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Compare prices from 18 leading business insurance providers[1], including:
[1] Correct as of June 2025.
What is business insurance?
Business insurance, also known as commercial insurance, is a form of cover that can protect businesses from financial losses if unexpected events occur. Cover is available for all sorts of businesses, from one-man bands to large enterprises.
What does business insurance cover?
Cover can be tailored to your specific business needs. Policies commonly include cover for:
- Injury, death or damage to property caused by your business
- Sickness or injury to employees in the workplace
- Third-party damages caused by your business
- Business interruption
- Damage to and theft of business property and equipment.
What are the main types of business insurance?
The three main types of business liability insurance are:
Public liability
insurance
Offers you financial protection in case your business activities injure a member of the public or damage their property. Some customers might insist on public liability cover before they work with you.
Employers’ liability
insurance
Employers’ liability cover is a legal requirement if you have any staff. It can protect you against the cost of compensation claims if one of your staff is injured or becomes ill working for you.
Professional indemnity
insurance
Can cover you against financial losses if a client claims they’ve lost money because you’ve given them bad advice, or that your work has caused them a problem, and they take legal action against you.
Do I need business insurance?
Business insurance could protect you against financial losses should your business suffer an unexpected knockback. It can help give you the reassurance that you and your employees are protected, and your business can continue to thrive.
Take accidents, for example. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), in 2024 there were 62,00 non-fatal injuries reported by employees in Britain. And in 2023/2024, 138 workers were killed in work-related accidents.
The HSE estimates the total annual cost of workplace injuries and work-related ill health in 2022/2023 amounted to £22 billion.
If a client or customer were injured on your business premises, public liability insurance could protect you against potentially devastating financial costs if you needed to defend a claim. Some organisations, especially local councils, will insist you have public liability insurance before they’ll consider working with you.
Business insurance can also offer credibility, demonstrating to clients/customers and employees that your business is trustworthy and professional. For such reasons, many professional and trade bodies require you to have certain types of business cover as a condition of membership.
Is business insurance a legal requirement?
Legal requirements for business insurance can vary, depending on your business set-up.
- Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement if you have any staff.
- Professional indemnity insurance can be required by some regulators and industry bodies – for example, for financial advisors and solicitors. You may need it to work in other occupations too, including as a personal trainer, private doctor or nurse.
- Public liability insurance isn’t typically a legal requirement, although contracts for your services may require you to have it.
Even where it’s not legally required, certain types of business insurance could protect you, your employees and anyone you deal with.
And the good news is, comparing quotes and getting the right cover for your business doesn’t have to be complicated.
What our expert says...
“When comparing quotes, don’t just focus on the cheapest business insurance policies. Getting the right cover is vital to protecting you, your staff and your company. It’s important you’re aware of the types of cover that are legally required, and which are optional.
“Whether you’re a one-person operation, a large office or a hands-on manufacturer, there’s protection for all the risks your business faces.”
- Mubina Pirmohamed, Insurance expert
Find the right business insurance to protect you
From construction sites to cocktail bars, you can find insurance that’s specially designed for more than 1,000 types of business.
When you get business insurance quotes, you’ll be asked questions about the size of your business and what you want covered. Whatever business you have, you’ll need employers’ liability cover if you have any employees.
What other types of business insurance are there?
There are many different types of business insurance to be aware of. Depending on your type of business, you might want to consider:
Product liability insurance
Offers protection against compensation pay-outs and legal costs if someone is injured or their property is damaged by a product you sold them. This is often added as a paid-for extra to public liability insurance.
Commercial buildings and contents insurance
Commercial property insurance could protect your business premises and its contents if they’re damaged because of flood, theft or fire.
Landlord insurance
Typically protects you if your rental property is damaged. You can also include protection against loss of earnings due to an incident you’re insured for: burst pipes, for example.
Business interruption insurance
Can offer protection if something prevents you from trading – for example, if your business premises are damaged by a flood, storm or fire.
Key person cover
Also known as key man insurance, this can protect you from financial impact if someone essential to your business dies or is diagnosed with an illness listed in the policy.
Tool cover
You can also cover tools, equipment and stock in case they’re damaged or destroyed.
Cyber risk insurance
This can protect you from losses caused by damage to your IT systems or loss of information from them.
You can’t currently compare cyber risk insurance with Compare the Market.
