The calculator and the quote form below are in Dutch. Prefer to do this in English? Email info@finassverzekert. nl or call 072 - 509 24 56 and we will take it from there.
Work out for yourself what it would cost.
Enter your details; you will receive a proposal within one working day.
We compare the offerings of several insurers
An adviser checks whether the cover suits your activities
A premium indication, not personal advice. Prefer to talk it through? Call 072 - 509 24 56.
In brief
Business contents are everything you use to work with: machinery, tools, equipment, furniture. Goods are what you sell or process: stock, raw materials, materials. Both fall outside your private home contents insurance, even when they are in your own shed. For a sole trader that is the first gap: the items are at home, but the cover runs through a commercial business contents insurance.
The second issue is the place. Business insurance in principle covers what is at the insured address. Your van, the building site and a customer's premises fall outside that unless you include cover away from the premises. That is precisely where a self-employed professional's tools most often are, and precisely where they are stolen.
Never more than the actual loss is paid. That is the indemnity rule under Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code. Standard exclusions are wear and tear and inherent defect, money and securities, damage during transport without separate cover, and theft without signs of forced entry. If you insure for too little, payment is made proportionately.
What does business contents and goods cover for the self-employed?
The structure of the cover in three parts, with an overview per situation below.
The basics
Liability
AVB for property damage and injury, BAV for professional errors.
Damage to third parties
Employers' liability
Care, custody and control as an extension
Your business
Assets and continuity
Business contents, goods and lost turnover during downtime.
Business contents at replacement value as new
Goods at cost price
Business interruption or additional costs
If you employ people
Staff
Sickness absence, accidents and the traffic risk.
Continued pay for 104 weeks
Group personal accident
WEGAS for traffic risks
What is covered
Situation
AVB
BAV
Cyber
Injury to a visitor or customer
Yes
No
No
Damage to a client's property
Sometimes
No
No
Financial loss caused by an advisory or calculation error
No
Yes
No
Downtime after a ransomware attack
No
No
Yes
Data breach involving personal data
No
Sometimes
Yes
Damage to property in your care
No
No
No
This overview is general in nature and is not personal advice. What is actually covered, including exclusions, limits and the excess, is set out in the policy conditions and the insurance card (verzekeringskaart) of the insurer; you receive both before you take out cover. Taking out cover without advice? Then read what execution only means for you.
Where things go wrong in practice
Four points that make the difference between a policy that pays out and one that does not.
The van is the weakest point
Most tools belonging to self-employed professionals are not stolen from premises but from a vehicle. Insurers know this and set conditions: theft from a vehicle is often only covered after demonstrable forced entry, sometimes only during the day, and sometimes only up to a limited amount. Read that provision before you sign, because it determines whether your cover means anything. A certified tool chest or an alarm usually widens the conditions.
Replacement value as new does not apply for ever
Business contents are usually paid at replacement value as new and goods at cost price. But as soon as equipment reaches a certain age, or the market value is only a small part of the new value, most policies switch to market value. With a ten-year-old machine that is the difference between replacing and not replacing. Ask where that limit lies in your conditions and take it into account in your investment planning.
Insured for too little means paid in part
With underinsurance, settlement is proportionate: if the actual value is double the sum insured, you receive about half of every claim, even a small one. Self-employed professionals run into this because the list quietly grows over the years. Keep a simple inventory list with purchase date and amount, and adjust the sum insured after a major investment or as stock grows.
What is not included
Outside the cover remain: money and securities, motor vehicles and trailers, wear and tear and inherent defect, and damage during transport without separate goods in transit cover. Plant you hire or lease from someone else is also not automatically included; you have that in your care and it calls for its own arrangement. If you work from home, declare that business activity to your home insurer as well. An undeclared activity affects Article 7:928 of the Dutch Civil Code.
What does your premium depend on?
Sum insured for business contents and goods. The main basis for the calculation; choosing too low saves premium but costs on every claim.
Where the items are kept. A home, garage box, rented business unit or business premises each present a different risk.
Security. Locks, alarm, camera surveillance and the construction type of the building determine acceptance and discount.
Nature of the goods. Hand tools, electronics, precious metal or flammable stock are each assessed differently.
Cover away from the premises. Including tools in the vehicle, on site or at a customer's premises raises the premium.
Excess and claims history. A higher excess per event pushes the premium down; earlier thefts work the other way.
Insurers weigh these details differently. That is where your saving is.
How we arrange it
You request a quoteWe take stock of your activities, turnover and wishes.
We compareseveral insurers, on premium as well as conditions.
You receive a proposalWith an explanation of the differences and the exclusions.
We arrange the switchIncluding cancellation, so there is no gap in cover.
Customers rate our service on four aspects: personal service, service delivery, availability and the outcome. The reviews are collected and published by NH1816 and come from customers who have actually taken out a policy with Finass Advies B.V. or reported a claim.
Are my tools covered by my home contents insurance?
No. Home contents insurance covers private belongings. Business assets fall outside it, even when they are in your own home or shed. Some home policies have a small amount for business items, but that is rarely enough for a complete set of tools. If you work from home, declare that to your home insurer as well; an undeclared business activity is a well-known ground for refusing a household claim.
Are my tools insured in the van overnight?
Often only in part, or not at all. Many policies cover theft from a vehicle only after demonstrable forced entry, only within certain hours, or up to a maximum amount lower than the rest of the cover. Some conditions require the vehicle to be in a locked space. Look up that provision before you sign; it is the most common disagreement with this insurance.
Will I be paid replacement value as new or market value?
Business contents usually at replacement value as new, goods at cost price. But above a certain age, or if the market value is only a small part of the new value, most policies switch to market value. In any event no more than the actual loss is paid; that follows from Article 7:960 of the Dutch Civil Code. Ask where that switch lies in your conditions.
What happens if I am insured for too little?
Then payment is proportionate. If the actual value is twice the sum insured, you receive about half of every claim, even one well below the sum insured. That is the most expensive misunderstanding with this policy. Update your inventory list after a major purchase and report stock that has grown structurally.
Finass Verzekert is a trading name of Finass Advies B.V. We advise on and arrange non-life insurance on the basis of an objective analysis of several insurers, and receive commission for this from the insurer, which is included in the premium. You pay no separate advice fee. Before you take out cover, we establish your wishes and needs.
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