Insurance Broker Brisbane

Business insurance broking for Brisbane businesses, professionals and contractors

Looking for an insurance broker serving Brisbane? Clarke Lyons Insurance helps businesses discuss their insurance requirements, review existing cover and explore available policies for their operations.

The starting point is your business: what you do, where you work, the contracts you sign and the losses you could face. From a consultancy in Brisbane CBD to a retailer in the inner suburbs or a contractor working across South East Queensland, those details matter when arranging cover.

Speak with us about business insurance, professional indemnity, public and product liability, cyber insurance, management liability and business interruption.

Clarke Lyons is based in Bondi Junction, Sydney, and assists businesses across Australia, including Brisbane and Queensland, through phone and email consultations.

Request an insurance review for your Brisbane business. Call 1300 18 13 12 or email gareth@clarkelyons.com.au.

Find insurance information for your Brisbane business

Choose the starting point that matches your needs:

Starting a business or reviewing several covers: explore SME business insurance.
Providing advice, designs, reports or specialist services: read about professional indemnity insurance.
Working around customers or at client premises: explore public and product liability insurance.
Depending on email, cloud systems or confidential records: review cyber insurance.
Assessing the financial impact of an insured shutdown: read about business interruption insurance.

Our Brisbane business insurance guide provides further local context. Continue below for help understanding the broker service, preparing your enquiry and comparing insurance options.

What does an insurance broker do for a Brisbane business?

An insurance broker helps clients assess insurance needs, explore available cover and understand policy terms within the agreed scope of service. The process may include preparing insurer submissions, explaining quotes, arranging policies, administering changes and assisting with claims communication.

A useful insurance review connects cover to your actual operations. It should address the services you supply, assets you use, information you hold and obligations you accept.

Your broker and insurer have different roles. The insurer issues the policy and determines claims under its terms. The broker helps you navigate the insurance process.

Ask about the scope of advice, the insurers being approached, applicable fees and commissions, and support after placement. A broker enquiry does not necessarily involve every insurer in the market.

When should you speak with a business insurance broker?

Consider an insurance review when:

Your first business insurance policy is needed.
Renewal is approaching and you want to compare available options.
Your activities or revenue have changed.
A client contract introduces new insurance requirements.
You move premises or add another location.
You engage subcontractors or start supplying new products.
Your professional services become more complex.
You are changing insurers or closing a consultancy.

For Brisbane businesses, a review may also be useful before a seasonal stock build-up or when assessing weather-related property and interruption exposures.

Insurance should be considered before accepting the exposure. Waiting until an incident occurs cannot retrospectively create cover.

Commercial insurance broker Brisbane: policies to consider

Commercial insurance describes insurance used by businesses. It is not a promise that one policy covers every business risk.

An insurance arrangement may combine a business package with separate cover for professional services, cyber incidents or management decisions. The structure depends on your activities and available insurer terms.

Small business insurance Brisbane

A business package may offer selected sections for public and products liability, business contents, stock, theft, glass and other exposures.

Check which sections have been selected. A policy called “business insurance” does not establish that professional indemnity, cyber or every other cover is included.

For a Brisbane shop, café, office or service business, review the declared occupation, premises, sums insured and security requirements. Explain online sales, deliveries and work performed away from your main location.

Explore SME business insurance.

Public liability insurance Brisbane

Public liability insurance generally addresses covered legal liability for third-party injury or property damage arising from business activities.

It is relevant to businesses interacting with customers, working at client locations or performing activities that could affect other people or their property.

Check the insured occupation, liability limit, excess and exclusions. Subcontractor work, property in your care and obligations accepted under contract may require particular attention.

Public liability should not be assumed to cover claims alleging that your professional advice caused financial loss.

Read about public and product liability insurance.

Product liability insurance

Businesses selling, importing, distributing or manufacturing goods should disclose the products involved and their intended uses.

Insurers may need to understand where products are sourced, where they are sold and whether you supply them under your own brand.

Product liability and product recall address different exposures. The costs of replacing defective goods, rectifying workmanship or recalling products are not automatically covered by a products liability policy.

