Eleos Life Partners with British Business Funding

Small business owners face a unique challenge: they carry all the same financial risks as everyone else, but without the safety net of employer benefits. While employees often have access to workplace life insurance and income protection, the UK's 5.45 million small business owners—who collectively contribute around £1.8 trillion to the economy—typically have to navigate these protections alone.

That's why we've partnered with British Business Funding (BBF) to make our digital life insurance and income protection directly accessible to sole traders, contractors, entrepreneurs, and small teams through BBF's platform.

The statistics paint a stark picture: only 6% of self-employed individuals hold personal income protection insurance, compared to 16% of traditional employees. This leaves millions of families financially exposed if illness or injury prevents them from working.

Unlike employees who might receive sick pay or have colleagues to cover their responsibilities, small business owners face unique vulnerabilities:

• No employer safety net: There's no HR department or workplace benefits to fall back on.
• Direct income dependency: If you can't work, your income stops immediately.
• Family financial exposure: Your dependents rely entirely on your earning capacity.
• Business continuity risks: Illness doesn't just affect personal income—it can threaten the entire business.

As our CEO Kiruba Shankar Eswaran puts it: "Small business owners are the backbone of the UK economy, yet they're often left without the financial safety nets that larger companies provide their employees. Our partnership with British Business Funding ensures that entrepreneurs and small business owners have the same access to vital income protection and life insurance that their employed counterparts take for granted".

Through this collaboration, BBF clients can now access our streamlined protection directly within their existing business planning workflow. No separate applications, no complicated processes—just protection that works the way modern businesses do.

• Income Protection: Up to 65% of monthly income replacement if illness prevents work, with portable coverage that travels with you as projects and clients change.
• Life Insurance: Flexible coverage from £10,000 to £500,000, starting from just £5 per month, with applications completed in minutes rather than hours.
• Immediate Wellness Perks: 24/7 remote GP access, mental health counselling, physiotherapy sessions, and digital health assessments that you can use right away—even before needing to make a claim.

What makes this partnership particularly relevant is how it fits into the reality of running a small business. The integration means business owners can sort their protection in the same digital space where they're already planning finance and growth. It's designed to be:

• Operationally Light: Integrated directly into BBF's existing digital platform, making it a natural extension of business planning rather than a separate, complicated process.
• Team-Friendly: Coverage isn't limited to business owners. Small teams can extend access to employees as a morale and retention benefit, including wellness perks.
• Business-Focused: The entire experience is built around how small businesses actually operate—digital, efficient, and results-oriented.

When you're building a business, protection shouldn't be an afterthought that gets pushed to the "someday" list. It should be as straightforward as any other business decision.

For small business owners who've been putting off sorting out protection because it seemed too complicated or time-consuming, this partnership removes those traditional barriers.

For Britain's entrepreneurs and small business owners, it's protection that finally behaves like the rest of modern business: digital, portable, and ready when needed.

Ready to explore protection options for your business? Learn more about income protection for freelancers and gig workers or get your free quote today.