Here at Dinghy, we’re always looking for ways to make life easier for freelancers. From cover that you can turn on and off with a click, to our dedicated invoice chasing service, Dinghy’s aim is to make your life as hassle-free as possible. Which is why we’ve joined forces with Starling Bank, another awesome company offering innovative services to freelancers.
Business banking might conjure up images of men in dowdy suits sat behind tables in mahogany-panelled offices. But Starling is on a mission to change banking for good. It’s business banking for the 21st century, all based around a feature-packed app that gives you instant notifications when you spend or get paid, insight into your spending habits and the ability to deposit cheques directly from your mobile. There’s no monthly fee, and support is available 24/7. It’s hardly surprising that it was named Britain’s Best Business Banking Provider 2020.
We liked the way Starling did things, so we’ve teamed up with them to offer Starling customers the ability to join Dinghy with just a few quick taps on the app. If you already have a Starling bank account, and you need to sort out or renew your business insurance, there’s no easier way. Visit Starling Marketplace in your app and you’ll find us there – the app can even pre-fill your details for you to make getting your freelancer insurance quote even quicker. We also promise that buying your policy through Starling Marketplace will never be more expensive than coming to us direct.
Why do I need business insurance as a freelancer?
As a freelancer, you’re taking on risks that you never experienced when working as an employee. As well as the lack of stability in income, freelancers can find themselves open to legal costs and compensation claims if a client thinks they have made a mistake, or if someone is injured or their equipment damaged while you’re working. Dingy freelancer insurance starts from just 30p per day depending on your type and level of cover, and our policies are flexible: you can turn it on or off, up or down at any point.
Freelance graphic designer and photographer Adam Flanagan of Balanced Creative is a customer of both Starling and Dinghy. He admits that he didn’t see the need for business insurance at first: “When I first started, I wanted to save costs and didn’t set up insurance.” Now, several years into his freelancer journey, Adam knows better: “I learned a lot from working with various clients and contractors. It’s from these past lessons and experiences that I now operate more professionally by using contracts and insurance to ensure that I’m taken seriously and have that safety net to protect myself when it’s needed.”
What does Dinghy freelancer insurance include?
Our super-flexible freelancer insurance has no admin fees, no contract, no interest on monthly payments and you can pay by the second. The flexibility is a big win for Adam, who says: “The main draw for Dinghy is that it’s flexible depending on your working circumstances. If you’re on holiday or looking for work, you can turn the cover off.” Dinghy’s products are designed to cover everything a freelancer needs, so you can focus on scoring clients and acing projects. Here’s a run down of what we offer freelancers looking for business insurance:
Professional indemnity insurance for freelancers
Whether your work is coding apps, designing layouts or tutoring teens, mistakes can happen. If a client thinks they’ve experienced a financial loss because of work you’ve done, they might try to recover that money from you – and the costs could run into thousands of pounds. Professional indemnity insurance covers the legal costs and compensation for claims of negligence, defamation, copyright breaches and other accidental slip ups that can happen in the course of your work.
Public liability insurance for freelancers
If your work puts you in contact with customers, clients, or collaborators, or you work in co-working spaces, cafes or on client premises, you should have public liability insurance. This covers you if an accident happens that causes injury or damage to someone else or their property while you’re working out and about.
Business equipment insurance for freelancers
Your laptop is the lifeline of your business. Dinghy’s business equipment insurance will cover you if your laptop, phone or other business equipment like cameras or musical instruments are lost, stolen or damaged. Wherever you are in the World, Dinghy offers a 24-hour replacement service or instant cash straight to your bank account.
Freelancer Assist
All Dinghy policies come with Freelancer Assist, a service that’s like a freelancer’s sidekick. It’ll help you chase invoices that remain unpaid, support you through tax investigations and give you access to legal, tax and counselling helplines.
How do I sign up for freelance insurance from Dinghy?
Signing up to Dinghy through Starling Marketplace couldn’t be easier: go to the main menu in your Starling business account and tap ‘Marketplace’. Click ‘Browse’ and find Dinghy under the ‘Insurance’ category. From there, you can either sign up to Dinghy and receive a quote for the insurance you need, or connect an existing policy to pull key information into your Starling app. Once Starling and Dinghy are linked, you’ll be able to see your payment amounts and policy details right there in the app.
If you don’t have a Starling account, you can still get covered with Dinghy’s freelancer insurance – just drop by our website for a quick quote or give our freelance insurance experts a ring on 0116 380 5654 and we’ll get you sorted.
