Plain-English guide · 2026 edition

Get your UK small business insured. From scratch. In one afternoon.

What the law actually requires, what it really costs, the small print that voids policies — and the 10 best places to buy. No jargon, no sales calls.

Get the free guide Read: do I even need insurance?
UNINSURED?£2,500fine per day
Inside the guide

Everything a first-time buyer needs

  • What's legally required (and what isn't)
  • The 60-second cover decision map
  • 7 small-print traps that void claims
  • Step-by-step buying process
  • Top 10 UK providers compared
  • Typical prices & one-page checklist
£2,500possible fine per day trading without required employers' liability cover
£14,000+average employers' liability claim — paid from your pocket if uninsured
£5.27what 1 in 10 small businesses pay per month for public liability

Insurance is confusing on purpose. This isn't.

Most guides are written by insurers selling you something. This one is written for the person opening their first business, in the order the decisions actually arrive.

STEP 1

Find out what you must have

Employers' liability is compulsory the moment you hire — before their first day. Vehicles and regulated professions carry their own legal requirements. The guide's decision map settles it in 60 seconds.

STEP 2

Choose what you should have

Public liability, professional indemnity, contents, cyber — explained in plain English with who genuinely needs each, and what a small, low-risk business typically pays.

STEP 3

Buy it without getting stung

The seven checks to run before paying: excess, per-claim limits, exclusions, disclosure traps — the small print behind most refused claims.

Download the guide

An illustrated PDF plus a 5-minute video covering the whole process and all 10 recommended providers. Pay what you want — including nothing.

Get Covered. — the starter guide