Guides

Deep-dives on how to buy, compare, and file claims on small business insurance.

• Small business insurance requirements by state

  What insurance each state legally requires from small businesses — workers' compensation thresholds, commercial auto minimums, contractor licensing requirements, and the regulatory bodies that enforce them — with state-by-state detail.

  Updated 2026-04-25

• How much does small business insurance cost in 2026?

  The 2026 cost of small business insurance — by policy type, industry, state, and revenue band — with the data sources, carrier rate floors, and underwriting drivers behind every number.

  Updated 2026-04-25

• General liability vs. professional liability: which do you need?

  The structural difference between general liability and professional liability insurance, the industries that need one, both, or neither, and how to decide which to buy first.

  Updated 2026-04-25

• Certificate of insurance (COI): what it is and how to get one

  What a certificate of insurance actually proves, how to request one from your carrier, why ACORD 25 is the standard form, and the additional-insured and waiver-of-subrogation endorsements that contracts most often require.

  Updated 2026-04-25