Paul ‘Graduates’ and Launches His Own Insurance Business

A Wakefield-based insurance professional has launched his own insurance brokerage as from June 1 2024, having been working towards this day for a year, as a part of a unique new programme at Leeds-headquartered Gauntlet Group, for which he was the first recruit.

Paul Howley, whose career has spanned both working in a variety of insurance roles and for his family’s haulage business, has established insurance brokerage Gauntlet Select.

However, unlike most new businesses, Paul’s already has a healthy client base.  His clients were acquired whilst he was an employee at Leeds-headquartered Gauntlet Group – and all with the Group’s blessing!

For the past year, Paul has been on what is called the Gauntlet Brokerage Builder programme, for which, in a sense, he was the first guinea pig.  Employed as a Broking Partner Designate, his remit was to acquire clients and hit income milestones, to prove that he would have what it takes to become a successful insurance broker.  

With other requirements to work towards too, to ensure that the brokerage would be sustainable, well-run and have a long-term plan, Paul was able to use the programme to assess whether life as a self-employed broker was for him.

Paul passed all tests with flying colours and has emerged with a de-risked insurance brokerage, ready-made client base and the opportunity to now further grow his insurance business as a Gauntlet Appointed Representative.  He can focus on clients’ requirements, leaving all back-office administration, accounting and other non-core duties to Gauntlet.

He has shown how ideal the programme is for those individuals who cannot simply leap from employment into self-employment, without some basis of knowing the risk will pay off. This is usually the case with those with family commitments, those with no financial buffer to see them through the first months of trading, or those who are just risk averse.

Gauntlet Select already has a strong quota of clients who have turned to Paul for help with their commercial property insurance requirements, which has become one of his specialisms, particularly with regard to insurance for apartment blocks. 

Another key area for him has been the professions, working with accountants, solicitors, architects and other professionals requiring the right Professional Indemnity insurance.

By taking time to fully understand the needs of such clients and always being available on the phone or in person, Paul has established trust and built rapport with many clients who are tired of call centres and having enquiries queued in an inbox.

Paul will place any type of commercial insurance risk and, with access to over 200 insurers and facilities through Gauntlet, can typically find competitive and attractive insurance options.

His point of difference, however, is that he will just offer advice to anyone needing help with a commercial insurance query, whether they then take out a policy or not.

Paul says, “I am proud to have come through the Gauntlet Brokerage Builder programme and left with my own business and opportunity to enhance insurance provision for a large number of companies and enterprises.  I look forward to providing clients with a much better service than they can get from a remote call centre, in which they are just a name on a spreadsheet.”

Paul can be contacted on 07413 041354 or at PaulHowley@GauntletGroup.com and has a website at www.gauntletselect.co.uk         

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Editors notes

Gauntlet is a Leeds-based commercial insurance broker and Appointed Representative network principal with ARs located nationwide. Gauntlet celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019, along with the 10th anniversary of its Gauntlet Enterprise network, The broker handles all types of commercial insurance but has a particular specialism in passenger and road transport.