Ceta eyeing new staff

Ceta Insurance is planning to take on 20 new customer service and administration staff this year on the back of strong online sales which saw new business grow by 60% last year.

The Oxfordshire-based company said it had benefited from its decision to balance the business across both broker and online sales.

“Last year we saw huge growth in the internet with the number of policies sold via our web sites such as insuremyliability.co.uk up by more than 150 per cent,” said Ceta managing director David Quick.

“The key growth areas were commercial policies for small businesses such as liability, and leisure cover such as caravans, boats and equine. People have become used to buying their car insurance online and are becoming comfortable doing the same for other types of cover.”

He said that Ceta gives its broker network access to the same policies for use on their own websites or to white label.

“Because insurance buyers are going online, brokers have got to make that move too,” he said. “We make the infrastructure easily available and those brokers who are embracing the potential are, like us, building more diverse and stronger businesses.”

Ceta is planning more recruitment to help deal with the business increase in a year where David Quick expects motor and home insurance costs to rise.

“Rates are going to harden because insurers are struggling to make investment gains,” he said. “That is going to make buyers look even harder for good value deals so competition is still going to be very strong.”