SME
Broking success: What’s the ‘Gos’?
Higos has ambitious plans for growth in the South West and is on the look out for acquisitions, managing director Ian Gosden tells Caitlin Morrison
GI profits flat at LV
LV has reported profits before tax of £53m for the first half of 2012, in line with the £52m achieved in the same period of 2011 for general insurance.
Hiscox returns to half-year profit
Hiscox has revealed a pre-tax profit of £125.8m for the first six months of the year, reversing a loss of £85.6m in the same period of 2011.
Late payment improves in insurance
Late payment of bills by firms in the insurance sector improved in the second quarter of 2012, although the situation is still worse than a year ago.
NIG rolls out SME property product after successful trial run
NIG has launched its SME-focused Essential Property Owners (EPO) product to the wider broker market.
The Eurozone and government cuts top SME worries
UK SMEs have identified continuing Eurozone woes and government spending cuts as the main factors impacting upon their business optimism, according to an Axa Commercial Lines study.
Yutree and ProSight in SME deal
Yutree Underwriting has partnered with ProSight Specialty Insurance to provide its employers’, public and products liability and contractors’ all risks policies in the SME market.
Products: Equity Red Star launches product small fleets
Equity Red Star has launched SME Protect, a new mini-fleet product for family run businesses and small enterprises with fleets of two to 10 cars and/or commercial vehicles.
Product roundup: Motor market focuses on fleet
The UK motor fleet market enjoyed a bit of attention last month, with two market developments. Equity Red Star kicked things off, releasing SME Protect, its new mini-fleet product.
Blanc sees more in than out at Oval as he outlines growth plans
Peter Blanc, CEO of Oval, has listed the factors which he believes will see the broker grow and clarified that any redundancies will be among non-client facing staff.
Equity rolls out mini fleet product
Equity Red Star has launched SME Protect, a mini fleet product targeting family run businesses and small enterprises operating fleets with two to ten cars or commercial vehicles.
Aviva strikes Keychoice deal
Keychoice and Aviva have agreed to extend their personal lines deal and branch into SME commercial lines together.
Zurich aims to improve visibility to small brokers
Zurich is renewing its commitment to smaller regional brokers, recruiting 16 new sales executives who will be responsible for looking after around 2,000 brokers.
Giles' Chester office restructured
Giles Insurance Brokers has confirmed the restructure of its Chester office with micro SME business moved to another office.
Products: Biba sees raft of product launches
As ever, the Biba conference provided the perfect launch pad for many products, with QBE, Chubb and Bridge Insurance Brokers just a few of those to reveal their new offerings in Manchester.
APC extends cover for cleaning sector
APC has launched a new scheme for cleaning contractors.
Biba 2012: QBE adds to SME product suite on Fastflow
QBE has launched a professional indemnity combined product to its e-trading platform, Fastflow.
NIG continues regional BDM appointments
NIG has appointed a new business development manager for the East Anglia region to target the SME sector.
Keychoice Underwriting transfers business to Towergate
Keychoice Underwriting has entered into negotiations to transfer its book of business to Towergate only two years after it was launched.
MGA offers new management liability policy to SMEs
Manchester Underwriting Management (MUM) has launched a new management liability policy for SMEs.
New network system to "revolutionise" SME trading
The managing director of 1 Answer Network has claimed a new system that has been implemented will revolutionise the way SME business is traded.
Reportage: Lighting up the regions
Insurers are moving underwriting decisions to regional centres, but will this really benefit brokers and is the new model sustainable? Edward Murray finds out
Blanc urges brokers to get online to defend SME market
Axa Commercial’s CEO, Amanda Blanc, has warned brokers they risk losing the SME space to the direct market if they continue to ignore the benefits of e-commerce.
Rate of business insolvencies steadies despite double dip recession
New data shows that the rate of business insolvencies has steadied despite the UK economy’s dip into a second recession.