Business car or business van insurance
If you own vehicles that you use for your business, you’ll also need to have business car or business van insurance.
Directors’ and officers’ (D&O) insurance
Also known as management liability insurance, this could cover the cost of defending and paying out personal claims made against your business’s directors and chief officers. It could cover the key managers in your company against alleged wrongful acts, such as breach of duty or making misleading statements.
The advantages and disadvantages of additional business insurance
Because every business is different, business insurance can be made up of various add-ons to suit your individual needs. For example, a hairdresser would need different cover to a financial advisor. Add-ons have advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:
- Flexibility – you can choose the additional cover you need for your particular trade or profession, as well as any insurance that’s legally required. This gives you the flexibility to build the right package for your set-up.
- Extra cover – protecting your business from a wider range of unforeseen circumstances gives you reassurance that you won’t be hit with an expensive bill if things go wrong.
- Credibility – business insurance shows potential clients and customers you’re a safe pair of hands. If anything goes wrong with the work you do for them, you have a way of compensating them.
Disadvantages:
- Cost – adding a lot of extra cover to your policy can be expensive. If you’re a smaller company, make sure you prioritise key parts of your business.
- Potential overlaps – business owners can sometimes be covered for the same risks twice by different policies. This means you might end up paying more than you need to and it could cause complications if you have to make a claim.
How much business insurance do I need?
The level of insurance you need for your business will depend on the size and nature of your business, and what you want cover for. Think about the everyday risk involved with the type of work you do and what you’ll need to be protected against.
For example, if you have staff, you’ll need at least £5 million of cover for employers’ liability insurance as required by law, but £10 million of cover typically comes as standard.
Some customers and professional bodies might require minimum levels of cover before they’ll work with you or allow you to become a member, so you’ll need to at least match this.
To find the right type of commercial insurance for your business, you should consider whether you:
- Deal with members of the public
- Are a sole trader or an employer
- Have business premises
- Use a vehicle for your work
- Have stock or work tools and equipment
- Offer a product, trade, or a service
- Need business interruption insurance.
How much is business insurance?
The cost of business insurance is typically based on the size and type of your business, as well as the level of cover you need and the size of the potential payout you might want.
Over half of our customers could get a quote less than £89 a year for public liability insurance[2].
[2] 51% of our customers were quoted less than £88.30 for their public liability business insurance in January-March 2025.
What can affect the cost of business insurance?
- Type of business – do you own a business in a high-risk field? Investment, property and finance businesses may face greater risks and could need higher levels of cover.
- Type of business insurance – the cost of your premiums will depend on what type of insurance you need and if you want to add extra cover to your policy.
- Level of cover – do you want to insure your company’s building or stock for a large amount? The higher you’d like your pay-out to be, the more you’ll be expected to pay in premiums.
- Level of excess – you’ll always have to pay a compulsory excess, but by choosing a higher voluntary excess on top of that, your premium is likely to be cheaper. Be aware that you’ll need to pay more when making a claim though.
- Size of business – if you’re manufacturing high volumes of products, dealing with large contracts, have a high turnover or are responsible for lot of employees, you may find that your premiums are more expensive.
- Claims history – as with other types of insurance, if you’ve made expensive claims in the past it could lead to higher premiums.
How can I get cheaper business insurance?
There are several ways you could cut the cost of your business insurance, including:
- Lowering your risk – by installing security cameras or giving all your employees health and safety training, for example.
- Showing that the business is well run – insurance providers like businesses that have a solid track record of being well managed. It’s important to show evidence of this through risk assessments, quality-control procedures, financial accounts, professional accreditations and employee training.
- Bundle your insurance together – many insurance providers will let you combine your essential business cover into one policy. This can be more cost-effective than taking out separate insurance products.
- Don’t renew automatically – shop around for a great deal on your business insurance when your policy is up for renewal. You can compare business insurance quotes online with Compare the Market.
What do I need to get a quote for business insurance?
For a business insurance comparison, you’ll need to give us a few details about your business, including:
Details about your business
- Type of business
- Business name and address
- Legal status: sole trader, partnership or limited company
- How long you’ve been trading
- Your turnover for the past 12 months.
Employee information
This includes permanent, part-time, temporary and contract workers.
Specific information about your business
Specifics about your trade – for example, whether you operate in high-risk environments.
