Don't risk your livelihood - cover your business

As a small business insurance broker Motaquote understands that it can be a time-consuming process finding the right cover to suit you. However, by simply buying the cheapest small business insurance available you could be putting your company at risk.

This is why it's so important to make sure you fully understand what the policy covers - but that's why we're here.

We will spend time finding out about you and your business so that we understand what your requirements are. By understanding your business needs we can find the right policy for you from our panel of insurers. However, it's essential that the information you give about your company is 100% accurate to ensure that you have the correct type of business insurance at an amount adequate for your firm.

Our small business insurance team are a highly trained dedicated team who can offer invaluable advice. For instance - there may be things you may not have previously considered, such as what conditions you may need to abide by to ensure that you are covered if you need to make a claim. Fortunately our team are always happy to sit down and explain these to you in simple, no-nonsense terms. When taking out business insurance cover with Motaquote you can be sure that you have the right cover at the right price.

What happens if you're not covered?

Think about it like this - if a member of the public has an accident as a result of your company's negligence you could be held liable for any damages sustained. If you do not have some form of public liability insurance you could be putting yourself and your business at risk as you will need to pay out of company funds any legal costs and damages claimed.

Another example is building damages. If your office incurs damage as a result of a fire or flood then the costs facing you could be substantial if you haven't covered the building adequately.

By having some form of building and contents insurance you at least have the peace of mind that your work premises are covered should the building be damaged.

Find out more about Motaquote's small business insurance.

Liability Insurance Encouraged For Street Party Organisers

With the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics coming up a street party may be on the cards for some of us.

However, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have warned those who are planning to play host to a street party to ensure they have the right kind of liability insurance cover in place.

The ABI have forecast that thousands of events are likely to be held all across the UK over 2012 and have urged events organisers to consider the circumstances of the even before decidin on whether or not some form of public liability insurance will be necessary.

As a result the ABI have releaed a guide for planning an event. The guide outlines safety considerations and insurance requirements. The Director General for the ABI, Nick Starling commented:

"With communities across the country planning thousands of events this year, a few common sense precautions will help ensure that events are fun and safe. Our guide sets out the essential information that any event organiser needs to know, to ensure that celebrations planned are memorable for all the right reasons."

Organisers are strongly urged to ensure that they have adequate liability insurance in place. Should anything happen the organiser could be held liable.

Motaquote offers a specialist events insurance package that includes public liability, property cover and even event cancellation insurance.

Source: http://ccventures.co.uk/acquisitions/news_article.aspx?id=801332524&art=ABI:%20Street%20parties%20should%20be%20carefully%20planned

Liability Insurance Reforms Called For

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has called for a change to the way in which employers’ liability and public liability insurance claims are handled.

This request for change has come about as a result of overzealous interpretations of health and safety legislation which has hampered growth of the UK economy and harms small business expansion.

The ABI claims that the current legal system encourages people to make exaggerated and, in some cases, fraudulent claims – which are fuelled by “no-win-no-fee” claims management firms. They believe that this has left UK businesses with high and disproportionate legal costs – which they pay for through their employers’ liability and public liability insurance premiums.

The Director of General Insurance for the ABI, Nick Starling, has stated that insurance companies play a very important role in allowing and encouraging small business to grow without the burden of red tape and other issues.

Mr Starling added that the ABI "has long argued for reforms to make our legal system more efficient, tackle spurious claims and relieve the burden on UK business.”

Following this the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have stated that a healthy balance between protective regulation for employees and giving firms sufficient leeway to perform their roles well needs to be struck.

Source: http://www.postonline.co.uk/post/news/2159394/abi-calls-reforms-free-businesses-uk-compensation-culture

Public Liability Insurance – A Big Cost To A Small Business?

Owning a small business isn’t as easy as it used to be. It’s long been acknowledged that we now live in a society who are very conscious of their rights, and as such small businesses really can’t neglect health and safety. Whilst this is a good thing, businesses around the UK also have to contend with unfair allegations – leading to potential court proceedings. Whilst a healthy respect for health and safety is required it’s also vital to consider a public liability insurance policy – you could say that it’s the first step to protecting your business.

Many have said that we live in a nanny state, protected and wrapped in cotton wool from day one, where everything is insured or has some form of legislation attached to it. This may well be true, and it is always a good idea to make sure that you and your business are as protected as possible in this complicated and unpredictable day and age.

If you own a business, then it is a good idea is to take out public liability insurance. In fact, for many businesses it’s essential protection to ensure they’re covered. Liability claims are commonly associated with very high costs to businesses. Whilst the type of cover you need may differ from one business to another, the same fact remains – huge bills and huge costs can cripple you whether you are a small or large business.

It is worth bearing in mind that the world we live in is filled with companies who offer no win no fee legal representation, meaning that anyone with a semblance of a case can take it to court. Whether or not the claimant is justified in their actions is largely irrelevant to your business – the costs required to protect and represent your side of the case can be just as damaging for your bank balance no matter which way the “verdict” sways. Public liability insurance, dependant on the level of your cover, will protect you against and cover for these costs (unless the business is negligent in any way) including settlements, meaning that your business can afford to carry on.

If you decide that public liability insurance is right for your business, then you should research what level of cover matches the style of your business. By assessing the type of business you are involved in is a good place to start. Always make sure you investigate every option fully. While £1 million worth of liability cover could suit one business, others may need to consider more.

The world isn’t as straight-forward as it once was, so it makes sense to try and reduce your costs - public Liability Insurance is a significant step forward to ensuring your business is protected.