Rising rental fees and a frozen credit market are putting a strain on businesses nationwide, and many small business owners are slashing business insurance to save money. But small business insurance is a safety net that should never be severed.

Fire, theft, natural disasters, liability issues–there are no end to the number of perils facing small businesses. And without an adequate amount of small business insurance, any business could be wiped out by a natural catastrophe or liability lawsuit.

Business interruption insurance is perhaps the most critical ‘optional’ business insurance coverage, but it’s also one of the least recognized.

Business interruption insurance, which reimburses a company’s expenses and lost profits when business is interrupted due to a covered peril, is critical to helping a business survive a disaster. Unfortunately, it adds to the cost of business insurance, and is sometimes the first optional coverage to be eliminated.

Of the over seven million small businesses in the United States, only 35% carry business interruption insurance (National Association of Insurance Commissioners).

As companies make improvements to their building’s structure, add new equipment and hire new employees, insurance coverage should increase to cover additional value–not decrease.