Insurance in France · in plain English
Whatever life in France brings, it shouldn’t be lost in translation. Our bilingual team makes Micro business insurance in France clear and simple – backed by Generali.
Fast, free and tailored to your needs – reply within 24 hours.
Micro business insurance is the protection a very small enterprise in France needs against the everyday risks of trading: a claim from a customer, damage to its premises or stock, the loss of essential equipment, or a halt to its activity. For the many English-speaking residents running a micro-entreprise, a one-person craft or service business, or a small online venture, the challenge is not to buy a great deal of cover, but to buy exactly the right cover, no more and no less.
Best French Insurance, the bilingual Generali agency based in Cognac, arranges micro business insurance for English-speaking owners of the smallest businesses across France. Our advisors explain in plain English which risks genuinely apply to a business of your size, and build a policy proportionate to it, rather than selling you the cover a mid-sized company would need.
Backed by Generali
As an official Generali agency, we pair local, English-speaking service with the solidity of one of the world’s leading insurers.
There is no single product called micro business insurance. It is a small, carefully chosen set of guarantees. The risks a micro-enterprise faces are the same in nature as those of a large firm: a client claim, a fire or a theft, but they are smaller in scale, and the cover should reflect that. Paying for elaborate protection your business will never use is as much a mistake as leaving the one real exposure uncovered. Getting the balance right is the whole point.
If your work or your premises cause harm to a client or a passer-by, an error in a service, an injury on your stand at a market, or a defect in something you made, the claim falls to you. Liability cover is the foundation of the policy, and for some regulated activities it is a legal requirement.
If you have a workshop, a studio, a treatment room, or a small unit, the space and its fit-out need cover against fire, water, and similar events. Even a modest workspace represents money you cannot afford to lose overnight.
The tools, machines, materials, and stock you trade with are rarely covered by a personal policy when used professionally. A focused contents cover protects them against theft, loss, and damage up to a value you declare.
Even a one-person business has overheads that continue if a fire or flood stops it trading. A business-interruption guarantee, sized to a micro-enterprise, replaces lost income during the closure so a setback does not become permanent.
If you sell or take payments online, or hold customer data, a cyber extension covers the consequences of a breach or fraud, an exposure that traditional business cover was never designed to address.
If you use a car or van for the business, even occasionally, your vehicle insurance must reflect that professional use. A vehicle declared for private use only can leave a work journey uncovered.
Many of the smallest businesses trade away from a fixed address: at markets, fairs, pop-up events, or on client sites, carrying stock, takings, and a float with them. A small extension covers goods and money while they are in transit and on a stall, an everyday exposure for a market trader that a premises-only policy quietly leaves out.
In a one-person business, the owner is the business, and an injury that stops you working stops the income entirely. A modest personal-accident guarantee pays a lump sum or an allowance after a serious accident, a sensible addition when there is no colleague to step in and keep things running.
What is compulsory depends on your activity, not on the fact that you trade as a micro-entreprise. Professional liability is legally required for a range of regulated activities in healthcare, legal services, finance, property and the building trades, and is strongly recommended for everyone else. If you rent business premises, your lease will usually require you to insure them. Beyond these obligations, micro business insurance is a practical necessity rather than a legal one, as a single uninsured claim can easily exceed what a small business can afford to absorb.
The key to protecting a very small business is proportion. Two common mistakes can both prove costly.
A micro-enterprise does not need the same level of cover as a company with employees, multiple premises and a fleet of vehicles. Paying for guarantees and limits you are unlikely ever to use simply wastes a limited budget. We build a policy around the genuine risks your activity faces.
At the same time, almost every micro-business has one critical exposure, whether it is professional liability, specialist equipment or valuable stock. The purpose of micro business insurance is to make sure that key risk is properly protected, even with a modest budget.
As your business grows by hiring staff, renting premises or expanding its services, your insurance should evolve with it. We regularly review your cover to ensure it keeps pace with your business and avoids costly gaps.
If you sell at markets, craft fairs or seasonal events, your business moves from one location to another and your risks travel with you. Public liability, together with cover for stock, equipment and takings while in transit or on your stall, becomes particularly important. We include these guarantees without adding unnecessary cover designed for permanent retail premises.
Even the smallest business can face disputes over unpaid invoices, suppliers or neighbouring traders. Legal protection helps cover the cost of legal advice and, where necessary, pursuing or defending a claim, preventing legal fees from becoming a major financial burden.
Best French Insurance is a genuine Generali agency located at 16 rue Plumejeau in Cognac, not a comparison website or an automated platform. Every client speaks directly with a bilingual advisor who understands both the French insurance system and the realities of running a small business as an English-speaking entrepreneur in France.
When arranging micro business insurance, we begin by understanding your business: what you do, whether you hold stock or specialist equipment, whether you work from home or from business premises, and what a realistic worst-case scenario would look like. We then build a proportionate policy and coordinate it with your other business insurance and, where appropriate, your home insurance, ensuring there are no unnecessary overlaps and no dangerous gaps in protection.
Get a free, no-obligation quote
Quotes are free and without obligation. Our Cognac office is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 12pm. Call us on 05 45 82 03 20 or email cognac@agence.generali.fr.
FAQ
More cover
Protect your home and belongings with straightforward, easy-to-understand policies designed for English-speaking expats.
Learn more →Comprehensive health cover tailored to your needs, without deciphering complex French policies.
Learn more →Customized vehicle solutions for English-speaking residents, with advisors who know local regulations.
Learn more →Fill out our form for a personalised quote – or contact us and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours. Fast, free and tailored to your needs.
Your trusted insurance partner in France for over 20 years.
© 2025 Generali Cognac. All rights reserved. Website created by Newp.
SAS AGENCE GENERALI COGNAC, whose registered office is located at 2 rue Pillet Will, 75009 Paris, is registered with the Paris Trade and Companies Register under number 844 879 106, and with ORIAS under number 210005547.
