Cover for the business you actually run.
Offices, clinics, shops, bars and restaurants, schools, warehouses, shipyards and more. We understand how your business operates, then advise on the cover it needs.
Who needs business insurance?
Running a business in Hong Kong offers huge opportunities, and real financial risks. A single incident can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Business insurance protects your assets, income, legal responsibilities and employees from the unexpected.
Whether you are an SME, a consultancy, a retailer, a logistics company or a new start-up, it takes one serious event (a liability claim, a property loss, an interruption to operations) to do financial damage overnight. The right cover lets you grow with confidence.
Pitfalls we help you avoid
Business insurance usually fails not because a company did not buy it, but because the policy does not cover what is required. One common issue is underinsurance: many businesses underestimate the real replacement cost of equipment, stock or office renovation.
Every business has different risks. Two companies in the same industry can have very different exposures, depending on contract requirements, staff structure, premises, clients and how revenue is generated. Policies are hard to compare directly, because insurers use different wording, conditions and exclusions, and the important details can sit in the fine print.
We work to understand your operations and find the weak points. Business policies are usually written as packages, so we may arrange separate policies where that gives you better cover.
What does typical cover include?
Depending on the business, a typical policy covers loss of, or accidental damage to, property by fire, theft, water damage, typhoon damage and other risks. Cover can also include:
- Stock and loss of money
- Personal accident
- Business interruption
- Equipment and machinery breakdown
- Premises public liability and tenants’ liability
- Employees’ compensation
Extra cover can be added for industry-specific risks, contract requirements and other exposures, so your income, reputation and long-term stability are not affected.
What a business programme is actually made of.
There is no single policy called business insurance. It is a set of separate covers, and a Hong Kong company picks the ones its own exposure calls for. One is required by law. The rest are a commercial judgement.
Employees’ compensation
Compulsory for every Hong Kong employer from an employee’s first day.
Professional indemnity
The claim that follows advice, a design or a piece of work a client says was wrong.
Directors and officers liability
Personal protection for the people who run the company, which the company’s own policies do not extend to.
Cyber
A breach, a ransom demand, or the cost of telling customers their data has gone.
Property and contents
For the premises and what is in them. Tenants and landlords are rated differently.
Public liability
Injury or damage a third party suffers on your premises or because of your work.
Drone
Where a firm flies commercially, and what the Hong Kong rules require.
Corporate travel and group benefits
Cover for staff who travel, and the wider benefits programme.
What shapes the plan, and the price
Two firms in the same trade can be quoted very differently, and the reasons are usually structural.
- What you do decides which product does the heavy lifting: a consultancy carries most of its exposure in professional indemnity, a restaurant in public liability and property, a logistics firm in goods and vehicles.
- Who you contract with often decides the limits, because a client, landlord or tender frequently sets a minimum before you can sign.
- Headcount drives the compulsory layer, since employees’ compensation is rated on payroll and roles.
- The excess you accept moves the premium on nearly every product, and is the fastest lever for a firm carrying some cash.
Where cover quietly stops
The gaps we are asked about most are rarely exotic. A plan bought for one activity does not follow the firm into a new one, so a change of trade, a new service line or a first overseas contract are all worth a call before they start. Sub-limits sit inside most policies and are not the headline figure. Cyber, in particular, often has a modest sub-limit for the business-interruption element, which is the part that actually hurts.
On claims-made products such as professional indemnity and D&O, the date a loss occurred against the date it was notified matters. Letting a policy lapse between insurers can undo years of protection in an afternoon, so when you change insurer, check the continuity date first.
Four steps, and we stay with you after them.
Talk to us about your needs
We learn your situation, priorities and budget.
Compare your options
We put the three or four best-fit policies side by side, in plain language.
Get covered quickly
We handle the paperwork and deal with the insurers for you.
Ongoing support
When it is time to claim, renew or change your cover, we are there to help.
Let’s get your insurance done right.
Business policy language is often unclear and every industry faces different risks. Our role is to simplify it and make sure your company gets the exact protection it needs, at the best possible value. We reply within 24 hours, or the next business day if it is after hours.
What clients say
Real reviews from expats, families and businesses who use Expat Insurance for clear advice and reliable support.
“Marc and team have helped me with business and personal insurance for almost 10 years now. Marc is extremely knowledgeable & always available for advice and support. Highly recommend.”
“Experienced broker and customer focused approach. I highly recommend!”
“I have been dealing with Expatriate Insurance Brokers here in HK for many years. Their accurate and thorough consultation has always been exceptional, and gets you the right products for competitive prices. Transparency, precision and speed of execution of the services are outstanding. Highly recommended!”
Frequently asked questions
Is any business insurance compulsory in Hong Kong?
Yes: employees’ compensation, for every employer and every employee from the first day of work, under the Employees’ Compensation Ordinance. Everything else is a commercial decision, though a client contract or a landlord will often make one of the others effectively mandatory.
What does an SME actually need to start with?
The compulsory layer, protection for the premises and contents, and public liability. After that it depends on what you sell: advice-led firms add professional indemnity early, and anyone holding customer data should look at cyber.
Do the directors need their own protection?
A company policy protects the company. Directors and officers cover protects the individuals personally, including defence costs, which is a separate exposure and one that outlasts the appointment.
Can one insurer cover everything?
Sometimes, and it is worth pricing both ways. A packaged plan is simpler to run and often cheaper for a small firm. Separate policies usually give better terms once any one exposure gets large. We quote both and show you the difference.
What happens if the business changes what it does?
Tell us before it happens. Cover is written against the activity described at inception, and a new service line, a new territory or a first big contract can fall outside it.
Do you handle the claim?
Yes. We deal with the insurer on your behalf from notification through to settlement.
What does using a broker cost the company?
Nothing. We are paid by the insurer you appoint, at the same premium you would pay approaching them directly.
Guides on business insurance in Hong Kong
Everything we have written on this cover: what it includes, what it costs and the questions worth asking before you commit.
- The policies most SMEs actually need
- Covering the building and its contents
- Whether cyber cover belongs on the list
- Choosing a Corporate Insurance Broker in Hong Kong
- Office Contents and Equipment Cover in Hong Kong
- Shop and Retail Premises Insurance in Hong Kong: A Tenant’s Guide
- Commercial Building and Contents Insurance in Hong Kong
- Business Insurance in Hong Kong: The 6 Policies Every SME Actually Needs
Tell us what you need. We reply within one business day.
Talk to an adviser about your business, health, home or family. No charge, no obligation, no hard sell.