Simply Business

What Simply Business is

Simply Business is a broker rather than a carrier, collecting your details once and returning quotes from multiple insurers so you can compare price and coverage. For a contractor with an unusual trade mix or a prior claim, a marketplace often beats going direct.

What it does well

• Multiple carrier quotes from one application
• Licensed agents available by phone
• Covers many trade classifications
• Useful when carriers decline direct applications

Integrates with

Certificate delivery · Policy portal

Integration lists change often and "integrates" can mean anything from a real two-way sync to a one-way push through Zapier. Ask the vendor which fields move, in which direction, and how often.

Before you commit

• Match coverage to your actual exposure and contract requirements — a cheap policy with the wrong limits is a liability.
• Instant certificate of insurance generation is worth real money when commercial clients ask for one.
• Confirm whether tools and equipment are covered, and at replacement cost or actual cash value.
• Lien rights run on hard statutory deadlines that vary by state. Calendar them the day you start a job.
• Keep licence, insurance, and registration renewals in one place with a named owner, not in someone’s memory.

How to judge it in a trial

Run one real job through it end to end — not the demo data. Quote it, schedule it, do it, invoice it, take the payment. Then ask the only question that matters on day 400: did the people who have to use this every day find it faster than what they do now? Friction you notice in week one compounds forever, and tool-hopping costs more than any feature gap.