If you’re a marketing consultant, you probably have at least one client company that requires you to carry some type of insurance. Maybe you run a small marketing or market research firm with a few employees, or maybe you’re an independent Internet marketing consultant or media professional. Regardless, you might wonder: Is all this insurance for marketing consultants really necessary?

If your client says you need it, you know you have to get it to secure the work. The good news is, in the majority of instances, getting the required marketing consultant insurance coverage can be both affordable and healthy for your business.

In general, client companies want their marketing consultants, researchers and media professionals to carry some or all of the following three types of coverage:

General liability insurance

General liability insurance covers injury to people or damage to property. To marketing consultants, insurance like this may seem unnecessary. After all, what’s the likelihood that someone leading a meeting or presenting slides will damage a client’s property or hurt someone?

The fact is, a lot of companies require any vendors who may come on-site – from network technicians to market researchers, media professionals and Internet marketing consultants – to prove that they have general liability insurance. In most cases, the client’s risk managers drive the mandate, seeking to reduce the company’s risk of financial losses from lawsuits.

Additionally, general liability insurance reduces marketing consultants’ liability in the event of accidents at their own offices. If a client injures himself when he trips over the rug in your office’s entryway, your general liability insurance should cover any related financial liability – and could save your business relationship with that client.

Professional liability insurance

Professional liability insurance, also known as errors and omissions or E&O insurance, is like malpractice insurance for marketing consultants, protecting you in the event of errors and omissions made by you or your employees. Clients require it for a good reason: People make mistakes.

Your client’s greatest risk in bringing you in as a marketing consultant is that any error or oversight on your part could spark a lawsuit or financial loss. Having this type of insurance can substantially reduce marketing consultants’ liability.

Let’s say you develop an advertising campaign that you’re sure will win your client new business. Instead, some existing customers find the campaign offensive, sparking a backlash that results in lost business for your client. Your client can claim that you’re responsible for any resulting financial losses and could sue you for compensation.

Professional liability insurance is a good idea for any marketing or media professional. Without it, your legal defense could be expensive enough to sink your business. Sometimes, all it takes is a misunderstanding, and you can be hit with a lawsuit. After a client alleges that you were negligent and communications begin to break down, your legal expenses rise exponentially.

To get answers about the right amount of coverage for E&O, marketing consultants should seek out a reputable insurance agency that can assess the business’ level of risk.

Workers’ compensation insurance

Workers’ compensation insurance can be one of the more confusing types of coverage, largely because some states require it while others don’t. If your client’s home office is located in a state that requires it, you could be asked to carry it, even if it’s not a requirement in the state where you do business.

Why do clients insist on workers’ compensation insurance for marketing consultants? In some states, if you’re injured while under contract, your client must cover you with its own workers’ compensation policy. And, in some states, your client’s insurance carrier may require its customers to cover all contractors that don’t show their own proof of coverage. In both cases, your clients’ premiums go up.

In the event of on-the-job injuries, workers’ compensation insurance pays for medical expenses as well as disability and compensation. If you’re a solo marketing consultant or media professional, and you have your own health insurance policy, workers’ compensation insurance may be unnecessary – but your client may require it nonetheless.

If your marketing consultancy does have employees, protecting them with workers’ compensation insurance is just a wise idea. Whether it’s repetitive stress injuries due to typing or a sprained ankle from a fall on a slick break room floor, even the smallest on-the-job hazards could result in injuries that could take your people off the job. Workers’ compensation insurance gives you peace of mind that your employees are taken care of, and saves your marketing consulting company the cost of any ongoing medical care.