QUESTION 6:
Do I want a basic indemnity policy or some kind of all-singing, all-dancing alternative? All the different plans do seem hard to compare.

ANSWER:
All the various add-ons to policies can make it a confusing business, especially as many of them trigger extra premiums. The least you should expect for free are 24 hour help-lines offering specialist advice on everything from Health & Safety, legal, VAT and PAYE issues to stress counselling. Your insurer should also be able to say if you need Public Liability or Employers’ Liability cover as well – if you are legally required to have the latter but fail to take out a policy you can be fined up to £2,500 a day. So the more you find out the safer your finances will be. As usual the Government-backed Business Link service is a good place for extra information (www.businesslink.gov.uk) and if you ever have problems with your insurer and want to complain against it you should get help from the Financial Services Authority at www.fsa.gov.uk or the Financial Ombudsman Service at www.financial-ombudsman.org.uk.