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Business Insurance

Protect your company’s people, profits, and ownership structure. These policies are designed for directors, shareholders, and key employees — helping keep the business stable and succession plans intact when the unexpected happens.

Relevant Life Shareholder Protection Key Person Group Life
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Business protection isn’t just about insurance — it’s about ensuring your company can survive the loss of a critical individual. Whether you’re a sole director, part of a partnership, or running a growing team, the right cover protects your revenue, your ownership structure, and the livelihoods of everyone who depends on the business.

Core policy types

Each solves a specific business risk. We’ll help you identify which ones apply to your company.

Relevant Life (tax-efficient life cover)

A Relevant Life policy allows a limited company or LLP to provide life insurance for an employee or director, with the employee choosing their own beneficiaries. The company pays the premiums as a deductible business expense, and the benefit is paid free of income tax and inheritance tax. It’s HMRC-approved and often significantly more cost-effective than a personal life policy for higher or additional rate taxpayers. Ideal for directors, senior employees, or anyone who has exceeded their lifetime or annual pension allowance.

Shareholder Protection

If a shareholder dies, their shares typically pass to their estate. Without planning, this can mean spouses or family members inherit a stake in the business they have no involvement in — potentially disrupting operations, decision-making, and company direction. Shareholder protection provides funds for the remaining shareholders to buy back those shares at an agreed value, keeping ownership within the business. It works alongside a cross-option agreement (which we can help you arrange with your solicitor) to create a binding framework.

Key Person Insurance

Protects the business against the financial impact of losing a key employee — whether through death or critical illness. The company owns the policy and receives the payout, which can be used to cover lost revenue, fund recruitment costs, repay business debts, or support cash flow during a transition period. Particularly important for businesses where a single individual drives a large portion of revenue, client relationships, or technical expertise.

Group Life (Death in Service)

An employer-funded benefit that provides life cover for all eligible staff. If an employee dies while employed, a lump sum (typically 2–4x salary) is paid to their nominated beneficiaries via a master trust. It’s a cost-effective way to attract and retain talent, demonstrates duty of care, and can be more affordable per head than individual policies. We arrange group schemes for companies of all sizes.

Why does this matter?

Protect revenue

If a key person is lost, the business may face months of reduced output while recruiting and training a replacement.

Preserve ownership

Without shareholder protection, shares can pass to people outside the business — changing control overnight.

Tax efficiency

Relevant life premiums are a deductible business expense. Group life schemes benefit from favourable tax treatment for both employer and employee.

Getting the structure right

Business protection policies need to align with your shareholder agreements, articles of association, and HMRC rules. We work alongside your accountant and solicitor to make sure everything is set up correctly — from policy ownership and beneficiary nominations to cross-option agreements and trust arrangements.

Let’s structure your business protection

We’ll help align cover with your shareholder agreements, staffing risk, and company objectives — so your business is protected no matter what.

Speak to an adviser Call 0161 843 6665