Guide for Guides: Liability Insurance

Miriam Ball, Alternative Balance

Angela Ziogas, Cross Current Insurance

It's the topic most of us love to hate or avoid... insurance.

But for anyone who's thinking of taking folks outside, out of their comfort zones and into the wild (even if the wild is a nicely manicured campground just off a main road), you NEED to protect yourself from the random things that might happen!

But how?? And more importantly, how much is this going to cost??

These are questions that lots of guides struggle with, even when they've been in the biz for a while. So we’ve found two amazing women who will help light the path through all the regulations and jargon so you can be confident you're covered, and be able to spend your limited time and resources on things that you love and are also important to your business, like creating the most memorable and amazing experiences for your clients.

My first guest is Miriam Ball from Alternative Balance, a NH-based membership group that provides guides and practitioners with access to professional and general liability coverage in health, beauty and wellness spaces that fall outside traditional business liability models.

If you're an outdoor guide or trip leader who offers (or wants to start offering) outdoor fitness or yoga instruction, nutrition or wellness coaching, massage therapy, reiki, forest bathing, energy work, etc., Alternative Balance can be a great option, and Miriam has LOTS of insight to share.

Check out an awesome option to get yourself and your business some top-notch liability insurance:
https://alternativebalance.com/
See profiles of Alternative Balance members here:  https://www.instagram.com/alternativebalance/

Credit: Joe Klementovich for Confluence Collective

If you are taking clients fishing, hunting, boating, that kind of thing, those service lines are right in the crosshairs for Cross Current Insurance - yes, pun absolutely intended - and Angela Ziogas has tons of great tips and perspective to offer as both an advisor and sportswoman herself.

Cross Current Insurance was born out of a woman guide's need for insurance for her fly fishing guiding and outfitter business. Cross Current now offers all kinds of options for fishing and hunting guides, outfitters, lodges and even outdoor equipment manufacturers.

If field dressing is more your jam than forest bathing, Angela clarifies what kind of coverage to look for, questions to ask, information to gather, and things that you can do proactively to protect yourself, your business, and most importantly, your clients.

Get more information about Cross Current Insurance to keep your business covered!

And speaking of helping your guiding business, if you're guiding or leading trips in Maine, the Maine Wilderness Guides Organization (a great professional organization that gave me the idea for this mini-series) can provide you with a supportive community, pro deals, and other resources that will set you up for success in the field (or on the water, or in the woods....)

Our final call out for this series goes to Evans Notch Lodge, our sponsor for the Guide for Guides series - and not a bad place for you to base the next fly-fishing (or forest bathing) group you lead!

If you're looking for a quiet, off-the-beaten track venue to host your next small group retreat, bootcamp, mastermind, whatever, you should consider Evans Notch Lodge. With the Wild River right out the front door, and the White Mountain National Forest just down the road, the Lodge is well positioned for all kinds of rejuvenating wilderness experiences - but it's also close enough to groceries, restaurants, organized trail systems, baked goods, microbreweries... let's just say as a guide or trip leader, you will feel well-supported with Bethel Maine and Gorham NH both nearby.

If it sounds like it’s too good to be true, it almost is! Check out Evans Notch Lodge for more information on their group accommodations - whether you’re looking for simple warm showers and beds, or want your fridge and pantry stocked ahead of time so there's one less thing to worry about, Evans Notch Lodge has a package for you.

Outdoor Cooking Weekend at Evans Notch Lodge