Selling Handmade Products? Review Your Business Liability Questions

Describe exactly what you sell

A Bargersville maker should give a licensed agent a practical list of products, materials, intended users, and where the goods are made. A candle, skin product, toy, and decorative sign can present different questions. Include items you customize or source from someone else. A broad label such as handmade goods may leave out facts an insurer needs to evaluate an exposure.

Map every sales channel

Record whether you sell online, ship across state lines, attend local markets, or supply a retail shop. Ask whether the existing business policy addresses products after customers take them home and whether venue or retailer contracts require particular limits or additional insured terms. Our pop-up market vendor guide covers event-specific property and liability questions.

Keep product and supplier records

Maintain purchase invoices, batch or lot details where relevant, instructions, labels, customer communications, and a way to identify what was sold when. Ask a qualified legal or regulatory advisor about product warnings, testing, and recall duties; insurance is not a substitute for safety compliance. If another business supplies components, retain its identity and contract without assuming its policy will automatically protect yours.

Review liability and inventory separately

Ask the agent how the policy treats bodily injury or property damage allegations arising from products, defense costs, exclusions, and any limits. Then ask separately about stock, tools, and finished goods at the shop, in transit, or at events. Our business inventory guide helps organize the property side. A certificate of insurance summarizes coverage but does not by itself change the policy.

Update the review as the line grows

Bring new product types, changed ingredients, higher sales, or new wholesale contracts to the agent before assuming existing terms still fit. Request written answers and keep policy changes with the product records. Browse more Small Business Insurance articles for operational checklists.

The Jennifer Dammeier Agency serves Bargersville and nearby Johnson County communities. Contact Jennifer Dammeier American Family Insurance with your current policy and the details of your situation to discuss available options.

This article provides general educational information, not individualized insurance, legal, or tax advice. Coverage, availability, limits, exclusions, and claims depend on the policy and insurer. Review your documents with a licensed agent and consult other qualified advisors as needed.