WJ INSURANCE
Commercial & Business Cover

Business insurance in Melbourne, explained properly.

From cafés and consultancies to construction and import-export, we arrange the right cover for Melbourne businesses across more than 230 insurers — with bilingual advice in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

General advice notice The information on this page is general information only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination (TMD), and our Financial Services Guide, before deciding on a financial product.
What we arrange

Cover that fits your business, not a template.

Every business carries a different mix of risk. We start with your operations, contracts, premises and assets, then build a programme that responds when something actually happens — without paying for cover you do not need.

Public & product liability

Public liability is the foundation of almost every business insurance programme. It responds when a third party suffers injury or property damage because of your business activities. Limits typically range from $5M to $20M, and the right limit depends on your industry, your contracts and where you operate.

Product liability extends the same protection to claims arising from a product you have supplied, manufactured or imported. For Melbourne importers and food businesses in particular, product liability is often more important than the headline public liability limit.

Professional indemnity

If your business gives advice, designs, prepares reports, or delivers a professional service, professional indemnity protects you against claims of financial loss caused by an error, omission or breach of duty. It is mandatory for many regulated professions and increasingly demanded by clients and government tenders.

Commercial property & business interruption

If you own or lease premises, your building, fit-out, plant, stock and contents need to be insured at proper replacement value — not the depreciated book value. We also pay close attention to the business interruption section of the policy, because the gap between insured replacement and lost revenue is where most under-insurance hurts.

Management liability & cyber

Management liability covers directors, officers and the company itself for claims arising from the way the business is run, including employment disputes, statutory fines and tax investigations. Cyber insurance responds to data breaches, ransomware, business email compromise and the regulatory reporting that follows.

Workers compensation & voluntary workers

WorkCover is compulsory in Victoria once your annual remuneration exceeds the threshold or you employ an apprentice. We also arrange cover for volunteers, contractors and personal accident for working directors who fall outside WorkCover.

Read the fine print

What a business pack typically does and does not include.

Standard business packages are written by insurers, not by you. Knowing what is and is not covered before you sign is the difference between a smooth claim and an unpleasant phone call.

Typically covered Included

  • Property damage from fire, storm, impact and theft
  • Public liability for third-party injury and property damage
  • Glass breakage on premises
  • Money on premises and in transit, within sub-limits
  • Loss of profits and increased cost of working after an insured event
  • Tax audit and employment practices, where added
  • Goods in transit, where added
  • Equipment breakdown, where added

Often excluded Check the policy

  • Wear and tear, gradual deterioration and rust
  • Mechanical and electrical breakdown unless added
  • Cyber events, ransomware and social engineering fraud
  • Professional advice and design liability
  • Flood, depending on the postcode and insurer
  • Faulty workmanship and design defects
  • Unattended vehicles and tools left overnight
  • Pandemic and communicable disease, in most cases
Industries we know

Practical experience across Melbourne business.

A few of the sectors where our clients tend to cluster. If your industry is not listed, ask us — chances are we have placed something similar.

  • Hospitality — cafés, restaurants, bars and function venues across the inner east, CBD and bayside.
  • Retail and e-commerce — single shopfronts, multi-site retailers and import-export businesses with goods in transit.
  • Trades and construction — sole traders, residential builders and small commercial subcontractors.
  • Professional services — accountants, financial planners, IT consultancies, marketing agencies and engineering firms.
  • Health and allied health — clinics, dental surgeries, physiotherapy and allied health practitioners.
  • Manufacturing and wholesale — light manufacturing, food production and wholesale distribution.
  • Property and real estate — landlords, developers, body corporates and property managers.
Common questions

Business insurance, in plain language.

How much does business insurance cost in Melbourne?

Premiums vary based on your industry, turnover, claims history and the limits you select. Hospitality, trades and construction tend to pay more than professional services because of higher claims frequency.

We compare quotes across more than 230 insurers and explain the trade-offs so you can choose cover that suits your risk and budget. Pricing is set by the underwriter and confirmed at quotation.

What business insurance is legally required in Victoria?

WorkCover (workers compensation) is mandatory in Victoria for any business with annual remuneration above the WorkSafe threshold or that employs an apprentice. The current threshold and full rules are published on the WorkSafe Victoria website.

Public liability is not legally required but is contractually required by most landlords, councils, contracts and licensing bodies. Professional indemnity is required for many regulated professions, including financial advisers, accountants, lawyers, engineers, architects and registered builders.

What is the difference between public liability and professional indemnity?

Public liability covers third-party injury or property damage caused by your business activities — for example, a customer slipping in your shop.

Professional indemnity covers financial loss caused by a mistake, omission or breach of duty in the professional advice or service you provide — for example, an accountant missing a tax deadline. Many businesses need both.

Do I need cyber insurance for my small business?

If your business holds customer data, accepts online payments, uses cloud accounting or relies on email for invoicing, cyber cover is worth considering. The most common claim we see is business email compromise — a fraudulent invoice diverting payment to a criminal account.

Standard business insurance does not cover cyber events; a dedicated cyber policy responds to incident response costs, data restoration, business interruption and third-party claims.

Can I switch insurance brokers mid-policy?

Yes. You can appoint WJ Insurance as your broker at any point during the policy year by signing a short letter of appointment. We then receive your policy documents from the insurer and manage the cover from that day on. There is no fee to switch and your premium does not change.

What happens if I need to make a claim?

Call us before contacting the insurer. We lodge the claim, manage the documentation, push back when an insurer wants to narrow the cover, and keep you informed throughout. Claims advocacy is the part of broking that matters most when something has gone wrong, and it is included in the service.

Other ways we can help

Related services.

Ready to take a proper look at your cover?

Send us your current schedule of insurance and a real broker will benchmark it against the market — line by line, with no review fee and no obligation. If you choose to place cover through us, we may earn commission from the insurer as set out in our Financial Services Guide.

Send for a review Call 0478 978 888