When something unexpected happens, having the right insurance can make a huge difference. But there are also some simple things you can do beforehand that can make the situation much easier to deal with.

You can’t control the weather, stop a pipe from bursting or guarantee that your business will never be disrupted. But you can make sure you’re reasonably well prepared if something does happen.

 

Start with the simple things

Being prepared doesn’t need to be complicated.

At home, it might be knowing where and how to turn off your water supply. Keeping gutters and drains clear. Staying on top of maintenance around your roof, trees and property. Or having a few up-to-date photos of your home and belongings.

For a business, it could mean regularly backing up important information, knowing how you’d contact staff and customers if your usual systems weren’t available, and having a plan for what you’d do if you couldn’t access your premises for a few days.

None of this is particularly complicated. But if something does go wrong, you’ll be glad you thought about it beforehand.

 

Know who you’d call

It’s also worth thinking about the people you might need if something happened.

Do you have contact details handy for your plumber, electrician or other trusted tradespeople? If you run a business, who would you need to speak to first if you had to close unexpectedly or couldn’t access your systems?

And do you know who to call about your insurance?

At Dawson’s, we’re often one of those calls. When something happens, we can help you understand what you’re covered for, what you need to do next and how to get the claims process underway.

You don’t need to wait until there’s a claim to talk to us, either.

 

Make sure your insurance has kept up

Being prepared also means knowing that the cover you’ve put in place still reflects what you actually have today.

Homes change. Businesses grow. Equipment gets replaced. Renovations happen. What was accurate when a policy was first arranged won’t necessarily still be accurate several years later.

You don’t need to think through every possible eventuality, but significant changes are worth mentioning to your broker.

If you do need to make a claim, it means we have the best possible information to work with and there’s less chance of any surprises.

 

A little preparation goes a long way

Nobody wants to spend too much time thinking about what might go wrong. But a little preparation can make a difficult situation much easier to deal with.

Insurance is part of that preparation. It won’t prevent a storm, a break-in or a burst pipe, but having the right cover in place, knowing who to call and having a few practical plans sorted can make the aftermath a lot less daunting.

If it’s been a while since you’ve looked at your insurance, or something has changed and you’re not sure whether we need to know about it, have a chat with the team at Dawson’s. We’re always happy to talk it through.