Whether you got laid off, decided the corporate life wasn’t for you, or simply decided you wanted a job where you could spend more time with your kids, you’ve now decided to work from home. Besides deciding on how to decorate or what kind of desk to get, you need to also invest in some safety nets.

Here are six types of insurance you should consider when working from home:

No. 1: Health Insurance

A no-brainer, yet a benefit many cannot afford if they go out on their own and have to pay the premiums out of pocket. An unfortunate fact is that millions of Americans go without health insurance, but that’s taking a huge risk, so many organizations work to let the self-employed know their options.

The National Association for the Self-Employed, for example, directs home workers and others to resources such as Department of Insurance (DOI) Web site, or that of The National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which has a list of state DOI Web sites. The self-employed can also contact their local Small Business Development Center, local Chamber of Commerce or other professional organizations for help.

One big decision one must make on this front, though, is whether to purchase individual or group insurance. Getting in on a group rate with a professional association or other organization can bring costs down dramatically.

The Freelancers Union, for example, offers five different discounted insurance plans for its members – many of whom include those in the arts, entertainment and publishing industries. Whereas an individual rate could cost upward of $1,000 a month, FU offers rates anywhere from $196 to $497 per month.

“There can be real substantial savings there,” said FU’s chief operating officer, Ann Boger. “One of the things we stay focused on is getting the premiums to stay within reason.”

No. 2: Disability Insurance

Your bank account can be quickly drained if you become disabled through an injury or sickness. Disability insurance provides a person who becomes disabled with income to cover living expenses that continue in spite of the disability. Employers often offer this, so it’s something many home workers may not think about when branching out on their own.

“If you are unable to work, what options are available to you? What are you going to do?,” asked Boger. “That’s an area a lot of people in the working world don’t think about it.”

No. 3: Liability Insurance

This includes general or product liability insurance. General - or umbrella - liability insurance covers legal claims of negligence and can help protect against payments as the result of bodily injury or property damage, medical expenses, and the cost of defending lawsuits.

Renters insurance includes liability coverage if someone injures themselves on the premises or your landlord claims that you have damaged the property in some way. Product liability insurance may cover injury or damage inflicted by products.

No. 4: Home-Based Business Insurance

Since regular homeowners' insurance policies don’t usually cover home-based business losses, many at-home workers purchase home-based business insurance, which can cover business property, professional liability, personal injury, loss of business data, crime/theft, and disability.
If you own your own building, lease your workspace or work from home, business property insurance can also cover your physical assets for events such as a fire or pipe burst.

No. 5: Internet Business Insurance

This is a specialized insurance that covers liability for damage done to your Web business or online aspect of your business by hackers and viruses. The Small Business Administration notes that e-insurance often covers specialized online activities, including lawsuits resulting from meta-tag abuse, banner advertising, or electronic copyright infringement.

No. 6: Business Owner's Policies (BOPs)

These are insurance packages that provide both property and liability coverage at one premium. (Usually for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees that do less than $5 million in annual sales.)

BOPs can provide property protection for your work-related equipment and premises in the case of damage, theft or other destruction. It also includes liability protection when third parties are injured on the premises, as well as other types of coverage. The insurance company Nationwide, for example, offers small business owners’ protection from property claims, equipment breakdown income loss, professional liability claims, and fire legal liability claims with its BOPs.