Donna,

Your homeowner's likely won't cover it. You need business liability coverage for a small business. I had real trouble finding an insurer who wanted to bother with a small business - it took months and a dozen phone calls - but I finally found a good one. I got a year's coverage for $250, liability only, but I do interior landscaping, which is somewhat different.

If you want to email me, I'll let you know the company that was willing to work with me.

I carry separate insurances on my home and business and they are located at the same address. My commercial insurance rates take into account that I am primarily a wholesaler. If I did more retail, they'd soar.

It's very tempting to think of the higher profit potential of selling retail versus wholesale but do consider that once you do this, you likely won't be able to handle both the growing end of it and the selling end of it without additional help and it takes an enormous amount of additional sales to gain the additional profit to pay hired help. Then you get to think about things like workman's comp, and withholding and keeping up with the work laws.

Even though I did not advertise a lot of people used to show up at my business strictly by word of mouth, wanting me to sell to them on a retail level. I lost all sense of privacy and had a hard time trying to deal with the customers as their children were let loose to "explore" the other greenhouses, pond, farm animals. They knew I lived on site, so when the other stores closed, they'd just come up my drive expecting me to open up for them. I'm talking six something in the morning and once at ten thirty at night.

Everyone is different, and you may not mind that kind of commitment, but to me it wasn't worth never having a day off, or being able to sit at my table and eat a whole meal without interruptions.

I agree with watergal and calliope...it is best to carry a separate insurance plan given that you're operating a business from your home. A good agent should be able to help you navigate through the red tape and select the best plan for you.

I am a licensed insurance agent and have been for 24 years. A good rule of thumb - anything you do out of your house that you make money at is going to be excluded from your unendorsed homeowners policy. Call your agent, tell them what you are doing and ask for their help in obtaining liability and medical payments insurance for people on your property.