The Importance of a Business Continuity Plan

You’re building the future—innovating, deploying, and scaling one line of code at a time. Your clients depend on your uptime, your systems, and your expertise. But what happens when the unexpected strikes?

A cyberattack freezes your servers. A client files a claim over a failed integration. A power outage shutters your operations for days.

These aren’t freak accidents—they’re predictable risks in a digital business. And if your business continuity plan doesn’t include insurance, you’re leaving your company exposed when it needs protection most.

Here’s what every software company should know about making insurance part of your resilience strategy—before you need it.

Why a Business Continuity Plan Is More Than Backups and Disaster Recovery

For software companies, digital infrastructure is the core of your business. When that infrastructure is disrupted—even briefly—the ripple effect can be severe:

  • Revenue stops.
  • Trust erodes.
  • Client contracts are jeopardized.
  • Legal risks increase.

Backups restore files. Continuity plans reroute workflows. But only insurance ensures that business interruption doesn’t derail your growth—or your reputation.

Insurance doesn’t replace your tech team. It supports them.

Let’s break down how the right coverage gives you a stronger foundation.

Business Interruption Insurance: Your Financial Lifeline

Business interruption insurance empowers you to bounce back when the unexpected hits. If operations are paused due to a covered event—whether it’s a fire, cyberattack, or server outage—this coverage can help you:

  • Recover lost income
  • Cover wages and overhead (like rent or cloud services)
  • Fund temporary workspace or infrastructure
  • Manage restoration expenses

For software teams that operate on tight delivery timelines or high SLAs, even minor downtime can lead to steep penalties or client churn. This coverage can be the difference between scaling back—or scaling forward.

Think of business interruption insurance as your version control for real life: When something breaks, it helps you roll back fast and recover cleanly.

Cyber Liability Insurance: The Last Line of Defense After Firewalls Fail

You’ve invested in encryption, secure hosting, and multi-factor authentication. But even with a robust cybersecurity stack, breaches still happen—with increasing frequency and complexity.

According to the 2024 CrowdStrike Global Threat Report, ransomware attacks are escalating rapidly, targeting code-heavy businesses with valuable data. Verizon’s latest Data Breach Investigations Report found that technology services are among the top targets year over year.

Cyber liability insurance steps in when threat actors bypass your defenses. It helps with:

  • Breach investigation and forensic response
  • Legal and regulatory costs
  • Client notification and credit monitoring
  • Public relations management

In today’s landscape, good cybersecurity buys you time. Insurance buys you recovery.

Professional Liability Insurance: Essential When “It Was Working Yesterday” Isn’t Good Enough

You’ve probably been there: a piece of code passes QA but fails in production—or a client pushes the feature in a way it wasn’t designed for. Even if your team did everything right, you could still find yourself facing a claim.

Professional liability insurance (also known as Errors & Omissions insurance) protects your business from:

  • Allegations of negligence or subpar service
  • Missed deadlines and deliverables
  • Bugs or software malfunctions that cause financial loss
  • Breach of contract disputes

This is especially critical for development, consulting, or managed services companies whose offerings are tied to performance or precision.

Without E&O coverage, even a groundless allegation can cost six figures in defense fees. With it, you can focus on fixing issues—instead of fighting in court.

Tailored Coverage: Because Not All Software Risks Are Created Equal

There’s no one-size-fits-all for insurance, especially in tech. Your risk profile depends on your:

  • Size and team structure
  • Client types and industries
  • Data handling practices
  • Third-party dependencies and integrations
  • Regulatory overhead (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR, SOC 2)

Whether you’re a solo indie developer or a 50+ person SaaS team, getting the right policies in place starts with understanding your exposure.

That’s why working with an insurance advisor who understands software companies matters. A knowledgeable advisor can help you:

  • Identify gaps in protection across operations and contracts
  • Align coverage with investor or procurement requirements
  • Ensure smooth claims handling when minutes matter

Talk with someone who understands software companies. We’ll walk you through what your business really needs.

Insurance and Growth: Signaling Stability to Clients and Investors

Insurance is more than a safety net—it’s also a strategic advantage.

  • It builds client trust. More enterprise buyers now require proof of coverage in contractual negotiations.
  • It appeals to investors. When you’re raising rounds or negotiating term sheets, insurance demonstrates operational maturity and foresight.
  • It empowers confident scaling. When protected, you can innovate faster without second-guessing every infrastructure or partnership decision.

Think of insurance as a developer tool for your business itself. It doesn’t generate revenue directly—but it protects everything that does.

Real-World Scenarios: When Insurance Saved the Sprint

These examples aren’t hypotheticals—they’re real cases from businesses like yours:

  • A mid-stage SaaS company suffered a week-long outage from a DDoS attack. Their cyber liability policy covered PR efforts, legal costs, breach notifications, and $250K in recovery expenses—keeping revenue secure and clients retained.
  • A startup missed a key delivery milestone when a backend engineer was hospitalized. Professional liability funding helped them resolve a client dispute that could’ve cost the entire relationship.
  • A fire in a shared coworking space disrupted operations for a week. Their business interruption insurance paid for cloud migration, contractor overtime, and revenue loss recovery—allowing them to stay on track with funding milestones.

Each time, the difference wasn’t in their planning. It was in their protection.

Your Next Step: Build Your Business Continuity Plan with Confidence

You’ve put too much into your platform, your team, and your mission to let unpredictable events undo your progress.

The smartest founders and CTOs treat insurance not as an expense—but as a core part of operational resilience and growth.

Get a tailored quote now that matches your company’s risk profile and roadmap.
→ Or, talk with one of our tech-focused advisors about your goals and exposures.

In a world where even milliseconds matter, insurance helps you stay focused on building—while we cover your blind spots.

Because in the software world, it’s not just your code that needs stability. It’s your company.


FAQs: Must-Know Insurance Insights for Software Leaders

1. What’s the minimum insurance a software company should carry?
Start with general liability, professional liability (E&O), cyber liability, and business interruption insurance. Expand as needed based on operations.

2. If I’ve invested heavily in cybersecurity, do I still need cyber liability insurance?
Yes. Think of cyber coverage as your recovery tool—not your prevention strategy.

3. What qualifies as a “covered event” for business interruption insurance?
Events like fire, server failure, or cyberattacks may qualify. Always verify with your provider.

4. How can I confirm if I’m meeting my clients’ insurance requirements?
Review contracts and discuss limits and terms with a specialized advisor.

5. Where can I go for specific coverage recommendations?
Reach out to our tech insurance team. We’ll help you match protection with your business model.

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Are you ready to save time, aggravation, and money? The team at Tom Hamsher Insurance Agency is here and ready to make the process as painless as possible. We look forward to meeting you!

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