April 18th, 2025
Five Ways to Start, Recharge or Relaunch Your Own Insurance Broking Business
In this episode, Jane Hunt, managing director of Catapult PR, which has won a large chunk of its 68 awards, to date, for insurance PR and content campaigns, talks to Roger Gaunt, managing director of Gauntlet Group and the Gauntlet Appointed Representative Network.
Jane, a long-standing insurance PR agency specialist, discovers the rationale behind Gauntlet’s driving of the local broker renaissance at a time when insurance market transformation has left some clients in fruitless insurance relationships, with call centres or advisers who do not understand their needs inside-out.
This is contrasted to the situation when a dedicated local insurance broker is at the helm of their insurance provision and explains the opportunity that new entrants to the broking market can enjoy, if they deliver that community-feel service but are also armed with what Roger describes as a ‘compelling twist’.
How to start up as an insurance broker
The elements of this compelling twist are fully discussed, before Jane and Roger talk through five different ways in which the award-winning Gauntlet AR Network can now welcome appointed representatives and provide them with either a head-start or a rebirth.
With the five ways being suitable for every type of insurance account exec or account director – or existing broker – out there, there is a route for almost anyone who wants to join the Gauntlet AR network, if they have the right ethics and morals and commitment to hard work.
As Jane discovers, there is even a route for those who have not accumulated the savings that you traditionally need to call upon, as a financial buffer, when starting a new business and one that can ease anyone into the world of self-employment as a broker.
The most attractive route of all – that for currently directly authorised brokers who are struggling for a variety of reasons in today’s insurance marketplace, is discussed in full, from entry strategy to exit strategy, making it a must-listen for any broker coming up to retirement or in their ‘twilight’ years of broking.
There is also a spoiler alert, as the 5th route into the Gauntlet appointed representative network has not previously been revealed.
Things for insurance brokers to consider
There is also time to consider all the elements of the Gauntlet AR Network that make it a unique support vehicle for brokers wanting to start a insurance brokerage and to reflect on how this also boosts buying power. With unsung heroes in the wings of the Gauntlet AR Network, ensuring excellent loss ratios and great commission rates, there is a lot to take on board, whether you are a broker wanting to start from fresh, de-authorise and change status, or even switch network, to access greater benefits.
Who this suits is also discussed and how insurers react to the Gauntlet Appointed Representative Network is also well worth taking on board.
The episode concludes with Jane’s own reflections on becoming her own PR boss, her early insurance clients and the tools that she has available as resources, including the Your Insurance Marketing Wake-up Call download, available as a download at the Catapult PR website.
Jane also urges listeners to look out for forthcoming episodes about thought leadership and a new product offering – for the likes of solicitors, vets, accountants, construction firms, tour operators and, of course, insurance professionals and brokers – which will be launching soon.
This episode is another example of Catapult PR’s involvement in insurance PR and PR for insurance brokers. It has acted as an insurance PR agency since its foundation in 1998, never having not been working for a client in the insurance sector during these 27 years. This is due to Jane’s long career in insurance PR and financial services PR before founding Catapult PR, when she was in-house PR Manager at Swinton and then went on to launch Privilege Insurance, in another agency. From there, she created an award-winning PR campaign for Yorkshire Bank, whilst a director of an agency in Leeds, along with dynamic insurance PR campaigns for Green Flag Motor and Home Rescue and wedding insurance provider, Wedding Plan.
Catapult PR’s very first of its 68 awards was won for insurance PR, back in 1999, with the judges commenting how the PR agency had made a seemingly dull topic of insurance highly interesting.
As part of its ethos as an insurance PR agency, Catapult PR stays abreast of consumer opinions about insurance. Check out the downloadable document, Your Insurance Marketing Wake-up Call, mentioned in the episode, to assess what consumers think about insurers and insurance brokers’ PR, content, external communications and social media marketing.
