsibilities associated with running a business. In the fitness field, specifically, you have people participating in physical activities on-site. There could be an injury as a result of an accident, an insult introduced by inadvertent humor, or even a claim from a client that a fitness expert’s advice negatively impacted their health. These [...]
The “Yoga Tax” and its Impact on Your Fitness Studio
This post originally appeared on www.afsfitness.com. Click here to visit AFSFitness.com in a new window. By Chuck Leve, AFS Business Consultant & Manager. By the time you read this, it’s very likely that the District of Columbia will have enacted what’s been called a “gym tax” in an effort to balance their 2015 budget. This new, 5.75% tax on memberships and fees affects gyms, yoga studios and other health club services in an effort to [...]
Am I covered? Fitness Insurance Answers for Fitness Professionals
We often get inquiries asking if instructors and trainers are covered under the insurance policies of the fitness centers and studios where they work. This is a very important question. If a fitness professional is a direct employee or owner of the facility where they teach or train the clients of the club or studio, then they are most likely covered by that facility’s general fitness liability insurance. Trainers always need to verify this with [...]
How Fitness Professionals Can Protect Themselves With Insurance
Individual insurance policies tailored to meet the needs of fitness professionals should include coverage to protect them from all types of claims, including the four primary liability exposures outlined in an earlier blog. These individual policies are relatively inexpensive and follow the individual wherever they train, even if it's in multiple facilities at one time–or if they change facilities within the policy year. When purchasing an individual policy, fitness professionals should look for the following: [...]
The 4 Laws of Fitness Liability
There are so many things to think about when it comes to protecting your livelihood as a group exercise (group X) instructor. Of course, anyone working with the public must be careful when it comes to personal interactions. But we’ve narrowed it down to the four primary types of liability exposure common to all fitness clubs and studios. First, premises liability. This relates to the facility itself and is primarily the responsibility of the club [...]
Personal Trainer Insurance Should Be in the Business Plan
How lucky are you to be a fitness professional building a career out of a passion for health, nutrition, strength training, yoga, etc? It’s a dream come true—until someone sues you. While worrying about liability and litigation are the last things on your list as you launch your new career, every fitness instructor needs personal trainer insurance to protect themselves. It’s a standard part of doing business. At this point you’re probably thinking, “Not me. I'm [...]
Real Life Scenarios: Occurrence vs. Claims-Made Professional Liability Insurance
Claims Scenario #1 You buy a policy on January 1, 2009 and renewed it in 2010 and 2011. In 2012, you forgot to renew the policy and the coverage lapsed. (Or, you stopped training clients and chose not to renew your policy. Or, your insurance company non-renewed your policy because they didn’t want to insure trainers anymore. It doesn’t matter why your coverage lapsed, just that it DID lapse.) Meanwhile, you trained Client X in [...]
The Truth About Occurrence vs. Claims-Made Professional Liability Insurance
Last week we made a case for Occurrence Professional Liability Insurance. Here, we explain why with a bit more detail. Professional Liability Insurance is provided either on an Occurrence basis or a Claims-Made basis. There are several important differences between the two, but the most important are: Timing of when the claim is filed triggers coverage How the Limits Work Occurrence Coverage Timing An Occurrence policy protects you from any covered incident that “occurs” during [...]
Occurrence vs. Claims-Made: Liability Insurance for Fitness Professionals
I’m well aware that the discussion of “claims-made” vs. “occurrence” professional liability coverage can get really boring, really quickly. Although I make my living in the world of “insurance,” I don’t for a minute pretend that this topic is particularly thrilling or exciting. But it is important. Many of your clients or facilities where you work may not ever ask you for proof of insurance, and those that do will likely be satisfied with any [...]
Fitness Pros—Protect Your Assets
No doubt you are working as a professional in the fitness industry because you want to help people. And, to your credit, the job description of “Personal Trainer” has become a respected position. Clients, club owners and staff, as well as friends and family members ask you for advice concerning health and fitness issues. But since you are a “professional,” your words of wisdom are held to a higher standard. Sometimes, that can backfire. Let’s [...]