DO keep a list of all of your business property both at work and somewhere off the premises; you will need it for comparison purposes if you suffer a loss.

DO inform your agent of changes to your business, so that your policy always provides adequate coverage.

THE DON'Ts

DON'T hire an agent who wants to sell you a package and refuses to tailor a policy to your needs.

DON'T hide unusual risks from your agent. The insurer could later claim that you made misrepresentations and you probably won't get the kind of coverage that you need.

DON'T buy a policy that is significantly lower in cost than all of the others -- the company could be unstable or you may have received a quote that doesn't include everything that you need.

DON'T accept a policy without making sure that it covers all of the risks of your business.

DON'T underinsure to get a reduced premium. If you do, you could end up covering around 80 percent of your property replacement value because of a co-insurance clause in your policy.

DON'T agree to buy an insurance policy that covers the landlord's liability as well as your own, if you are renting. This is usually considered unreasonable; try to negotiate out of it.

DON'T depend on your employee's automobile insurance providing coverage for damages incurred while the employee is using a personal vehicle for your business purposes.

DON'T assume that your theft policy will cover the personal equipment of your employees.

DON'T assume that your homeowner's policy will cover business-related damages, if you run your business out of your home. There may be exclusions for business-related property and injuries in your homeowner's policy.

DON'T exaggerate the extent of your damages. You could be accused of engaging in insurance fraud.