"What happens when the worst happens? It’s a question I ask myself every day because it’s my job to make sure that clients have the right insurance cover in place so they can deal with whatever life throws at them.
Latest figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) showed that bad weather took a record toll on insurance claims last year, with insurers paying out a whopping £5.7 billion to affected homeowners and businesses.
According to the ABI, claims from businesses for weather-related damage and business interruption during the final quarter of 2024 reached £102 million, an increase of 16% over the same period in 2023.
Destructive weather events such as Storm E̒woyn which hit the UK in January can reveal the true value of having the correct insurance policy in place. Were you covered for any storm damage and if so, was your property insured for its replacement value? If you were unable to operate fully for a period of time due to damage, were you covered financially by business interruption cover? And, as winds of more than 90mph battered the region, did you have the peace of mind that whatever happens, your insurance broker has got you covered?
Of course, insurance is about planning for potential future events, but it’s also about being safe in the knowledge that your home, your business, and ultimately your livelihood are protected so you can focus on the things that matter.
It’s our role to act as a trusted advisor, using our knowledge and experience of the insurance sector to find the best solutions to suit individual businesses and their needs. We spend valuable time getting to know you, so we have an in-depth understanding of your business and your plans for the future. So if you are planning to put up a new building, invest in new machinery, or embark on a diversification project, it’s our job to ensure that you have the right cover in place at a competitive price.
We also understand the importance of keeping things simple. When you’ve got a business to run and 100 other things to think about, you need an insurance policy which does exactly what you need it to do. Our aim is to provide you with a bespoke single policy designed to simplify all your insurance needs, however complex.
Insurance is all about risk. We’ll work with you to assess and minimise any risks to your business, from providing cover against damage to your property inflicted by unexpected events such as floods, fires or storms, to protecting you against any loss of income should your business be forced out of action for a period of time as a result.
And if things do go wrong and you need to make a claim, our in-house claims team is on hand to deal with it quickly and efficiently. Best of all, you’ll be dealing with real people at the other end of the phone in our head office - and not some faceless automated call centre! They will take the pain out of an insurance claim by personally looking after it from start to finish – and keeping you informed throughout the process.
Our aim is to take the pain out of making an insurance claim, leaving you free to get on with the day-to-day priorities of running your business.
We understand that experiencing a fire, a theft or a flood is about much more than financial loss. It’s often a difficult, often emotional time, which can impact not just on you but on your family, employees and wider business.
It’s our job to make sure that you are back on your feet as quickly as possible by making the claims process as simple and easy as possible.
Insurance is about more than planning for unexpected or unforeseen future events, it’s about having the confidence that your business is protected so you can focus on the things that matter.
I work with clients every day to make sure they are protected against potential threats or risks so they can face any oncoming storm, whether it’s weather-related or otherwise, with confidence."
One of the UK’s leading independent insurance brokers, H&H Insurance Brokers operates across the North of England, the Scottish Borders and Wales, supporting businesses in a range of sectors including agriculture and rural, tourism and hospitality, construction, and manufacturing. The firm, which has its head office in Carlisle, has eight regional offices including a base at Burnside House on Hexham Business Park. It also offers a number of specialist products including asset finance and wealth management.
Contact Lisa at H&H Insurance Brokers’ Hexham office on 01434 622014 or email Lisa direct