Supporting Sheffield businesses

30th January 2025

Alister Smith, a Director at IFM Insurance Brokers Ltd in Sheffield believes that at the start of 2025, firms based in Sheffield have an opportunity to reassess their insurance needs.

Supporting Sheffield firms in challenging times

Alister Smith a Director at IFM Insurance Brokers Ltd in Sheffield believes that at the start of 2025, firms based in Sheffield have an opportunity to reassess their insurance needs. Alister says : ‘It’s essential, for instance, for firms to consider what plans they have in place and how insurance can help them protect their business if the unexpected was to happen.

Unsurprisingly many local firms are now increasingly looking at understanding the risk for their business and getting the right cover rather than a bundle of unrelated products, which may not be effective in either managing the risk or saving money.  

At IFM we have worked hard over many years to become trusted advisers and business consultants taking on and understanding the risks in a wide range of areas from employment issues to business continuity and health & safety.  This is crucial as many of our clients are now facing increasing social, economic and political challenges, which place risk on their business.  

At IFM we have to sell on value and we have to tackle the difficult questions. SMEs want continuity and personal contact. They are also looking for stability and long-term savings, which clearly can play to the local broker’s strengths.

Our business model is based on providing great service and advice, which is underpinned by strong relationships with leading insurers like AVIVA, AXA and Allianz . This gives us exceptional access and service levels from our insurer partners. So we have significant clout in the market combined with local knowledge, which means our customer’s interests are always in safe hands.

By being located in Sheffield, we are always closer to our clients.  We now carry out many of the tasks that were once seen to be the traditional territory of insurers: high-quality advice, product development, marketing and claims. We’ve built up this expertise and professionalism through our chartered status – through people development – to give our clients the first-class advice they need.

Getting on top of insurance may not be the most appealing prospect, but it will deliver significant benefits, both in terms of cost and level of coverage. For Sheffield firms it’s about making certain that the cover pays out when needed. With so much potentially at stake for the future of your business, it’s undoubtedly worth the effort.’