A necessary component required to operate a Watch, Guard, Patrol or Investigative Company is that you are licensed, bonded and insured. Most insurance companies do not offer the specific type of coverage that your municipal governing bodies require of your business so you will most likely need to contact a firm that specialized in this type of coverage.

Premiums are based on who your clients are, where they are located, services you are providing, whether your guards will be armed or unarmed and your annual payroll.

A useful tip when going through the application process as a new firm is to keep it short and simple when communicating the types of clients you are attempting to procure. You may hope to obtain clients who desire a broad array of security needs from basic unarmed uniformed officers to armed guards to executive protection, but it is important to understand that the majority of the industry demand is for unarmed, uniformed officers, and this is most likely where the bulk of your services will be provided.

When communicating the types of services you are looking to provide in your application for insurance, stay away from listing the higher risk services such as armed guards and executive protection as they will automatically increase your initial premium even though you are yet to have a contract providing the service. You can always add these higher risk services to your coverage on a case by case basis as you obtain the projects. In the meantime, stick to listing unarmed services at construction sites, retail stores and parking lots as it will potentially save you thousands in unnecessary premium costs.

You will typically need to supply the following items with your insurance application:

-A copy of your resume detailing your experience in the industry to own and operate your firm

-A letter indicating the types of clients you plan to solicit and the services you plan to offer

-A copy of your sample contract on your company letterhead

-A copy of your state license

El Dorado Insurance specializes in delivering custom-built private security insurance programs to armed and unarmed security guard companies. Contact El Dorado Insurance at 800-221-3386 for all your insurance needs.

If you’re looking for more info and details on how to get started be sure to visit startasecuritycompany.com for a complete list of our tutorial eBooks and security templates and visit our Business in a Box page for a great deal when purchasing all of our products.