In 2009 we redefined the business protection gap at £1.1 trillion. Our 2011 research, carried out with the Institute of Directors (IoD), suggests that the protection gap has remained the same.

We’ve found that the business protection gap includes:

• Corporate debt gap of just under £300 billion
• Shareholder protection gap of over £400 billion
• Key person protection gap of over £400 billion.

Some key findings from our latest research include:

• 95% of business had at least one key individual
• 43% of businesses had unprotected corporate debt
• 39% of business owners expected their business to fold within 18 months of the death or critical illness of a key person
• 33% of businesses had no Share Protection in place
• 58% of business had no formal agreement to establish what would happen in the event of the death or critical illness of a business owner
• 70% of businesses had not reviewed their company agreements in the last year.

Opportunities for you

The need for businesses to protect their future is clear, yet it seems a vast majority of businesses do not have appropriate cover. This makes business protection a major opportunity for you.