Published : Dec-2019
No. of Pages : 46
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.1. The broker-dominated SME insurance market remains retention-heavy
1.2. Key findings
1.3. Critical success factors
2. THE SME PURCHASING JOURNEY
2.1. Introduction
2.1.1. SMEs make up the backbone of the UK economy
2.2. Brokers are under threat from the banking channel across all SMEs
2.3. Personal lines preferences are not reflected in commercial insurance
2.3.1. Familiarity using a broker is the top reason SMEs use that channel
2.3.2. SMEs use PCWs to get better prices
2.4. What channels do different SMEs prefer?
2.4.1. Brokers are the most popular purchasing channel across all SMEs
2.4.2. Sole traders are purchasing through PCWs more often than two years ago
2.4.3. Micro businesses are moving towards purchasing through banks and PCWs
2.4.4. Small businesses have shifted from the direct channel to PCWs and banks
2.4.5. The broker channel leads the way among medium-sized businesses
2.4.6. SMEs predominantly auto-renew policies across all business sizes
2.4.7. More than a third of newly formed SMEs purchase their insurance online
2.4.8. Face-to-face purchasing increases in popularity in line with the age of the business
2.5. SME pre-purchase activity shows a retention-heavy market
2.5.1. SMEs' primary action at renewal is to call their existing provider
2.5.2. A significant percentage of SMEs conduct research on PCWs
3. SME RETENTION
3.1. Larger businesses are more likely to renew their existing policies
3.2. Sole traders compare prices at renewal, but rarely change
3.3. Micro enterprises (excluding sole traders) have a high retention rate
3.4. Small companies are less likely to shop around than micro businesses
3.5. Medium enterprises show the highest degree of loyalty among SMEs
3.6. SMEs are most likely to switch provider due to price
4. SME PROVIDER SELECTION
4.1. Policy cost is the main factor for SMEs when choosing a provider
4.1.1. The ability to tailor policies around specific needs is important to all SMEs
4.2. The most common added-value service used by SMEs is legal advice
4.2.1. Openness to receiving services is dependent on SME size
5. APPENDIX
5.1. Abbreviations and acronyms
5.2. Definitions
5.2.1. SME
5.3. Methodology
5.3.1. GlobalData's UK SME Insurance Surveys
5.3.2. Comparing the data with previous editions of this report
5.4. Further reading
List of Tables
Table 1: Pre-purchase activities by SME size, 2019
Table 2: The most important factor when choosing a provider, 2019
Table 3: SMEs' current use of and interest in additional insurer services, 2019
List of Figures
Figure 1: Banks have seen consistent growth since 2017
Figure 2: SMEs purchase direct due to the ease of using the channel
Figure 3: Among SMEs using banks, only 11% purchased insurance when opening a business account
Figure 4: Using the broker channel in the past is the top reason for using it in 2019
Figure 5: SMEs purchase through PCWs to get the best price
Figure 6: Brokers lead the way across all SME types
Figure 7: Sole traders shifted away from brokers over the review period
Figure 8: The direct channel is more popular among sole traders than any other SME size
Figure 9: PCWs and banks grew in prominence at the expense of brokers and the direct channel
Figure 10: In the micro enterprise space, brokers are the most popular channel across all products
Figure 11: The direct channel is struggling among small businesses
Figure 12: The broker channel remains dominant among small businesses
Figure 13: Brokers strengthened their position among medium businesses in 2019
Figure 14: Medium-sized businesses prefer brokers for all products
Figure 15: Auto-renewal is the most popular method across all size categories
Figure 16: Businesses are more likely to switch and use online methods in the first few years of operation
Figure 17: Auto-renewal leads the way for established businesses
Figure 18: Contacting existing providers is the most common action
Figure 19: Larger businesses are more likely to renew their insurance policies
Figure 20: Sole traders are most likely to switch their commercial vehicle insurance policies
Figure 21: An average of over 80% of micro businesses (minus sole traders) renew their policies
Figure 22: A high proportion of small businesses switch their key man policy
Figure 23: More than half of medium companies auto-renew across many product lines
Figure 24: Sole traders' focus on price is especially apparent
Figure 25: Price is a standout factor for micro enterprises when selecting a provider
Figure 26: Legal advice remains the most popular add-on
