💲Starts at $24.25/month for year-round coverage
✔️ Meets craft fair, market, retail, and online requirements
📜 Bundles general and product liability on one policy
💻 Instant access to your Certificate of Insurance (COI)
➕ Add free, unlimited additional insureds to your policy
🔑 Unlock optional protection, like Theft & Damage Coverage
🎨 Simple, straightforward policies for handmade businesses
When you start selling your creations, you’re no longer just a maker, you’re also a business owner. That means you’ve got some business-y stuff to consider, like handmade artisan insurance.
What is Handmade Insurance?
Handmade insurance is liability coverage that protects artists, crafters, and makers from third-party claims related to running a business, selling products, and interacting with customers.
How It Differs from General Small Business Insurance
You’re familiar with custom orders, what about custom insurance?
Most generic small business policies don’t understand your world. You may get too much or too little coverage, overpay for your policy, or deal with companies that don’t understand the risks you face (like going to craft shows or operating pottery wheels).
Handmade artisan insurance from ACT is simplified, streamlined, and made to match the kind of risks you face!
Do I Need Insurance to Sell Handmade Crafts?
You absolutely need insurance to sell handmade crafts! Handmade insurance is designed to cover you for common crafting mishaps, so you can enjoy the freedom to create safely.
⭐ Freedom to set up at craft fairs and easily show proof of insurance
⭐ Freedom to sell your products, knowing you’re protected if there’s an accident
⭐ Freedom to grow your business without letting the “what-ifs” get in the way
Reliable Coverage for Real Risks
The products you make and sell are your responsibility, even after they’ve left your hands. If someone gets hurt or their stuff is damaged because of a product you made, you could be on the hook. Take some of these claim scenarios, for example:
- Your handcrafted glassware shatters and injures a customer
- A customer trips over your display at a craft show and breaks their ankle
- Your hand-dyed rug dye transfers and stains a customer’s carpet
As much as you pour love into every creation, you can’t control how people use your products (or what happens when they take them home). Insurance gives you a safety net so you’re not personally stuck paying for injuries, damages, or lawsuits.
“I wouldn’t ever do an event without insurance after doing this for decades, I have just seen one too many bad experiences happen to people. Whether they had insurance or not made all the difference.”
—Tara W, Glass Artist, Owner of MT Head Arts
ACT Pro vs ACT Go: Which Policy Do I Get?
ACT Pro
⭐ Best for handmade businesses
✅ General Liability Insurance
✅ Damage to Rented Premises
✅ Product Liability Insurance
✅ Personal & Advertising Injury
✅ Instant Certificate of Insurance
✅ Free, unlimited additional insureds
✅ Online and in-store coverage
✅ Unlimited event coverage
✅ Add Theft & Damage Coverage
✅ Add Workshop & Class Coverage
✅ Add Data Breach Insurance
ACT Go
⭐ Best for vendors
✔️ General Liability Insurance
✔️ Damage to Rented Premises
✔️ Instant Certificate of Insurance
✔️ Free, unlimited additional insureds
❌ Product Liability Insurance
❌ Personal & Advertising Injury
❌ Online and in-store coverage
❌ Unlimited event coverage
❌ Add Theft & Damage Coverage
❌ Add Workshop & Class Coverage
❌ Add Data Breach Insurance
ACT Pro is made for a handmade business! It goes beyond your vendor booth, covering you for product-related claims, online sales, and advertising mistakes. It also unlocks the ability to add coverage for theft and damage to your own gear and inventory.
ACT Go is a short-term policy that only covers you for injuries or damages caused by your business at events (nothing more). It may work for people only looking to attend an event here or there. However, we wouldn’t recommend it for a full-scale handmade business.
How Much Does Handmade Insurance Cost?
Policies with ACT Pro start at just $24.25 a month for handmade insurance, which includes general and product liability, coverage for events, and coverage for online sales!
Customize Your Coverage to YOU!
Tailor your ACT Pro policy based on your business, your risks, and your budget!
- Choose from monthly payments starting at $24.25/month
- Save with a one-time annual payment of $279/year
- Add Theft & Damage Coverage for $4.50/month
- Add Workshop & Class Coverage for $10.42/month
- Add Data Breach Insurance for $8.25/month
Types of Handmade Businesses That Need Insurance
If you sell something you made with your own two hands, insurance is for you. We most commonly cover:
- Artisans
- Artists
- Art show exhibitors
- Clothing makers and knitters
- Craft show and market vendors
- Fiber artists
- Glass artists
- Hobbyists and crafters
- Home-based makers
- Indie labels
- Jewelry designers
- Metalcrafters
- Online sellers
- Painters and fine artists
- Potters and polymer clay artists
- Scrapbookers and paper artists
- Sculptors
- Woodworkers
Market Vendors and Art Exhibitors
It’s common to see insurance requirements when you sell or showcase your handmade works and wares at events like:
Get quick coverage before your next event today and enjoy instant access to your COI, free additional insureds, and coverage for common event claims!
Online Sellers
Many online ecommerce platforms that handicrafters and artists sell their work on often exclude coverage for product liability claims
So if you sell on sites like:
- Etsy
- Amazon Handmade
- MakerPlace by Michaels
- eBay
- Facebook Marketplace
- A personal website
…then you need handmade artisan insurance to protect you from gaps left by seller protections, terms and conditions, or all that stuff in the fine print you agree to.
Workshops, Studios, and Classes
If you lead any sort of demonstration, such as:
- Crafting nights
- Art classes
- DIY parties
- Trades workshops
- Studio classes
ACT Pro’s Workshop & Class Coverage add-on can cover injuries or damages caused by your professional instruction or services.
What to Expect When Purchasing Handmade Insurance
Getting an ACT Pro policy is fast, streamlined, and easy — it’s quicker than watching paint dry! We’ll ask a few questions about what you make, the coverage you need, your business, and how much you earn.
Here’s a quick look at the steps involved in our checkout process:
- Choose your policy type
- Supply your annual gross sales
- Choose the date you want coverage to begin
- Customize your policy with optional coverage
- Provide your personal and business information
- Agree to the terms and conditions
- Review your policy details
- Pay for your policy
FAQs About Handmade Insurance
Do I Need Insurance if My Business is Small or Just a Side Hustle?
Yes, you need insurance if your business is small or just a side hustle. Even if you’re making under $10K a year, you’re still legally responsible for what you sell and put out into the market.
Insurance protects your personal finances from unexpected claims or lawsuits, and it helps you easily fulfill vendor requirements so you can attend events worry-free.
Can I Get Insurance for My Handmade Business if I Work From Home?
Yes, you can get insurance for your handmade business if you work from home! Most homeowners’ insurance doesn’t cover business-related claims. Handmade business insurance fills that gap, so you’re covered from your home studio, craft room, or kitchen table!
What Happens if a Customer Files a Claim Against Me?
If a customer files a claim against you, you need to file a claim with your business insurance:
- Log in to your ACT online account
- Locate the “Manage Policies” section
- Click “File a Claim”
- Fill out and submit the form
If you’re insured with ACT and your claim is covered, your policy helps cover legal defense, damages, and sometimes even medical costs. Instead of panicking and emptying your savings, you file a claim with ACT!
