Commercial Broker GuideThe business owner's guide to commercial insurance
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Free Claude skill · for business owners

What Insurance Does My Business Need? Checklist Builder

Walk into your broker meeting knowing what to ask about, why each item is on your list, and with every document you need.

  • 15 minutes
  • beginner
  • v1.0.0
  • Claude, Claude Code, Codex

How it works

  1. Answer a short interviewWhat you do, where, people, vehicles, contracts, money, data and advice.
  2. Map answers to coveragesEmployees, vehicles, leases and customer data each bring up specific coverages.
  3. Sort the listBrought up by your answers, worth asking about, and contract requirements.
  4. Explain every itemWhat it covers in plain words and the reason it is on your list.
  5. Add state notes and documentsRules that vary by state, and what to bring to the meeting.
  6. Meet a licensed brokerYour broker decides with you what coverage fits your business.

Have this ready

  • What your business does and where
  • Employees, contractors and vehicles
  • Any lease or contract that asks for insurance
  • Whether you take cards, store customer data or give advice
  • What insurance you have today, if any

What you get back

  • A checklist with what each coverage covers and why it is there
  • A list of contract and lease requirements, explained
  • Questions to ask your broker, most urgent first
  • The documents to bring to the meeting

A taste of the output

From the worked exampleMade up, for illustration
Your insurance checklist: Copper Kettle Catering

How to use this: take this list to a licensed broker. It is a list of things to discuss, not a list of things to buy.

BROUGHT UP BY WHAT YOU TOLD ME
Workers' compensation: medical bills and lost wages for employees hurt on the job. On your list because you have 3 full-time employees and part-time servers. Requirements vary by state.
Liquor liability: claims tied to someone you served alcohol. On your list because you serve beer and wine at events.
Inland marine: equipment that travels. On your list because you take $40,000 of equipment to venues.

CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
Wedding venue: additional insured, waiver of subrogation, certificate of insurance.

FIRST QUESTION FOR YOUR BROKER
Is workers' compensation required for us, and does it include part-time servers?

(Business, owner and details are made up for illustration.)

Before you paste anything in

Remove account numbers, Social Security numbers and anything personal about your employees before you paste a document into any AI tool. The skill explains; your licensed agent or broker makes the coverage calls.

What's in the download

business-insurance-checklist-builder/SKILL.mdThe playbook Claude reads
business-insurance-checklist-builder/examples/worked-example.mdA full sample run
business-insurance-checklist-builder/references/quality-checks.mdPass or fail checks
business-insurance-checklist-builder/templates/operator-worksheet.mdFill-in worksheet

New to skills? Here is how to add one to Claude.

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Questions

Will this tell me exactly what insurance to buy?

No. It builds a list of coverages to discuss, with the reason each one came up. A licensed broker who knows your state and industry decides with you what fits and how much.

Is workers' compensation required for my business?

It depends on your state, your industry and who works for you. Requirements vary by state; check with your state's workers' compensation agency or your agent. The checklist puts it at the top of your questions when you have employees.

What if I work from home?

The checklist adds a question about whether your homeowner's or renter's policy covers business property and business visitors, because that is easy to assume and worth confirming with your broker.