Professional indemnity insurance Brisbane

Professional indemnity insurance can help address covered claims alleging that professional advice or services caused a client financial loss.

It may be relevant to Brisbane engineers, consultants, architects, accountants, planners, designers and other professional service businesses.

Describe your disciplines, services, project types and responsibilities. Check the professional services definition, indemnity limit, defence costs, exclusions and previous-work provisions.

Requirements can arise from contracts, professional associations or occupation-specific regulation. They should be checked for the particular work you perform.

Explore professional indemnity insurance.

Cyber insurance Brisbane

Cyber insurance may address specified costs and liabilities arising from a covered cyber incident. Depending on the wording, cover can include incident response, data restoration, cyber business interruption and privacy liability.

A Brisbane business using cloud platforms, client databases, online bookings or electronic payments should consider how a cyber incident would affect operations.

Discuss security controls and access to response services. Check sublimits, waiting periods and notification requirements.

Invoice fraud, social engineering and stolen funds need specific attention. A cyber policy should not be assumed to cover every fraudulent payment.

Explore cyber insurance.

Management liability insurance

Management liability insurance may provide selected protections for specified claims concerning company management, employment practices or other insured matters.

Review the insured entities and individuals, selected sections and exclusions.

An employment complaint, professional negligence allegation and cyber incident can involve different policies. Management liability should not be treated as a substitute for every other form of business insurance.

Explore management liability insurance.

Contents, stock and portable equipment

Review the business assets you would need to replace following an insured loss: computers, furniture, stock, tools and specialist equipment.

Disclose equipment kept off-site, in vehicles, at home or at client premises. Portable property cover can have conditions differing from premises-based contents cover.

Consider peak stock values and current replacement costs. Historical purchase figures may understate what replacement would cost now.

Brisbane flood, storm and business interruption considerations

Weather-related exposures deserve a specific discussion when reviewing a Brisbane business’s insurance.

Business Queensland explains that flood can affect business premises, access and supply routes. It recommends understanding your location’s flood exposure and checking the types of flooding covered by your policy. Business Queensland

Does business insurance cover flood?

Flood cover depends on the actual policy, selected cover, definitions, exclusions and endorsements. Do not infer it from the presence of storm cover or general references to water damage.

Ask whether the relevant property sections include flood, what limits and excesses apply, and how the policy distinguishes flood from other forms of water damage. Business Queensland specifically advises businesses to investigate the scope of their flood insurance.

The risk should be considered at the premises level. Businesses in the same suburb can have different circumstances.

What if the premises are undamaged but access is blocked?

A disruption does not automatically satisfy the policy’s claim requirements.

Ask about prevention-of-access provisions, supplier and customer extensions, utility interruption and relevant sublimits. Such extensions may require specified damage, geographical conditions or minimum interruption periods.

An access problem and direct insured damage to your equipment can raise different cover questions.

How long would recovery take?

Business interruption cover should be reviewed against the time needed to restore trading.

Replacing equipment, completing fit-out repairs, sourcing stock and rebuilding customer demand may take different lengths of time.

Discuss the indemnity period and financial values with your broker and accountant. Revenue, accounting profit and policy-defined gross profit are not interchangeable.

Explore business interruption insurance.

Insurance and business continuity planning

Insurance complements a continuity plan. Consider alternative suppliers, secure backups, temporary working arrangements and a current inventory of assets.

Keep policy documents and emergency contact details accessible away from your premises. During an event, follow safety advice and the insurer’s reporting instructions.

Insurance broking for Brisbane industries

Engineering, architecture and construction consultants

Technical practices should declare their disciplines and distinguish advice, design, inspection, certification and project management activities.

A firm expanding its scope may take on exposures that were not described when its policy was arranged.

Provide sample consultancy agreements and information about project values, subcontractors and client types.

Architectural practices can explore professional indemnity insurance for architects. Other technical practices can begin with our professional indemnity insurance overview.

Accountants and advisory practices

Accounting businesses should explain their actual services, including tax, bookkeeping, audit and advisory work where applicable.

