- Barry Abrams is the Founder and CEO of Ignite Insurance Brokers Ltd., an award-winning commercial insurance firm that specialises in serving the tech industry and start-ups.
- Frustrated by the impersonal nature of traditional insurance, Barry launched Ignite to bring transparency, honesty and real customer care back into the industry – he banned scripts and is committed to putting people first.
- Under Barry’s leadership, Ignite continues to innovate with initiatives like “Ignite 365” and emerging AI tools, staying at the forefront of insurance broking while maintaining a strong focus on team culture and client support.
Website: www.igniteinsurance.uk
Tell Me About Yourself and Your Company
I’m Barry Abrams, Founder and CEO of Ignite Insurance Brokers Ltd. Ignite is an award-winning commercial insurance broker with some specialist areas, including insurance for the tech industry and startups too.
What Inspired You to Start Ignite, and What Problem Were You Trying to Solve?
Insurance has always had a stigma of being boring, with staff reading from scripts and treating customers like numbers. Customer service was non-existent.
I started Ignite to change this. We add the human, customer care factor back into insurance, and scripts are banned from the office! Everyone gets treated with the care they deserve and they get honest and transparent service from us.
What Has Been Your Biggest Challenge So Far, and How Did You Overcome It?
The biggest challenge, I guess, to date was at the start. Getting FCA authorisation can be challenging, with lots of information going backwards and forwards, and also having to implement lots of policies and procedures before you can even begin to trade.
Can You Describe a Pivotal Moment That Significantly Shaped the Direction of Your Startup?
It has to be my staff. Once we got big enough to start employing, my staff have really helped to scale the business and continue to help do so – they always have my back when the going gets tough. Plus, they bring me lattes in the morning! #winning
How Do You Define Success?
For Your Business: Growth. The way I see it is that the bigger the company is, the more clients we are helping to secure, with competitive premiums and honest, unbiased advice.
As a Founder: Watching my team grow and watching them learn and master the trade is a great feeling and something which I’m very proud of.
What Advice Would You Give to Someone Thinking About Launching Their Own Startup?
Do it, but make sure you believe in the vision. You’re going to do long hours and long days with not a lot of reward in the early days, but if your passion is there, it will keep you going.
What’s Next for Your Company? Any Exciting Developments We Should Watch Out For?
We’re always trying to be at the forefront of insurance broking, like our leading ‘Ignite 365’ programme that monitors clients’ growth to try and eliminate under-insurance and claim declinations. We are experimenting with AI too, nd we are hoping to put something together on this very soon!
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Founder’s Five with Barry Abrams
Barry Abrams is a passionate, forward-thinking entrepreneur who has achieved great success in the insurance industry, alongside his hardworking, committed team. But, what is it that makes him tick? Here’s TechRound’s exclusive “Founder’s Five” with Barry Abrams.
1. Favourite Business Tool
Is it biased if I say our “Ignite 365” programme?
2. One Lesson You Learned the Hard Way
Get everything in writing, always.
3. One Future Trend You’re Watching
Definitely AI, it’s starting to change the world already.
4. One Quote You Live By
‘Great things in business are never done by one person, they are done by a team of people’ Steve Jobs.
5. One Book/Podcast You Recommend
I don’t really get time to read, busy work and personal life!