Hi, Virge and all-
        I have had an insurance rider - titled "Inland Marine Policy" ??? It
covers such things as computers, more-than-normal camera equipment, and
boats (hence the title) that are not considered normal attachments of a
house. My insurance agency is an independent, so they regularly look
around for good deals: the company we were insured by just pulled out of
Michigan; that policy was $150/year. The new company charges $75 for the
same coverage, so it pays to shop around. I have all of my computer
equipment plus software (that didn't come bundled with the computers) &
general supplies covered. I assume they have a limit on how much that
$75 will cover (replacement costs), but I haven't hit it yet. Of course,
the fees are deductible, and it's worth the expense. I don't have
liability insurance specifically for the business, as my clients rarely
come here.
        We just had a monitored security system put in, so I don't know how
that will affect the insurance rates.
        I keep backup copies of completed jobs, business records, etc, in a
secure place. E-mail isn't secure, so I won't specify.
        Before our security system, I loaned most of my good pieces to the zoo
in town; they display it in the office building, the pieces get seen,
and they have a sprinkler system and a dandy security system, so I
figured they were safer there than here. You would need a letter
indicating the terms under which pieces are loaned, period of loan, full
description of each piece plus its value, and some statement as to who
is liable if the art gets trashed by employees, and how the work is to
be displayed.
        Hope this helps.

-Gail

--
Gail W. Guth
139 Lathrop Avenue
Battle Creek, MI  49014-5076
616/963-1311
FAX: 616/969-0652

“Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.”