Discuss professional liability alongside the privacy and operational consequences of compromised client records.

An office injury and an allegation of incorrect advice raise different insurance questions.

Explore professional indemnity insurance for accountants.

Business consultants and independent professionals

A consultant’s fee may be small relative to the decisions a client makes using their advice.

Describe the recommendations, reports and services you provide. Explain your largest engagements and any responsibility for coordinating other advisers.

Read about professional indemnity insurance for consultants.

IT consultants and technology businesses

Software development, managed services, hosting and cybersecurity advice can create different responsibilities.

Assess liability arising from your services alongside the consequences of an incident affecting your own systems.

Review technology liability and cyber cover together for gaps or overlapping conditions.

Explore IT liability insurance.

Trades and contractors

Site-based businesses should describe the work performed, tools used and subcontractors engaged.

Disclose higher-exposure activities rather than relying on a broad trade label. If you also provide design or technical advice, explain that work separately.

Consider liability and equipment cover alongside any occupation-specific Queensland requirements. Standard public liability cover should not be assumed to satisfy every licensing obligation.

Retail, hospitality and online sellers

Review customer interaction, stock, equipment and interruption exposures.

Food businesses should discuss refrigeration-dependent stock and machinery breakdown. Retailers should explain imported goods, online sales and delivery arrangements.

Disclose temporary stalls, catering or other work outside the usual premises.

These examples guide the discussion. Cover availability remains subject to insurer assessment.

How to choose an insurance broker serving Brisbane

Look for a clear explanation of the service and how it relates to your needs.

Ask about relevant experience

Explain your activities and ask how the broker would approach the enquiry. Useful questions concern your services, contracts and exposures rather than a generic occupation label.

Understand insurer access

Ask which markets may be approached and whether there are placement limitations. “Comparing policies” does not necessarily mean searching the whole market.

Clarify advice and remuneration

Request the relevant Financial Services Guide and engagement documents.

Understand the scope of advice, applicable fees or commissions and what services are included after placement.

Ask about renewals and claims

Clarify how changes will be handled during the year and what information is needed before renewal.

Ask about the claims reporting process and available assistance. The insurer remains responsible for determining cover and claim payments.

Comparing business insurance quotes in Brisbane

Compare policy scope and cost together. A lower premium can reflect a higher excess, narrower activities or different limits.

Check:

The insured legal entities and trading names.
Declared services, products and locations.
Liability limits and annual aggregates.
Defence costs and applicable sublimits.
Property values and settlement provisions.
Flood, storm and interruption terms.
Exclusions and endorsements.
Excesses, waiting periods and policy conditions.
Total payable cost and any funding charges.

Where quotes differ, ask what the practical consequences are.

For example, a PI quotation excluding an activity that generates a significant portion of your revenue may be unsuitable even if its premium is attractive.

What affects business insurance costs?

Premiums depend on the business and cover requested. Insurers may consider revenue, occupation, locations, claims history, asset values, controls, limits and excesses.

Professional services can be assessed differently from retail, contracting or product supply.

Broker remuneration may include fees, commissions or both. Ask how the arrangement applies to your enquiry and what happens when a policy is changed or cancelled.

For an accurate assessment, request a quote based on your actual operations rather than an unsupported generic price range.

Preparing for an insurance review

Have the following available where relevant:

Current policy schedules and renewal dates.
Legal entities, trading names and ABN details.
A clear description of services and products.
Annual revenue and a breakdown by activity.
Premises, stock and equipment information.
Claims, complaints and known circumstances.
Client contracts and insurance clauses.
Subcontractor and overseas activity details.

A certificate of currency is useful but does not contain every policy condition. Provide the schedule, wording and endorsements where possible.

Explain planned changes as well as current activities.

Changing insurers without overlooking previous work

Professional indemnity and other claims-made policies require attention to continuity.

Before switching, check retroactive dates, previous-work cover, known circumstances and notification provisions. A new policy does not automatically preserve every feature of the previous arrangement.

Read about claims-made professional indemnity insurance.

