I know this will vary a bit state to state but what is a reasonable cost range that one should expect to pay in insurance premiums monthly?

Also, who do you go through to insure your business? What exactly is covered?

For business liability insurance, State Farm is a popular choice and costs in the $400-500/year range. We are insured through The Hartford and pay $500/year for $2M in liability coverage. You'll want to talk to your agent or broker about the type of coverage you'll need, it varies based on your kind of business.

This topic has also been covered before, you can find a list of related forum threads here:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=insurance+site%3Acakecentral.com&aq=f

The search feature here doesn't work that well, but if you type your query into google followed by "site:cakecentral.com" you will generally get pretty good results.

Thanks! I can NEVER find what I'm looking for using the search feature for the forums. Thought it was just me.

When getting estimates you need to clarify what insurance you're shopping for.

My total premiums were something like $3500 annually. Liability, commerical vehicle, equipment coverage, loss of income coverage, tenant insurance, fire insurance, etc etc etc.

If you're a serious business "just liability" isn't going to cut it.

I also HIGHLY recommend getting with an independent agent, who has access to multiple companies (just to use State Farm as an example, State Farm agents can only sell State Farm). An Independent agent can shop your business and match you with the best company for what you need.

My agent was able to match me with one of the very few companies that specialize in bakeries and restaurants, so they understood the biz AND had rates that no one else could touch (I shopped the biz every year and no one could ever give me better rates).

My insurance is $500/year, that includes 2million in liability 25,000 for equipment in case of fire which I only have $12,000 worth, car insurance for deliveries within 30 miles, can't think of what else at the top of my head but call around and get some estimates.

Thanks everyone!

In my experience it is cheaper getting quotes online. Some of the bigger companies offer discounts when ordering online, because it is less work for them. But to be safe you could compare quotes online, pick the best offer and try a local agency to see if they can match it or do better.

I recommend this site for online comparing: http://www.quotes-center.com/average-auto-insurance-rates