Did you know? Licensed, Bonded, and Insured!

Good afternoon pet lovers!

Did you know that here at Hoofs & Woofs Pet Sitting we take our jobs very seriously and are licensed, bonded and insured? What does that mean exactly? Well, for you it means that you can rest easy knowing that your pets are in the safe hands of reliable professionals. But for others interested in the business here is a breakdown of each term, according to https://wallethacks.com/licensed-bonded-insured/.  If you can find relief in knowing that we are fully covered, please call us today at: #703-951-7387

"What does it mean to be Licensed?
If you've ever hired someone to do work, chances are you've seen these words - what does it really mean to be licensed, bonded, and insured? Find out and why it's VERY important!For some professions, you need to get a license before you can perform that function.

For example, Cosmetology is the study of beauty treatments – skin, hair, cosmetics, manicure/pedicures, waxing, laser treatments, etc. If you've ever gotten a haircut, chances are you've seen the license prominently framed on the shelf.

That's because every state requires a license in part because there are often dangerous chemicals involved in cosmetology. My simple haircut requires just a trimmer, comb, and a pair of scissors but there are a lot of chemicals involved in other treatments (tons of chemicals when you talk about hair smoothing, nails, perms).

With most licenses, you are required to complete a certain number of training hours, pass a test, and maintain that training. In many cases, you have to remain affiliated with a licensed company (so for a hairdresser, a licensed salon/barbershop) too.

When we recently had some 80′ poplars cut down, we found a licensed tree professional and they had their license number printed on the side of the truck. It's also printed on any materials (including coupons), so you can look them up on their Maryland website. Always look up the license!

Remember, this is not an indication of expertise (we've all had bad haircuts!). This is just a signal that they've done the minimum necessary to work in that profession in the state you're in.

What does it mean to be Bonded?
Bonded means that there's a bonding company that has money set aside for claims against the company or individual. This is typically required by the government as part of the licensing process.

The company will buy a bond, the money that's set aside, from a surety bond company because the state requires it. The company buying the bond is known as the principal, the surety is the bond company that backs the bond with a line of credit, and the obligee is the government (or entity that requires it).

The bond is meant to protect the consumer from the actions of the principal. It's different from insurance which protects the company.

For example, if you hired a cleaning company to come into your house and a worker damages something in the house, you would file a claim against the company. If the company fails to pay a valid claim, the bond would step in. From there, the surety would collect from the company – this protects the consumer by having this money set aside and not in full control of the company.

When an individual is bonded, it means something different. This is a thing for within a company and as a consumer this doesn't matter to you. This type of bond is known as a fidelity bond and it's a policy taken out by the company to protect it from its employees. This is often the case with employees that may deal with large sums of money. The company bonds the employee and if something were to happen, such as a theft, the bond would protect the employer from financial loss.

What does it mean to be Insured?
This is the easiest one to understand – it means they have insurance! This protects the company from things that might happen on the job – like if someone gets hurt. If a worker gets hurt on the job and they have insurance, the worker files a claim against that insurance. If the worker is just some random guy you hired to do odd jobs and he gets hurt, then you'll have to file a claim against your homeowner's insurance!

There's no central database of insurance policies, like there is for the license, so the provider will typically offer to give you a copy of their certificate of insurance. You should call the insurance company and confirm the policy matches what the certificate says."