The level of cover you need
Choose the amount of public liability cover you need, additional cover options you want, and when you want your policy to start.
Any claims or legal disputes
You’ll need to let us know about your claims history and any ongoing legal disputes.
Related products, tips and guides
- Small business insurance: As a small business owner, your needs will be different to those of a multi-national company. Read our guide to small business insurance.
- How to write an invoice: Read our step-by-step guide to writing an invoice for your UK business.
- How to register as self-employed with HMRC: Whether you’re new to self-employment or you need a reminder of what’s involved, our guide will help you find your feet.
- How to complete a self-employed tax return: Filling in a self-employed tax return can feel daunting. Our step-by-step guide aims to make it as simple as possible.
- How to calculate profit margins: Learn the difference between gross profit and net profit, and the formula for calculating profit margins.
Compare business insurance quotes now to see if you could save
Frequently asked questions
Will changing from sole trader to limited company affect my business insurance policy?
Yes, the legal structure of your business will change, so you’ll need to contact your insurance provider. It will most likely cancel your existing policy and replace it with a new one that covers your change of company status. The price of your premium might also change.
Do I need business insurance for an online business?
Online businesses also face risks, and can be legally or professionally required to have insurance. If you’re an online retailer, you’ll still have stock to protect. Plus, if you have any employees, you must have employers’ liability insurance if they’re not members of your immediate family.
Cyber risk insurance could also protect you from any financial losses caused by a malware or ransomware attack. For example, it could cover you for theft of funds or data, and pay compensation costs to any third-parties whose data is affected by a cyber attack on your network.
Does business insurance cover theft?
It depends on what’s stolen and what insurance cover you have.
- Business equipment insurance could cover you against the theft of laptops stolen from your office, for example.
- Stock insurance could help cover the theft of valuable stock, as well as accidental damage. It could also cover losses caused by dishonest employees.
When should I get business insurance?
As with most types of insurance, the sooner the better. You can even get insurance before you start trading. If your business needs a trade licence – you might be running a pet shop, a pub or a taxi service – you can sort out your insurance before you get your licence.
You may also need insurance for your business premises as soon as you exchange on the property, even if your licence hasn’t yet been granted.
Note that it will be a requirement of your business insurance policy that all necessary licences are in place before you start trading. If you start trading without them, any claim you make could be rejected.
Can I get business insurance before registering my business?
Yes, you can get business insurance before registering your business and even before you’ve started trading.
When you buy business insurance, you won’t usually be asked for your company registration number or any other business registration details. But you’ll typically be asked your business address, your trade type and your actual or projected turnover. You could also be asked how your business is set up (whether you’re a sole trader or a limited company, for example).
Is business insurance tax-deductible?
Yes, business insurance is considered as an ‘allowable expense’ so it can be claimed back against tax. Other costs such as business broadband and business energy are also tax-deductible, as long as they’re exclusively related to your business.
If you’re not sure, ask HMRC or your accountant or tax advisor. Keep your receipts and policy documents safe and make sure any claimable insurance costs are included in your tax return.
Do I need business insurance if I’m self-employed?
If you’re self-employed, you’ll need business insurance if:
- You employ anyone outside of your direct family, including permanent or temporary staff.
- You give advice, provide a professional service or handle client data and could potentially be sued for negligence or for making a mistake.
- Someone could be injured or suffer property damage because of your work.
It’s worth knowing that as a self-employed person, you’ll most likely be able to claim for all your business insurance as an expense against tax.
Can I add cover for a different trade to my business insurance policy?
When you start a quote with us, you’ll have the option to add a secondary trade to your policy. You’ll be able to choose from more than 1,000 options to describe your trade.
If you can’t find a close match to your type of work or need to cover a third trade or profession, give our trusted partners Simply Business a call on 0333 014 6683 for a personalised quote.
Lines are operated by our trusted partner Simply Business and are open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 9am-5.30pm, Thursday 9.30am-5.30pm and Saturday 9am-2pm.
Can I still get business insurance if I’ve had CCJs or IVAs?
If your business has suffered debt problems and you’ve had a County Court Judgement (CCJ) or Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA), you may still be able to get business insurance. But you might have fewer options and may need to find a broker who specialises in business insurance if you have bad debts or bankruptcy issues.
