If you run a business in Overland Park, you're in good company. You're surrounded by major corporate headquarters, innovative startups, and everything in between. T-Mobile maintains over 3,500 employees at the Aspiria campus. Fortune 500 company Fiserv just announced plans to bring 2,000 more high-wage jobs to the area. The $2 billion Meridian development is creating 4.8 million square feet of office space. This growth means opportunity—but it also means your business faces real risks that could derail everything you've built.
Here's the thing most business owners don't realize until it's too late: your general liability policy won't cover a data breach. Your commercial property insurance won't replace the revenue you lose when a hailstorm forces you to close for repairs. And if you're bringing on investors or growing your leadership team, they're going to ask about your D&O coverage before they sign anything. Let's walk through what business insurance actually looks like in Overland Park, so you can protect what you're building.
Workers' Compensation: What Kansas Requires
Let's start with the non-negotiable: if you have employees in Kansas, you need workers' compensation insurance. Period. It doesn't matter if you have one employee or one hundred. The state requires it, and the penalties for going without can shut down your business.
The good news? Kansas workers' comp is surprisingly affordable—averaging around $52 per month for small businesses. The state also made significant improvements in 2024, increasing the maximum work disability award from $130,000 to $225,000 and raising mileage reimbursement to 67 cents per mile for medical travel. These changes mean better protection for your employees and more predictable costs for you.
If you're a sole proprietor, partner, or LLC member, you're automatically excluded from coverage but can choose to add yourself. Corporate officers are automatically included unless they own 10% or more of the company and elect to opt out. For 2024, if you're including corporate officers, you'll calculate premiums based on a minimum weekly payroll of $1,050 (that's $54,600 annually) and a maximum of $4,300 weekly ($223,600 annually).
Cyber Liability: The Coverage You Can't Skip
With T-Mobile and major tech companies clustered in Overland Park's corporate corridors, cybersecurity isn't just an IT concern—it's an insurance requirement. If your business handles customer data, processes payments, or operates online, you need cyber liability insurance. And in 2025, insurers aren't just selling you a policy and walking away. They're requiring you to meet specific security standards before they'll cover you.
Most small businesses need between $1 million and $2 million in cyber coverage, with monthly premiums averaging around $145. But here's the catch: to qualify, you'll need multi-factor authentication enabled, endpoint detection and response software, encrypted backups, and a documented incident response plan. According to 2024 data, 82% of denied cyber claims involved organizations without multi-factor authentication. That's not a suggestion—it's table stakes.
If you're in healthcare, finance, or retail—industries bound by HIPAA or PCI-DSS regulations—expect higher coverage requirements starting at $2 million and stricter security controls. The investment is worth it. A single data breach can cost hundreds of thousands in notification costs, legal fees, and regulatory fines. Cyber insurance covers those expenses and helps you manage the crisis when it happens.
Weather-Related Coverage: Storms and Business Interruption
Overland Park sits squarely in severe weather territory. In May 2024, hailstorms swept through the metro, damaging vehicles and buildings across the city. If you've been here through a Kansas spring, you know what I'm talking about—hail the size of golf balls, wind that tears off roofing, and storms that roll through with almost no warning.
Commercial property insurance will cover the physical damage to your building and equipment, but it won't replace the income you lose while you're closed for repairs. That's where business interruption insurance comes in. If a storm damages your office and you can't operate for two weeks, business interruption coverage pays for lost revenue, ongoing expenses like rent and payroll, and even relocation costs if you need temporary space.
Don't forget about your company vehicles. If you're running sales teams, delivery routes, or service calls, commercial auto insurance is essential. The May 2024 hailstorm prompted body shops across the metro to remind business owners that filing claims for hail damage won't raise your rates—storm claims are typically considered no-fault. Make sure your policy includes comprehensive coverage for weather damage, not just collision.
Directors and Officers Insurance: Protecting Your Leadership
Kansas doesn't require D&O insurance by law, but if you're growing your company, attracting investors, or building a board of directors, you'll need it anyway. Banks, venture capitalists, and private equity firms routinely require D&O coverage before they'll work with you. And for good reason—it protects your leadership team from personal liability if they're sued for decisions made on behalf of the company.
With Overland Park's expanding corporate landscape—companies like Fiserv setting up major operations and startups growing in the Aspiria ecosystem—D&O insurance is becoming standard for businesses of all sizes. The coverage typically includes three components: Side A covers directors and officers personally when the company can't indemnify them, Side B reimburses the company for indemnifying its leaders, and Side C covers claims made directly against the company itself.
If you're bringing on outside board members or executives, D&O insurance isn't optional—it's often a condition of employment. Top talent won't join your board without it, and investors won't put money into a company that leaves its leadership exposed.
Professional Liability and Other Key Coverages
Overland Park is a professional services hub—accounting firms, consulting companies, engineering practices, and more. If you provide professional advice or services, you need professional liability insurance (also called errors and omissions insurance). This covers you if a client claims your advice or work caused them financial harm.
General liability insurance is the foundation—it covers third-party bodily injury and property damage. If a client trips in your office or you accidentally damage a client's property during a service call, general liability has you covered. Many businesses bundle this with commercial property insurance in a Business Owner's Policy (BOP), which typically costs less than buying coverages separately.
If you transport equipment, samples, or valuable materials—think contractors, photographers, or sales teams—inland marine insurance protects your property while it's in transit. It's oddly named (nothing to do with water), but it fills a crucial gap that standard property policies don't cover.
How to Get Started with Business Insurance in Overland Park
Start with the basics: workers' compensation if you have employees, general liability for your day-to-day operations, and commercial property if you own or lease space. From there, add coverages based on your specific risks. Tech companies and professional services need cyber liability and E&O. Companies with leadership teams or outside investors need D&O. Everyone in Overland Park should seriously consider business interruption coverage given our weather patterns.
Work with an agent who understands the Overland Park business environment. They should know that severe weather is a regular threat, that cyber requirements are getting stricter, and that your investors or lenders might require specific coverages. Get quotes from multiple insurers—Kansas allows insurers to offer discounts up to 25% on workers' comp, and other coverages vary significantly by carrier.
Review your coverage annually. As your business grows—more employees, higher revenue, new investors—your insurance needs change. What protected you when you started won't be enough when you're competing with the major players at Aspiria or expanding into the Meridian development. Insurance isn't exciting, but it's what keeps your business running when everything else goes wrong. Get it right, and you can focus on growing your company instead of worrying about what might shut it down.
