In this often uncertain economic climate one way to help earn additional money and pay down debt is to bank on one of the least tangible but most valuable products you have; your knowledge. With the ease of online training sessions, the popularity of online mentoring, and the immediacy of online classes, this form of remote teaching is becoming very popular.But when you decide to earn a profit by mentoring, training, or teaching another online, you may be positioning yourself as an expert within the industry or discipline you cover. As an expert you may want to consider the addition of professional liability insurance in order to protect yourself against liabilities that arise from mistakes or misunderstandings.
Why You Need Professional Liability
Training another professional isn’t a task that’s taken on for fun. If you collect money from individuals, you make certain promises about your experience, knowledge and abilities. This positions you as a professional and an expert and could introduce liabilities to your work.
For example, let’s say that one of your mentees or students misunderstands a lesson or you make an error when teaching them because you weren’t aware of a newly passed regulation. Your student or mentee might go on to practice their business in a way that causes one of their client’s damage. They could be sued for those damages and, upon realizing that they learned that particular method or approach from you, they may decide to sue you. Without professional liability insurance, you would be left to pay court costs—even on lawsuits that are not your fault. And if you are found liable, you’d need to pay damages out of your own pocket. With professional liability insurance, your policy would likely pay the damages and costs associated with the liability claim.
Don't allow the ease with which you may begin teaching students online to lull you into a false sense of security. If you exchange money or other property for your knowledge and expertise, then you are running a business and could have commercial liability exposure. Secure the proper liability insurance policy before you begin taking on students and mentees and protect yourself from lawsuits and the resulting financial consequences.
If you aren’t sure what kind of Baton Rouge insurance policies you or your business need, give us a call at (225) 754-5658. We understand the specialized needs of Baton Rouge business owners in many different industries and can help you keep up with the many ways changing technology affects your business risks.
