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Why Entrepreneurs Should Have Life Insurance Plans

Anand Srivastava
Anand Srivastava
business.com Member
Dec 24, 2019

Find out how insurance policies could help with your business maintenance.

Although an entrepreneur needs to spend the majority of their time preparing for the rewarding business meetings and elevator speeches, only a handful actually give equal importance to the concerned families. While an established businessperson can get away with minor financial constraints, it is necessary for a startup owner or small business owner to plan for contingencies, especially when there is a family to look after.

Why get insurance?

Most people say that life insurance policies are necessary when a businessperson is looking to start a family of their own, but for an entrepreneur; the entire business setup is like their baby and needs protective backing of its own. 

This is where life insurance policies come into the mix. Moreover, the myth that only the working class needs to ensure their future needs to be debunked as life insurance policies are and will be relevant, even for every class of individual. 

Are there other benefits of a life insurance policy?

While a conventional mind only tags life insurance as future support, it also comes with a host of entrepreneurial benefits. Although protecting the family is the most pronounced attribute, an insurance policy can also help them avail sizable business loans. However, we'll now discussing a bit more about the process, in detail.

Business loans and life insurance policies: The connection

Entrepreneurs often need some additional financing to take their business to a whole new level. However, the concept of "money makes money" can only be applied if proper chunks of investment are injected into the venture. While investors might not always be willing to help, businesses can avail of a decent amount of loans against the Life Insurance policies. Moreover, there are countries where SBA or small-business loans are only provided if the person lending the same has an active life insurance policy. 

Moreover, it is important to note that banks offer loans depending on the insurance corpus and how the policy fares against the tenure of the loan. While the life insurance policy can act as a constant validator for the banks to trust the customer, certain entrepreneurs are known to use the policy as loan collateral. 

Bestow CEO Melbourne O’Banion also states that a sizable life insurance policy has the ability to skyrocket business growth, especially when it comes to availing additional financing for smaller setups. 

The procedure, however, is quite simple, as the policyholder needs to sign a particular agreement with the lender that in the case of an untimely death, the benefit will be first paid out to the person lending the amount, and then the proceeds will be offered to the policy beneficiaries. 

How entrepreneurs can deal with the uncertainties of life

Businesses, unless established over a period of years, cannot vouch for anything certain, even in terms of profits or survival. Moreover, the entrepreneurial pressure on the individuals is immense which eventually takes a toll on the body and mind. In addition to that, businesses can never run without the existing risk factors. This is what makes the role of insurance policies all the more important.

It must be understood that setting up a business isn’t a mere gimmick but a responsibility that needs to be fulfilled with considerable attention. Needless to say, a business or rather a corporation comprises of multiple employees and their livelihood depends on the smooth running and sustenance of the venture. Therefore, here are some of the most probable reasons why every entrepreneur must get hold of a life insurance policy:

  • In the case of a permanent disability or illness, the insurance amount can be used to run the business in a seamless manner.

  • Life insurance policy means that business handover, in case of untimely death, doesn't become a major deterrent. 

  • Last but not least, there are senior citizens who plan on starting small businesses and the perfect insurance policy would allow them to move forward with renewed vigor.

However, in the case of insurance for older individuals, the perfect policy must be identified using the seniors life insurance finder. Although most startups are fueled by the young blood, senior citizens are known for their experience which makes them excellent candidates, in regard to business setups. 

Life insurance policies relevant to business setups

Although there are quite a few life insurance policies for entrepreneurs to look at, there are quite a few aspects that need to be looked at before zeroing in on the perfect one:

  1. The insurance policy must be able to provide financial support to the entire business setup in case of an untimely demise.

  2. The concerned policy should be able to take care of the existing liabilities.

  3. Last but not least, an insurance policy must be able to support the family of the entrepreneur in their absence besides offering affordable premium plans to the policyholder.

The answer to all the requirements has to be the term insurance policy which is extremely essential for entrepreneurs. What needs to be understood is that a term insurance policy has the ability to take care of all the existing individualities besides helping entrepreneurs in case of emergencies. 

A term insurance policy can be extremely beneficial as it offers substantial coverage to the concerned individuals without them having to pay higher premium rates. While the sum assured is only guaranteed in case of death, it also comes handy in case of permanent disability. 

Here are some of the immediate benefits of a term insurance policy:

  • Exceptional levels of financial security to the entire family of the businessperson

  • Help in repaying loans and other kinds of business debts or liabilities

  • Ability to maintain the existing lifestyle even when the entrepreneur isn't around

How to choose the perfect insurance policy for your business

Before an entrepreneur starts envisioning the perfect life insurance policy, it is necessary to assess the requirements well in advance. Firstly, it needs to be understood whether the policy is opted to serve as collateral or to protect the family of the concerned individual, in case of their demise. Not just that, individuals must also asses the monthly budget which might come in the way of paying premiums. Moreover, the timeframe for securing the policy is also necessary to take note of before planning to get hold of a life insurance policy. 

Life insurance policies can surely come in handy for individuals who are looking to add an extra layer of security to their existing business ventures. Be it term life plans or senior insurance policies, these insurance schemes can empower any business setup by offering the necessary cover to the entrepreneurs. Most importantly, a small business owner needs to give additional importance to these insurance policies as he or she is more susceptible to risks as compared to some of the other individuals. Last but not least, the concept of business succession and legacy is well handled if and when a relevant insurance scheme is added to the mix. That said, the coverage amount pertaining to an insurance scheme is completely relevant to the lifestyle of the concerned individual. 

Image Credit: Jacoblund / Getty Images
Anand Srivastava
Anand Srivastava
business.com Member
Anand Srivastava is an entrepreneur, internet marketing expert and a technocrat. After completing his Master’s in Business Administration, Anand took over the internet as one of the leading business leaders— across the country. He started off with many joint ventures— including news creation, digital marketing models, technical setups and even e-commerce. He is currently working on some of his individual projects and making giant strides when it comes to success and recognition.