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Secure the existence of your business — even if operations come to a standstill because of unforeseen events.
Business interruption insurance (Betriebsunterbrechungsversicherung) protects your company financially if operations are interrupted by an insured event. It replaces lost profit and covers ongoing fixed costs such as rent, wages and loan instalments — so your business remains viable even during a forced interruption.
A fire, water damage or machine breakdown can paralyse your business for weeks or months. The consequences go far beyond the property damage:
Replacement of the profit your business would have made during the interruption.
Covers rent, wages, leasing instalments and other fixed operating costs during the standstill.
Business interruption due to fire, explosion, lightning or their consequential damage.
Standstill due to burst pipes, flooding or water damage to business equipment.
Interruption due to the breakdown of important machines and technical equipment.
Covers additional costs of limiting the damage, e.g. renting temporary premises.
| Item | per month |
|---|---|
| Rent | €3,000 |
| Wages including non-wage labour costs | €8,000 |
| Leasing and loan instalments | €1,000 |
| Lost profit | €4,000 |
| Loss over 3 months (€16,000 × 3) | €48,000 |
Property insurance covers the building, machines and goods — without business interruption insurance, the business bears these €48,000 itself. The indemnity period (Haftzeit) also matters: if rebuilding takes 14 months but the indemnity period is only 12 months, the last two months remain uncovered.
Simplified example calculation with sample values — not a substitute for an individual offer.
Every business that depends on smooth operations should consider business interruption insurance:
It replaces lost profit and continuing fixed costs (e.g. rent, wages) if operations come to a standstill due to an insured event such as fire or water damage.
It is usually taken out as a supplement to existing property or fire insurance, because it is linked to the same insured risks.
There is usually a short waiting period after the damage occurs, after which compensation is paid for the agreed period (Haftzeit).
With a suitable clause for supplier businesses, the failure of important suppliers can also be covered — this should be checked individually.
The basis is usually the lost contribution margin (Deckungsbeitrag) based on recent financial years, which we determine together with your tax adviser.
Content reviewed by: Agnieszka Valenta, insurance broker · As of October 2026
Together with you we determine the ongoing costs and the right indemnity period so that your business survives financially after a loss.
Personal advice in Breitenwaida – for businesses from the Hollabrunn district, the whole Weinviertel region, as well as Vienna and Burgenland. We advise in English, German, Polish, Serbian and Bosnian.
