Leases, staff salaries, taxes, suppliers bills – if your company can't meet its debts as they fall due, your days in business are numbered.

Nothing makes bills mount up more than a drop in productivity caused by the death or serious illness of one a business owner / director. And its not just the business in the firing line – sometimes your personal  assets, your family's assets, your minority shareholder's assets are also at risk.

No matter how big or small your business may be, its important to put in place a backstop to make sure your business' bills are paid should something unexpected occur. You might arrange this by keeping a large cash reserve or having access to funding. Another option may be insurance.

Life Insurance, Trauma Insurance and Total Permanent Disablement Insurance provide lump sum payments to help your business clear debt and focus on the future. Some businesses need large sums available, others not so much, but you need to speak to a specialist in this area to make sure your bases are covered.

Your SHARE adviser can help you determine what sort of cover you need, how much you need and how to avoid paying too much for your cover.