Focus on the problems at hand

Many new insurance purchasers - and insurance advisors - get hung up on insurance products like Public Liability, Professional Indemnity, Fire & Perils, and Marine Transit without considering properly what the underlying problem is to be solved.

Thinking about the issues at hand first will save you money as well as ensure that you are properly protected. Before you start canvassing quotes for insurance products, talk to a risk advisor first about what your goals are and what worries you most.

Which is the best insurance to have?

The best insurance is the one you didn't have to buy because you solved the problem / risk in another way. Cyber insurance is a risk every business should consider - but wouldn't it be better to not suffer computer crime in the first place?

Some risks can't be easily self-managed

So for those risks, you might consider offloading the financial peril to insurance. For example:

• Could you start from scratch if your premises burns to the ground?
• Could you afford a 6-month interruption to business income while you rebuild?
• What about paying your staff - would you truly, honestly, be able to let them go in the face of a short setback?
• Are you required to hold certain insurances for contracts, tenders, or hire agreements?

There's no right or wrong answer here. Every business or not-for-profit is different and has different risks to consider. A retail shop is usually heavily dependent on a set business location, whereas a professional consultancy usually has more flexibility around a mobile place-of-work.

Your business is unique, so treat risk and insurance as unique too

I offer obligation-free risk consulting to business and not-for-profit groups alike. I pride myself on scrupulous honesty - if you already have appropriate insurance and procedures in place, I'll tell you outright to stick with what you've got. If there is room for improvement, I'll give you clear plain English directions as to how to improve. Whether you pass that advice on to your current provider or engage me to arrange it for you, I'm here on your side.

Risk consulting is more than insurance

Insurance is handy if something has already gone wrong. But risk consulting is about considering risks (and their mitigations) before things go wrong. With decades of experience with legal contracts and no-nonsense risk advice, I've helped many businesses over the years with simple procedures like:

• education - have attendees sign a waiver before physical activity. It's not foolproof, but it helps.
• retail - rather than give each delivery driver complete unfettered access to the warehouse, give each driver only a key to his own freight cage.
• consultants - send each prospective client a "terms of engagement" sheet with their application, so there's no doubt as to the limits of your advice.
• mining - get our input on works contracts before you sign, so you don't get caught out.
• importers - make sure you have clear Incoterms in place before importing, and make sure you're across the differences. I can help.
• transport - have new drivers complete accident/conviction declaration forms, so you're aware of potential problems before they come up.
• non-profit - do you have clear acceptability criteria for volunteers? Don't risk engaging someone unsuitable for the activity at hand.

None of this is rocket science, but unless you have someone on your team able to provide clear direction to make your life easy, it might not get done. I'll take the hassle out for you, so you can focus on the core areas of your business.