What insurers ask a small business, and why your answers matter

A business insurance request usually asks what your business does, where it operates from, how big it is, who works there, what you want covered, and whether you have claimed before. These answers shape the quote and, later, how a claim is read. Answer accurately, and tell the licensed provider if anything changes.

What does a business insurance request usually ask?

The questions follow the risks the sections of a policy cover. On the business hub and in the request form, the headings are these:

• Your business. What it does, its registered name, and whether it is registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC). The hub says most commercial insurers require registration, which is why the form asks.
• Where it operates. The address of the premises, whether you own or rent, and whether you work at clients' premises or from home.
• Size. Turnover, the number of employees, and the number of people who visit.
• What you want covered. Assets, liability, business interruption, vehicles and so on. See what a business policy covers.
• Your history. Whether you have claimed before and when your current cover renews.
• Contracts. Whether a client, landlord or tender demands a particular cover. Your contract may name the cover it expects.

The form is deliberately short. The licensed provider who calls will ask more, because they must assess your particular risk.

Why do these details change the quote?

Each answer tells the provider something about the likelihood or size of a loss. A business with stock in a shop carries a different risk from a consultancy working from home. Customers walking into premises create a different exposure from a business that never meets the public. The provider uses your answers to decide which sections to offer, what limits are available and what to charge.

That is why Olvian does not publish prices. A figure that ignored your answers would mean nothing to you.

Why do accurate answers matter for a claim?

A policy is issued on the basis of what you told the provider. If the answers were wrong, the insurer may later say that it would have decided differently had it known. That is the argument behind many disputed claims.

This guide does not try to state the legal test for when a wrong answer allows an insurer to refuse a claim. That is a legal question, and the answer depends on the facts and the law that applies to your policy. What you can do is simple:

1. Answer each question truthfully, even where the honest answer is awkward.
2. If you are not sure, say you are not sure, and ask the provider to help you find the figure.
3. Keep a copy of what you submitted.
4. When your business changes, such as a new address, new activities or more staff, tell the provider in writing and ask them to confirm the change in writing.

The Rules take the other side of this seriously. Rule 11.3.1 requires that communications from an insurer to a policyholder be in plain language and not misleading, and Rule 11.3.2 requires the insurer to take reasonable steps to give you appropriate information about a policy in good time to make an informed decision. If you were not given information you needed, say so when you complain.

What if my claim is turned down?

If an insurer repudiates or disputes a claim, it must tell you in writing. Rule 17.6.2 of the Policyholder Protection Rules (Short-term Insurance), 2017 gives the insurer 10 days from taking its decision to notify you. Under Rule 17.6.3 the notice must, in plain language:

• give the reasons in enough detail to let you dispute them;
• say that you may make representations within a period of not less than 90 days after you receive the notice;
• explain the insurer's internal escalation and review process;
• tell you of your right to lodge a complaint with an ombud, with contact details and the time limits for doing so; and
• explain any time limit for starting legal action that applies to you.

If you make representations, Rule 17.6.5 requires the insurer to answer in writing within 45 days of receiving them. The full process is explained in business insurance claims and complaints.

How do I keep my details correct?

Treat your policy schedule as a document to check once a year, around renewal.

• Does it still describe what your business does?
• Is the address right, and are all premises listed?
• Are the sums insured still realistic for your stock, equipment and building?
• Are the staff numbers and turnover figures still right?
• Has a contract added a requirement, such as a particular liability cover?

If any answer is no, ask the provider to update the policy and to confirm the update in writing.

What does Olvian do with my answers?

Olvian is a lead-referral service. It passes the details you give on the form to licensed providers who pay Olvian a fee and who call you back. It is not an insurer, broker or adviser. Olvian's privacy notice explains what it does with your details.

What about contracts and tenders that ask for cover?

If a landlord, client or tender document asks for a particular kind of cover, copy the wording into your request or read it out to the provider who calls. The wording matters: "public liability" and "professional indemnity" are different covers, and a document that asks for one is not met by the other. Who asks for public liability cover covers that case, and professional liability or public liability explains the difference.

What does "repudiate" mean?

The Rules define it broadly. In Rule 17.1, to repudiate a claim means any action by which an insurer rejects or refuses to pay a claim or any part of a claim, for any reason. It includes a claim for a loss event or risk the policy does not cover, and a claim on a policy where the premiums were not paid. So a refusal to pay part of a claim counts, and so does a refusal because the event is outside the policy. The written-notice duty applies to all of them.

What must the insurer tell me about making a claim?

Before a claim arises, you can ask the insurer or provider what it will need. Rule 17.8.3 says the insurer must disclose to the claimant the type of information required, where, how and to whom the claim and related information must be submitted, any time limits on submitting claims, any excess payable and any administrative fee for managing the claim. Ask for these in writing when you receive the policy, and keep the page with your records.

Rule 17.4.3 adds that a claim received by an independent intermediary, binder holder or other service provider mandated by the insurer to manage claims is deemed to have been received by the insurer itself. So if you give notice of a claim to the provider who sold you the policy and that provider is mandated to receive claims, the notice counts. Ask the provider who is mandated to receive claims for your policy, and send your notice in a way that leaves a record.

Sources

Checked on 31 October 2026. This guide is information, not advice.

• Policyholder Protection Rules (Short-term Insurance), 2017, Rule 11: Disclosure
• Rule 17: Claims management
• Rule 18: Complaints management