Business insurance protects businesses against losses suffered in the course of their normal activities, particularly when the business faces a compensation claim. Covers include professional indemnity insurance, public liability insurance, and employers’ liability insurance.
You need business insurance to protect you against the everyday risks that come with running your business. Business insurance can cover you against things like professional mistakes, accidents, theft, damage and legal fees.
Whether or not you’re legally required to have business insurance depends on your particular business. Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement for most businesses that have staff, while other types of cover, such as professional indemnity, may be required by regulatory bodies.
This depends on the type of business you run and the risks you face.
If your business interacts with third parties - whether that’s customers, clients, suppliers, or other members of the public - then it’s worth considering public liability insurance.
If your business offers advice or a professional service, or if you handle client data or intellectual property, then professional indemnity insurance could be an important cover.
Find out more about the difference between public liability and professional indemnity.
If you have one or more employees, then it’s likely your business is legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. Find out more about the difference between public liability and employers' liability.
The cost of your policy will depend on several factors, including the nature of the business you run, the type of insurance you need, and the cover levels you choose.
When your premium (the amount you pay for your insurance) is calculated, the insurer takes into account how likely you are to make a claim and how much a claim could cost. Usually, a business that is perceived as riskier will pay a higher premium than a business that’s considered lower risk.
We know that quality, tailored cover is important, but it shouldn't break the bank. To compare affordable prices for your business insurance, run a quick quote now.
There’s a range of different types of business insurance to cover various business risks.
Public liability insurance can cover compensation claims made against you by a member of the public for injury or damage caused by your business.
Professional indemnity insurance can cover compensation claims made against you by a client because you’ve made a mistake in your work and they’ve suffered a financial loss as a result.
Employers’ liability insurance can cover workplace injury or damage claims made by a member of staff.
You can also add additional business insurance covers to protect your buildings, contents, business equipment, tools, and stock.
The level of business insurance you need depends on the type of business you run and the particular risks you face.
We offer a minimum of £1 million and a maximum of £10 million of public liability insurance, and between £50,000 and £2 million of professional indemnity insurance.
If you have employees, unless your business is exempt, you’re legally required to have at least £5 million of employers’ liability insurance. We offer £10 million of cover as standard.
When choosing cover levels you should check your contracts to see whether your clients require a particular level of cover, and also check the guidelines from your regulator or professional body. You should also consider the value of your contracts and the scale of your work.
Business insurance is sometimes referred to as ‘commercial insurance’. The two terms usually mean the same thing: insurance designed to protect businesses from the risks they face.
You can get business insurance before registering your business. When you buy your business insurance, you won’t usually be asked for your company registration number or any other business registration details.
You can buy your business insurance before you have your trade licence in place yet. However, once you start trading, if your business still doesn’t have the necessary licences, your business insurance may be invalid and claims may not be paid.
As the UK's biggest business insurance provider, we protect more trades than anybody else. Why not take a look now and build a quick, tailored quote?
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