NIBA / Special Feature
Vero’s Annual SME Insurance Index demonstrates changes in the needs and wants of SME businesses across Australia, and provides a roadmap for brokers, too. Seizing the SME Opportunity
The move from insurance broker to trusted adviser is one that’s long been spoken about – but perhaps it’s only now we’re seeing how it plays out in practice. An increasingly complex market, economic volatility and shifting customer expectations, combined with the advancements in the capability of AI, means the SME landscape is changing rapidly. Vero’s 2026 SME Insurance Index highlights the challenges SMEs are facing – and they will surely come as no surprise to anyone: namely declining revenues (reported by 47% of businesses), rising costs (83%) and even resilience.
Scratch the surface though, and it pinpoints key opportunities for brokers to further shape how clients think about risk, resilience and their future – while adding significant strategic value, too. “What this research reinforces is that brokers are no longer simply facilitators of insurance, they are increasingly central to how Australian businesses understand and manage risk,” says NIBA CEO Richard Klipin. “The opportunity for brokers today is to move beyond transactions and become embedded in the strategic decision- making of their clients.”
34 / INSURANCE ADVISER APRIL/MAY 2026
Made with FlippingBook Digital Publishing Software