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dellyb Mar 24, 2014

Hi all

Hope this is in the right place, but please move if not...

I am looking to take my bears to a fair at the end of April and am now looking for Personal Liability and Product Insurance.  As this is only a Hobby and will never be a fully fledged business I don't/cant really be spending the earth on insurance.

I have phoned around and have got quotes from £200-£500 for the year.  In all honesty, even if I sold as many bears I could make I doubt I would be able to pay all that for insurance alone.. One guy very rudely laughed at me when I said that was extremely expensive (the £500 one)...

Can anyone in the UK recommend anyone?  I will only be doing about 4 fairs from now till the end of the year...

Thanks
Adele

Hazelwood Crafts Mar 24, 2014

I've seen these recommended on other forums:
http://www.craftinsurance.co.uk/insuran … rtnership/
http://www.cmtia.co.uk/id10.html

Anita

jenny Mar 29, 2014

It's a toughie because if you are doing fairs intending on selling your work then it isn't a hobby. That is not me saying that, that's the law saying that. No matter how few you sell ...if you sell them in the UK you are bound by business regulations if you attend fairs and sell your work. I think other countries may be different. But in the UK there is no half way ...no point where you can say ' I sell what I make but I am not a business'
So I do see your dilemma. There are ways to get discount on insurance and that is to join a trade association such as the Market Traders association and they offer insurance for small businesses at a discount...but joining will cost too...so what you gain on the swings you lose on the roundabouts. Also banks offer it too as a discount if you have a business account.

edmondnutmeg Mar 29, 2014

I used Ian Wallace who specializes in craft based business and it cost me £110 but that was last year so I hope it hasn't gone up to £200 (gulp  ) There is another one I looked at that was a bit cheaper who was also a craft/art based collective that like jenny said if you joined it covered you for craft fairs but I can't remember its name. Try googling liability insurance for craft fairs. Hope this helps
michelle