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Business Insurance
Protect your business with flexible insurance built around how you trade. We compare the market and arrange cover for SMEs and large organisations across Ireland.
About business insurance
Every business faces risk. But choosing the right protection does not have to feel complicated. Our commercial combined business insurance brings together the essential covers Irish businesses typically need into one simple policy. It is flexible, scalable and suitable for businesses of all sizes, including sole traders, SMEs and large organisations.
As a broker, we work for you rather than the insurer. We take the time to understand your risks, compare options across the market and recommend cover that fits your business.
What's covered under business insurance
Public liability
Public liability insurance protects your business if a member of the public is injured or their property is damaged due to your activities.
Employers’ liability
Covers legal liability if an employee suffers an injury or illness connected to their work.
Product liability
Protects your business if a product you supply causes injury or damage.
Property damage
Covers loss or damage to your building, equipment, contents or stock.
Business interruption insurance
Business interruption cover helps replace lost income if you cannot operate after an insured event.
Money cover
Protects cash held on your premises, in transit or in safes.
Goods in transit
Goods in transit cover can covers goods damaged or lost while being transported.
Equipment breakdown
Protects against the cost of repairing or replacing essential equipment if it suddenly stops working.
Commercial motor cover
Insurance for vehicles used for deliveries, trade or business operations.
Cyber cover
Cyber insurance helps protect businesses of all sizes against data breaches, ransomware and digital business interruption.
Stock insurance
Covers loss or damage to business stock whether stored onsite or offsite.
Flood, storm and fire cover
Protects your premises and assets from weather events and accidental fires.
How we support different businesses
Commercial combined insurance is designed to work for both smaller and larger organisations. To help guide you to the right level of detail, we have dedicated pages for each audience.
For SMEs
Smaller businesses often need flexible cover that protects them from day to day risks, including public liability, stock, equipment and interruptions to trading. Learn more about SME insurance to understand how commercial combined insurance can be adapted to suit local retailers, trades, hospitality, beauty, pet care and many more.
For large businesses
Larger businesses often need additional support with risk assessment, complex operations, multiple sites or higher policy limits. Our Large Business page outlines how we build programmes that match the scale and complexity of your organisation.
Who needs business insurance?
Business insurance is suited to almost every business operating in Ireland including:
- Sole traders and small businesses
- SMEs and growing companies
- Large or multi site organisations
- Retail, wholesale and e commerce
- Trades and construction
- Pet businesses
- Cleaning, security and facilities
- Hospitality, tourism and food service
- Beauty, wellness and professional services
If you employ staff, certain covers such as employers’ liability may be required by law. We will guide you on what is mandatory and what is recommended.
How we work with large businesses
Working with larger organisations is a long term partnership. A typical approach includes:
Understanding your business and risk
We start by listening. We meet your key stakeholders, review your operations, and map your key exposures, from property and people to contracts and technology.
Designing your insurance programme
We prioritise your critical risks, consider different programme structures and recommend a strategy that aligns with your risk appetite and budget.
Market placement and negotiation
We approach suitable insurers, present your risk clearly, and negotiate terms and pricing on your behalf, often with multiple carriers involved.
Implementation and communication
We help you embed the programme internally, making sure your teams know what is covered, how to report incidents and who to contact.
Ongoing service, renewals and improvement
We review claims trends, monitor changes in your business and the wider risk environment, and refine your programme each year so it stays relevant.
Throughout, you have access to specialists who understand your sector and who work collaboratively with your internal teams.
Types of claims we help businesses with:
1. Liability claims: These occur when a member of the public, a client or an employee suffers an injury or property damage connected to your business.
2. Property damage claims: These involve damage to your building, equipment, contents or stock caused by events such as fire, escape of water or accidental damage.
3. Business interruption claims: These arise when your business cannot trade due to an insured event and you suffer a loss of income.
4. Vehicle and transit claims: These relate to accidents involving business vehicles or damage to goods that are being transported.
FAQs on Business Insurance
You may need a large business approach if you operate from several locations, have significant property or fleet, employ large numbers of staff, rely on critical supply chains or face complex contractual and regulatory obligations. If decisions in your business carry wide reaching impact, a bespoke programme is usually appropriate.
Common elements include property damage, business interruption, public and products liability, employers’ liability, directors’ and officers’ insurance, professional indemnity, fleet, cyber, marine and project based covers. The exact blend depends on your operations and risk appetite.
We collaborate with your risk, finance, procurement and operational teams to understand your needs, gather information and design an appropriate programme. We also provide clear documentation and points of contact so everyone knows how to engage with the insurance in practice.
Where needed, we can work with wider Howden teams and international partners to support cross border risks, international placements or multinational programmes, subject to local regulations and market conditions.
You will usually need details about your business activities, turnover, number of employees, claims history, asset values and any contractual insurance requirements. Having this ready helps us give clearer advice faster.
This depends on how you trade, whether you employ staff, the value of your assets, your turnover and your reliance on premises, technology or suppliers. We help businesses assess these risks and translate them into appropriate cover. Fill in our quote form and one of our expert advisors will provide you a free of cost consultation.
If assets or turnover are understated, claim payments may be reduced. This is why accurate valuations and regular reviews are important. We help clients avoid underinsurance by reviewing cover as their business changes.