Business insurance

What is business insurance?

Business insurance gives you protection from the small, everyday business risk to the larger, unexpected compensations claims. It can protect your work, your people, your reputation, and ultimately, your future livelihood.

Typically, a business insurance policy is made up of a combination of the following covers: public liability, professional indemnity, employers’ liability and contents. The protection doesn’t stop there, though. You can add an extra layer of cover for specific risks, such as terrorism and legal expenses cover.

Every business is different, so your insurance should be too. With AXA, you’re in the driver’s seat. So, you’ll get cover that’s as unique as your business.

Running a small business is hard, we make insuring your business easy

When you’re running a business, you’ve got a lot to keep on top of. Whether you’re just starting out, or you’ve been your own boss for years – we‘ve got the cover you need. We know small business, and can provide cover for;

• Micro businesses (0-12 employees)
• Sole traders
• Self-employed people

With AXA business insurance, you can combine the right covers for your business and choose the right add-ons to give you that extra layer of protection. That way, you know you’re only ever paying for what you need – no more, no less.

Ready to get a quote?

If you’re still not entirely sure what business insurance you need, that’s okay. When you get a quote, we’ll ask you some specific questions up-front that’ll help guide you in the right direction – no matter what your business does.

What covers could I get for my business?

What level of business insurance do I need?

Knowing how much cover you need is important – nobody wants to be paying for more than they need. Thankfully, our covers come at various levels, so you can choose the right amount for your needs.

You’ll be covered for the same thing regardless of what level of cover you choose. The main difference will be how much compensation you’ll be covered for in the event of a claim.

Public liability insurance

Our public liability insurance ranges in levels up to a maximum of £5 million. Please note, some clients or contracts might require you to have a certain level of cover before working with you. For example, if you’re working with a large organisation or a council authority, they’ll likely require you have a higher level of cover.

Professional indemnity insurance 

Our professional indemnity insurance starts off at a standard level of £1 million, though you can increase this level anywhere up to £5 million of cover. As above, some clients may require you to have a certain level of cover.

Employers’ liability insurance 

By law, business with employers’ liability insurance are required to have a minimum of £5 million cover. But with AXA, we’ll give you £10 million as standard, so you can rest assured your business is in good hands.

Contents insurance 

With our business contents insurance, the level of cover you have will depend on the value of the contents being insured. So, make sure you’re always accurately estimating the value of the items you want to cover.

And remember, you can increase your level of cover at any time on your online AXA account.

Is business insurance a legal requirement?

In some cases, it can be. If your business has staff – even if they’re volunteers, apprentices, contractors or temporary – then employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement under the Employers’ Liability Act 1969. The law doesn’t apply if you only employ family members. But it’s better to be safe than sorry. 

By law, you need £5 million employers’ liability cover. At AXA, we’ll give you £10 million cover as standard. So if someone is injured or becomes ill as a result of working for you – even years down the line – you’ll have confidence in knowing you’re covered.

While not required by law, bear in mind that some clients might ask for proof of certain types of insurance, like public liability insurance, before giving you work.

Some professional regulatory bodies will also require your professional indemnity insurance to be in keeping with their requirements. We’ll ask you to tell us if you’re a member of a professional body when you get a quote, if it’s relevant to what your business does. Then we’ll provide you with the right proof in your documentation.

You can add employers’ liability insurance to your business insurance policy when you get a quote online.

How much does business insurance cost?

No two businesses are exactly the same, which means that no two business’ prices will be the exact same, either. The cost of your policy will depend on several factors, such as what your business does, the size of your business and what you do.

The quickest and easiest way to find out what your policy is likely to cost is to get a quote online.

Ready to get started?

 Not sure what type of cover your need?

Can I get business insurance before registering my business?

Yes, you can. You can get business insurance before you’ve started trading – and before you have even registered your business.

We don’t need your company registration number or any business registration information. All we need are details on your business address, trade type and your actual/projected turnover.

About us

Keep your company up-and-running no matter what with AXA’s business insurance. We offer flexible, tailored cover to help sole traders, self-employed people and small and medium-sized businesses grow.

Landlord? We’ll protect your commercial or residential property. Use a van? Stay on the road with our comprehensive van insurance.

Running a business is hard work. That’s why we keep insuring one simple.

¹ Based on the number of businesses insured by AXA across the UK and Ireland as of February 15th 2024.

² Rated 4.6/5 based on 16,854 total reviews. Figure accurate as of 25/01/2024.

Underwritten by AXA Insurance UK plc. Terms, conditions, limitations, eligibility and exclusions apply.