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Published 22 March 2023

Simply Business Insurance Review

Find out the pros and cons of Simply Business insurance and the types of cover it offers.

Many or all of the products and brands we review are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and the product we choose in our ‘promotion’. However it doesn’t influence our reviews. Our opinions are our own.

Simply Business insurance: at a glance

Simply Business provides insurance to around 800,000 small businesses, sole traders and landlords, and is one of the UK’s biggest providers of business insurance. It’s a broker, so it compares quotes from a number of insurers (many of which are established names). Businesses can also manage their policies through Simply Business.

Its emphasis on speed, with the promise of same-day cover and documents, and online quotes in minutes likely to appeal to time-poor business owners.

Promotion

Simply Business Insurance

Simply Business Insurance
  • Maximum Cover Amounts
    Varies by insurer (Simply Business is a broker)
  • Trustpilot Score
    4.1 out of 5
    2,628 reviews
Apply Now

Always check terms & conditions for suitability before applying.

Learn more about how we bring you our review.

Simply Business business insurance pros and cons

Pros

  • You can make a claim online or over the phone.
  • It offers UK-based customer support. Online policy management is available for some changes and to view policy documents.
  • You can pay your premium annually or in monthly instalments.
  • You can shop by specific industry or trade.

Cons

  • You can’t call customer services later than 5.30pm on weekdays, and weekend contact is limited to Saturday between 9am and 2pm.

These pros and cons are based on a survey of UK business owners on what they found important when selecting a range of business products, conducted by NerdWallet in December 2022.

Simply Business insurance key features

Simply Business insurance full review

Simply Business is a business insurance broker that offers cover from a range of insurers to businesses, the self-employed and landlords in the UK. It has been around since 2005 and has a sizable position in the market. 

Its starting point is usually public liability insurance, but you can build a policy that suits your business risks. So you might begin with core cover – including public liability and employers’ liability, for example – and then add more specialist cover, such as online retailer insurance, if you need it.

It might be reassuring that Simply Businesses specialises in business cover, so its focus and expertise lies with commercial risks. This isn’t always the case with other providers and brokers that tend to serve consumers too.

As Simply Business is a broker, the policy you may decide to take out via them will be provided by another firm. Simply Business will look to place your business with the most appropriate provider for your needs. 

This review is based on Simply Business and not the firms they broker to. The types of products, benefits & features referred to in this review cover the range of firms Simply Business conducts business with. Specific details such as the pro’s and con’s refer to Simply Business’ services.

Find out more about Simply Business insurance – including how it measures up to key priorities of business owners, according to our NerdWallet survey*.

What types of insurance does Simply Business offer?

There is an extensive range of cover on offer, which you can buy separately or as a package. The amount of cover offered will vary as Simply Business is a broker rather than an insurance provider.

The main types included are:

You can also find the following cover options:

Simply Business insurance features

Here’s a deeper dive into the features of insurance offered through Simply Business. We’ve also considered what business owners said was most important to them in our NerdWallet survey. 

Professions and trades covered 

Simply Business offers cover to an extensive range of professions and claims to cover 1,000 different types – ‘more trades than anybody else’. There are too many to mention here, but specific trades it caters for include:

As well as individual trades, you can buy packages for:

Searching for insurance by industry might be convenient, though not all businesses in the same sector will need the same cover. 

In our NerdWallet survey, shopping by industry was ranked seven out of 10 for importance, with convenience and industry expertise a factor worth mentioning for some.  

Payment options 

You can pay your premiums annually or in monthly instalments. You will pay interest on monthly payments and also a small fee if you pay by direct debit and your premiums are over £100.

In our survey, the option to pay monthly was the second most important factor, with annual payment ranking fourth. So having this choice is a priority for many. 

Online policy management 

You can manage your insurance through an online account, where you can access your policy documents, make changes, renew or cancel, or make a claim. 

As with other insurance providers, you will need to submit an online request or pick up the phone to make certain changes, such as cancelling a policy or because you’ve had a change of personal or business circumstances. There is a £15 fee for making changes to your policy during the policy term, unless it’s within 14 days of the start date.

Web-based policy management was ranked third in importance in our survey, so it’s a key consideration for many businesses. 

Phone support 

You can call its UK-based customer services about your cover to make changes or get a quote. Lines are open 9am-5.30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 9.30am -5.30pm on Thursdays, and 9am-2pm on Saturday. 

Interestingly, phone support was only ranked eighth in importance in our survey. Effective self-service through an online dashboard was seen as more of a priority for most. 

Making a claim 

You can make a claim on your policy online, over the phone, or by post. Making a claim online first, with supporting information, may be a more efficient way to start things off. 

Claims are handled by Sedgewick (a third party) and lines are open 24 hours a day. You can track claims and upload documents through an online portal.

The route for home emergency and health insurance claims is slightly different, with a dedicated home emergency phone line and online portal for health. 

In our survey, being able to make a claim online was the number one priority in the survey, considered an important factor for nearly half (48%) of business owners. So this is a big tick for Simply Business.

Customer reviews

Simply Business has a Trustpilot rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars, based on over 2,600 reviews (as of 7 March 2023).

Bear in mind that this rating is based on the entire Simply Business brand, rather than being based on any specific product or offering.

Can you shop by profession with Simply Business?

Some packages are grouped by profession, which might be a useful way to see the usual types of insurance applicable to your business. Always focus on your own business risks, though, as these won’t be the same for everyone.

You might find it useful to see the types of risks your profession typically faces grouped together – such as public liability for injury to others and equipment cover for a cleaner – and find a straightforward route to creating a package of cover and getting a quote to match. 

Pages also include example quotes for that type of cover, along with the type of excess (the amount you agree to pay towards the overall cost of an insurance claim) you would pay on a claim, depending on the type of cover.

How to choose the right business insurance

The business insurance you choose needs to address the risks your business faces. There is a wide choice of cover available, but some businesses need the following cover to be able to operate:

When it comes to choosing between providers after getting a quote, look at the level of cover provided, as well as the price. You may also want to compare the quote details with other providers. 

How to get Simply Business insurance

You can get a quote by phone or online. You choose the cover you need and answer questions about your business, which will include:

You can then review the quotes you receive and apply for the one that suits you best, if you want to, or compare the quotes with other providers. Quotes are valid for 30 days, or until the insurance starts.

How to save money on Simply Business insurance

As Simply Business is a broker, it can offer quotes from a number of insurers. So once you receive your quotes, you can compare prices and potentially pay less for the cover you need. Though bear in mind that it might still be possible to get your cover for less elsewhere.

Paying annually rather than monthly can save you money, if this is an option. That’s because you will be charged interest if you pay in monthly instalments. 

Simply Business offers some incentives to buy insurance with them, such as a £25 gift card if you set up a reminder to buy cover. It also offers a referral scheme for existing customers, where if you recommend Simply Business to someone else and they buy cover, you both receive a gift card. These are just an added bonus rather than a reason to buy cover, though.

Review methodology

At NerdWallet Ltd UK we base our reviews on the results of surveys we conduct to understand what key product features are important to those who use them, and align them to the product we review.

Product details reflect the information that was available at that time but may have changed since. We strive to give you a review on as many products as possible but it is likely there are others available that we have not reviewed. The review is our opinion, but it does not constitute advice, recommendation or suitability of your financial circumstances.

You can view our review methodology here.

About the Author

Holly Bennett

Holly champions clear, jargon-free writing. She’s been creating finance content for leading organisations for over 10 years.

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