MoneySuperMarket’s 2026 Business Insurance Report
Contents
Business insurance policy uptake among small businesses
The unseen cost of running a business
People management and employer responsibility
Insurance knowledge gaps and under-protection
The UK sectors making the most insurance requests
As experts in business insurance, we know small businesses drive innovation, support local communities and employ millions of people nationwide. In today’s increasingly complex economic landscape, shaped by rising costs, regulatory change and shifting consumer behaviour, understanding how small business owners feel about their prospects has never been more important.
In this report, we explore how entrepreneurs are navigating the current small business landscape by analysing a survey of 250 UK sole traders and small business owners (1–49 employees), reviewing data from our partner Simply Business, and analysis of MoneySuperMarket’s internal business insurance quotes data.
Key findings:
There has been a 22% increase in business insurance quotes from 2024-2025.
Insurance knowledge gaps remain significant, but interest is growing, with searches for business insurance up 3% year-on-year.
Cleaners lead the way in policy uptake, accounting for 6.59% of all policies taken out in 2025.
1. Business insurance policy uptake among small businesses
Simply Business reports a 22% increase in business insurance quotes from 2024 to 2025, suggesting that owners are looking to safeguard against disruption. But while interest is growing overall, some sectors are driving this trend more than others.
UK’s top 5 growth areas, based on new business insurance policy uptake
Domestic cleaners
Builders
Electricians
Business and management consultants
Handymen (property management)
Based on the number of new business policies bought through MoneySuperMarket over the past two years, domestic cleaners show the strongest growth in active policy uptake. Domestic cleaner insurance provides specialist liability cover for self-employed cleaners and cleaning businesses, protecting against risks such as property damage, injury, or theft in clients’ homes.
Builders follow next, with similar cover, then electricians, business and management consultants, and handymen (property management only), completing the top five. This growing uptake comes as interest in business insurance continues to rise, with UK searches for “business insurance” up 3% year-on-year, reaching around 179,000 searches each month.
This shows an appetite for protection, but the research reveals a knowledge gap around the benefits it can offer.
Insurance can be seen as an added cost rather than a safeguard. However, as financial pressures weigh heavily on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), insurance provide peace of mind about protection for both owners and their businesses.
2. The unseen cost of running a business
Running a business is no easy task, and ‘ownership burnout’ is on the rise, generating 9,000 online monthly searches and rising 159% month-on-month.
Speaking to business owners, our survey confirmed that more than two in five (42%) felt burnt out by the end of 2025, and a further one in three say that running their business harms their mental health.
This is further compounded by business owners feeling reluctant to switch off over key holiday periods, with almost half (49%) of small business owners not shutting down over the holiday season last Christmas, and one in five feeling guilty for taking time off.
However, 2026 marks a turning point for many small business owners, as over half (51%) said that they plan to prioritise better work–life balance. Over two-fifths (47%) also plan to set stricter working hours, and 46% say they want to delegate more.
As burnout becomes an increasingly open topic among business owners, it’s more important than ever to protect businesses.
Stress-related decision-making can increase risk exposure, leading business owners to overlook gaps in cover or delay important planning. This becomes especially critical when considering the impact of business interruption, such as holidays or unforeseen illness, which can affect smaller businesses with limited resources.
The right kinds of protection can reduce burnout among owners who often try to wear many hats and juggle different roles to plug gaps when things go wrong.
Key person cover can safeguard businesses if someone crucial to operations passes away, helping to cover losses, bring in temporary help, or fund recruitment. Other types of business protection, like business interruption insurance and tool insurance, can also help businesses recover and stay resilient if the loss of important equipment or a disruptive incident prevents them from operating.
3. People management and employer responsibility
Our research also reveals that nearly three-quarters of UK small business owners (around 4.16 million*) believe they are good at managing their employees; however, many say they struggle with difficult work conversations. One in three dread giving feedback and a quarter fear discussing pay.
