Our take first
- Most brand-new small businesses are placeable. Digital small commercial markets quote them in minutes, and a new business has a clean loss record by definition.
- Florida is where it gets harder. Some national BOP programs leave Florida out, others restrict coastal property, and construction workers' comp starts at the first employee.
- Placing them is not the hard part. Reaching the owner before another agent does is. More on that below.
The markets compared
| Market | Lines for small businesses | Florida | How agents get access | What it says about new or small businesses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERGO NEXT | General liability, BOP, workers' comp, professional liability, umbrella, tools and equipment; commercial property and auto in bundles | Yes: sells workers' comp and general liability in Florida | Appoints agents directly, with same-day access; quote and bind online | Built for the self-employed and businesses with up to 5 employees; lists new restaurants among businesses it insures |
| Coterie | BOP and general liability; professional liability in select states | Yes, written with Clear Spring Property & Casualty; BOP subject to coastal restrictions | Agent platform with instant quote and issue; also quotable through Bold Penguin and Vertafore's commercial submissions | No years-in-business minimum in its appetite guide; home-based businesses accepted; up to 50 employees (15 for contractors); no prior cancellations or non-renewals |
| Hiscox NOW | Professional liability, general liability, BOP (admitted, Hiscox Insurance Company) | Hiscox says it is admitted or licensed in all 50 states | Through wholesale broker partners such as BTIS; a direct Hiscox appointment requires $5M E&O and $100,000 in first-year premium | BTIS's program page: "New Venture Businesses Acceptable" |
| Pie Insurance | Workers' comp; other lines placed with unaffiliated insurers | Yes, since October 2020 | Partner portal for independent agents with an appetite checker; also quotable through Bold Penguin | Small business workers' comp focus; no years-in-business rule published |
| AmTrust | Workers' comp, BOP, package, commercial auto, umbrella, cyber, EPLI | Its small business guide lists Florida among states where its BOP is not available | Online quoting (ezWC, ezBOP, ezAuto) | No new-venture rules in its small business guide |
| XINSURANCE | Specialty and high-risk liability, through Evolution Insurance Brokers | Not stated | Works with agents who write high-risk business | Pitches start-ups without a track record, and businesses that were declined, non-renewed, or cancelled |
| FWCJUA | Workers' comp only: Florida's market of last resort | Florida only | Through authorized producers | For employers who can't get coverage in the voluntary market; eligibility includes documented rejection by at least two insurers |
From each market's own pages and Florida statute, checked October 19, 2026. Appetites, states, and access rules change; confirm with the market before you quote.
Digital small commercial markets
For a new office, shop, consultant, cleaner, or light trade, start here. These markets quote online, bind the same day, and underwrite on class, revenue, headcount, and losses, which suits a business that is weeks old.
- ERGO NEXT appoints agents directly and gives same-day access to quote and bind. It targets the self-employed and businesses with up to five employees, and it sells workers' comp in Florida online.
- Coterie writes BOP and general liability in all 50 states. In Florida it writes with Clear Spring Property & Casualty, and BOP is subject to coastal restrictions. Its appetite guide lists no years-in-business minimum, accepts home-based businesses, and caps eligibility at 50 employees and $10M in revenue (15 employees and $5M for contractors), with no prior cancellations, non-renewals, or bankruptcy. It is also quotable through Bold Penguin and Vertafore's commercial submissions.
- Hiscox NOW binds professional liability, general liability, and BOP online through wholesale broker partners. BTIS's program page says new venture businesses are acceptable and lists a 15% commission. A direct Hiscox appointment is a bigger step: $5M aggregate E&O and a guaranteed $100,000 in first-year written premium.
Workers' comp for new Florida businesses
Florida's thresholds depend on the industry. Construction businesses need coverage at one employee, and corporate officers and LLC members count as employees. An officer or member who owns at least 10% can apply for a construction exemption, with no more than three per company, and exemption holders cannot collect benefits if injured. Most other businesses need coverage at four employees. Our workers' comp requirement checker walks through it.
- Pie Insurance has written small business workers' comp in Florida since October 2020 and works through independent agents, with a partner portal that checks appetite before you quote. It is also quotable through Bold Penguin.
- AmTrust quotes workers' comp online and binds the same day. Note that its small business guide lists Florida among the states where its BOP is not available, so a Florida storefront may need a different property market.
- The FWCJUA is the backstop. Under section 627.311(5), it covers employers who are required to carry workers' comp but can't get it in the voluntary market. Its eligibility rules include documented rejection by at least two insurers, and its first two tiers are priced 25% and 50% above comparable voluntary rates.
Hard-to-place classes
When a class is outside every admitted appetite, a specialty market is the next call. XINSURANCE, offered by Evolution Insurance Brokers, pitches coverage for start-ups without a track record and for businesses that were declined, non-renewed, or cancelled, and works with agents who write high-risk business.
New trucking companies are their own case. Coverage under a new authority is available, but FreightWaves notes it costs more than coverage for established carriers and often stays high for the first 12 to 24 months, with underwriters focused on CDL tenure and clean driving records. Florida's weight-based commercial auto minimums are in our coverage guide.
Getting access as a newer agent
If you aren't appointed with these markets yet, there are three routes: a direct appointment where the market offers one, a wholesaler or program partner, or an aggregator or network that already holds the contracts. The trade-offs, fees, and contracts are in our comparison of aggregators and networks for new Florida agents.
The part no market solves
Every market on this page will quote a new business. None of them will introduce you to one. A Florida business that filed last week is about to sign a lease, hire, buy a truck, or apply for a contractor license, and the first agent who calls usually gets the conversation.
That is the gap FiledToday fills. Every weekday morning it sends the businesses that registered in your county, with holding companies and filing services removed, the owner's phone number found, and the full mailing address. It is Florida only, $99 to $249 a month per county, month to month. Contractors, trucking companies, restaurants, and cleaners are the categories most likely to need the coverage on this page first; the contractor and workers' comp pages show how many register each week.
Get a free county sample and quote the first one this week.
This guide summarizes publicly available market information for prospecting purposes. It is not coverage, legal, or placement advice, and we are not affiliated with any market listed.
Common questions
Which insurance companies will write a brand-new business?
Several small commercial markets quote new businesses online. Hiscox NOW, offered through wholesale partners such as BTIS, states that new venture businesses are acceptable. ERGO NEXT is built for the self-employed and businesses with up to five employees, and Coterie's appetite guide sets no years-in-business minimum. Each still underwrites the class, so quote before you promise anything.
Can a new business with no prior insurance get coverage?
Usually, yes. Most small business programs underwrite on the class, revenue, headcount, and losses, and a new business has no losses. What tends to block a quote is the class itself, prior cancellations or non-renewals, or, in Florida, property in a coastal area.
What if no carrier will write workers' comp for a new Florida business?
Florida's market of last resort is the Florida Workers' Compensation Joint Underwriting Association (FWCJUA). By statute its eligibility rules include documented rejection by at least two insurers, and its first two premium tiers are set 25% and 50% above comparable voluntary-market rates.
Does a new construction company in Florida need workers' comp?
Yes, once it has one or more employees, and corporate officers and LLC members count as employees. An officer or member who owns at least 10% can apply for a construction exemption, with no more than three exemptions per company. Exemption holders cannot collect benefits if they are hurt.
How does a newer agent get access to these markets?
Some appoint agents directly, like ERGO NEXT. Others are easier through a wholesaler or program partner; Hiscox NOW is offered through wholesale brokers such as BTIS. Many agents start through an aggregator or network, compared in our guide to aggregators for new Florida agents.
Updated October 22, 2026 · By Ben Thalmann, founder of FiledToday