[TheThinkTank] Insurance/Liability

[Jason Tanzman]

I'm new to this list but it seems like an awesome community of shared 
knowledge!

Here is another question that our shop is dealing with - insurance and 
liability questions.  We have recently expanded to a substantially 
larger space; in the past we operated out of a large garage/warehouse 
area, with very low rent, one paid staff member (hired as independent 
contractor), and no insurance.  We are growing substantially and we want 
to make sure we protect all of our customers/volunteers/clients from 
issues if someone was hurt on one of our bikes or at our shop.

But - it seems really expensive, how do community bike shops pay for 
it?  How much do you pay per month for liability insurance?  Do you have 
volunteer lawyers giving legal advice?  Do you pay workman's comp for 
your staff, or do you hire staff as independent contractors?  We want to 
make sure we do this right and protect our people, but it's expensive 
and hard.  Any information is helpful!!

-Jason