These findings highlight the pressure many owners are under. From navigating pay discussions to overseeing day-to-day operations, small business owners, as mentioned previously, wear multiple hats, including HR, management, finance and compliance. “
Insurance Expert
Our expert says
“When you employ staff, you’re not just managing performance, you’re taking on legal and financial responsibilities too. Employers’ liability insurance is a legal requirement in the UK, and it protects businesses if an employee becomes ill or injured because of their work. But beyond that, many business insurance policies now include access to HR advice lines and legal support, which can be invaluable when handling sensitive conversations or complex situations.
Protection like legal expenses insurance can also provide a safety net, along with professional indemnity which can protect businesses that work with external data and companies. Legal costs can be expensive, no matter what size your business is.”
4. Insurance knowledge gaps and under-protection
Our survey shows that 6% of business owners use life insurance to cover employees' wages if they die. However, personal life insurance policies are not commonly used to protect employees, and naming a business as a beneficiary is generally considered an inefficient approach, as the premiums are unlikely to be tax-deductible.
Insurance Expert
Our expert says
“Given that life is unpredictable, and no one can foresee when the unexpected may happen, small business owners should consider protecting both their business and their employees
.Business owners should therefore consider key person insurance to ensure employees are protected if the business owner or someone vital to the business pass away or are forced to stop working due to a critical health condition. With this cover, the business will receive a payout to ensure operations can continue and employees aren’t left in the lurch.
In the UK, businesses with employees, whether they’re contractors, family hires, or full-time staff, as a bare minimum, are legally required to have employers’ liability insurance. However, with only this protection, there are a lot of risks that businesses are still exposed to.
Without business insurance, businesses are fully exposed if something goes wrong, whether that’s an accident, a legal claim, theft, damage or an unexpected disruption. The costs can quickly run into thousands (or more), putting pressure on cash flow, delaying work, damaging client relationships and, in serious cases, forcing a business to close.
Insurance acts as a financial safety net, helping businesses manage claims, legal fees and lost income so one unexpected event doesn’t undo years of hard work.”
Sector variation in demand for different policy types
Rank | Primary Detail | Percent of policies sold per trade total in 2024 | Percent of policies sold per trade total in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cleaner - domestic | 5.88% | 6.59% |
2 | Builder | 5.17% | 3.65% |
3 | Electrician | 3.70% | 2.82% |
4 | Consultant - business & management | 3.25% | 2.70% |
5 | Handyman (property maintenance only) | 2.53% | 2.11% |
6 | Carpenter | 2.33% | 1.79% |
7 | Painter & decorator | 2.22% | 1.80% |
8 | Plumbing, heating and ventilation contractor | 2.08% | 1.46% |
9 | Garden maintenance excluding tree felling | 1.71% | 1.63% |
10 | Teacher / tutor | 1.32% | 1.74% |
Across all regions and sectors in the UK, domestic cleaners dominate in the number of policies being taken out (6.59% in 2025). This is followed by builders (3.65%) and electricians (2.82%). Businesses that mainly work with clients and external stakeholders appear more likely to take out policies, which could indicate a higher awareness of potential risks and protection needs.
Encouragingly, more businesses are proactively seeking protection, with rising quote requests and growing interest in specialist cover. As SMEs look ahead, protection will play a crucial role.
Business Insurance can allow SMEs to grow, take risks, and provide an extra level of support and reassurance.
Methodology
Survey data is taken from a nationally representative poll of 250 UK sole traders and business owners with companies sized between 1 – 49 employees, conducted in November 2025
Simply Business provided further internal data on the number of unique quote requests made for different business insurance policies.
Alicia Hempsted is the Business Insurance Expert at MoneySuperMarket.
*all figures are based on UK’s small business population size according to the Government’s 2025 figures.
Google searches were gathered using Google Trends and based on the average UK monthly searches over the past 12 months (March 2025-March 2026).