If you are retiring, selling or closing a consultancy, discuss run-off insurance before cancelling cover.

Queensland workers compensation obligations

Public liability and business insurance packages do not replace workers compensation obligations.

WorkSafe Queensland states that Queensland-based employers who employ workers must insure them against work-related injury or illness. Some contractors can also be workers for these purposes.

An ABN alone does not resolve the classification. The working arrangement matters.

Check your obligations with WorkCover Queensland or the relevant insurer, particularly where you engage contractors or staff work across state borders.

Claims assistance and policy changes

Notify claims and potentially relevant circumstances promptly according to the policy requirements.

Retain photographs, correspondence, invoices and a clear record of what happened. Seek advice before admitting liability, agreeing to settlements or incurring costs where insurer consent is required.

For a cyber incident, follow the policy’s incident response instructions immediately.

Clarke Lyons can assist with claims communication within the agreed scope of service. The insurer determines whether the claim is covered and what is payable.

Also tell us about business changes during the policy year. New premises, services or significant contracts may warrant attention before renewal.

Serving Brisbane and South East Queensland

Clarke Lyons welcomes insurance enquiries from businesses in Brisbane CBD, Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill, Newstead, Bowen Hills, South Brisbane and West End.

Businesses operating in areas such as Toowong, Indooroopilly, Chermside, North Lakes, Eagle Farm, Murarrie and Coopers Plains can also discuss their requirements.

We assist with enquiries from the wider South East Queensland region, including Ipswich, Logan and Redland areas.

Our office is in Sydney. Phone and email consultations support Australia-wide service without implying a Brisbane office location.

Why speak with Clarke Lyons Insurance?

Clarke Lyons provides an insurance discussion focused on your activities, requirements and available options.

Speak with us about a first policy, a renewal review, professional liability, cyber exposure or insurance requirements for a new contract.

Clarke Lyons Insurance Pty Ltd is a Corporate Authorised Representative of Insurance Advisernet Australia Pty Ltd, AFSL 240549, Corporate Authorised Representative number 1280767. Trusted Insurance Brokers in Bondi Junction

Learn about Clarke Lyons Insurance and request the current Financial Services Guide when considering our services.

Frequently asked questions about insurance brokers in Brisbane

Can Clarke Lyons assist Brisbane businesses from Sydney?

Yes. Clarke Lyons is based in Bondi Junction, Sydney, and assists businesses across Australia, including Brisbane. Requirements can be discussed by phone and email, subject to the agreed service and insurer acceptance.

What insurance does a Brisbane small business need?

The appropriate cover depends on its activities, assets, contracts and legal obligations. Relevant policies may include public liability, business contents, professional indemnity, cyber and management liability. Queensland workers compensation obligations must be assessed separately.

Does business insurance automatically include flood cover?

No. Check the selected cover, policy definitions, exclusions, limits and endorsements. Flood and storm are not interchangeable, and cover for access disruption or interruption may have separate requirements.

Can a broker help compare commercial insurance quotes?

A broker can help compare available quotations, including insured activities, limits, excesses and exclusions. Ask which insurers have been approached because a comparison does not necessarily include every insurer in the market.

Do Brisbane consultants need professional indemnity and public liability?

They address different exposures. PI generally concerns covered claims arising from professional advice or services. Public liability generally concerns covered third-party injury or property damage arising from business activities. A consultancy should assess whether it needs both.

How do I request an insurance quote for a Brisbane business?

Contact Clarke Lyons with your activities, annual revenue, locations, claims information and current policy documents. Include relevant contracts and asset values so your requirements can be assessed accurately.

Speak with an insurance broker serving Brisbane

Make your next insurance decision with a clearer understanding of your business exposures and available cover.

Whether you are starting a Brisbane business, reviewing renewal terms or assessing a new contract, contact Clarke Lyons to discuss your requirements.

Call 1300 18 13 12.
Email gareth@clarkelyons.com.au.

Explore business insurance, professional indemnity insurance and cyber insurance.

This information is general and does not take account of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Cover is subject to insurer acceptance and policy terms, conditions, limits and exclusions.