NRMA Insurance and the NSW Chamber of Commerce have set up a $660,000 small business development program.

The three-year program is intended to simplify small businesses’ dealings in workers’ comp, superannuation and commercial insurance, NRMA Insurance Acting CEO Ian Brown said.

He said the small business sector is being weighed down by paperwork and regulatory burdens. “This partnership will provide advice and information to help small businesses lighten the load.”

The insurer will fund the chamber’s country business survey and a help desk to provide information and assistance on improving security, worker safety and commercial insurance.

Not that there isn’t already someone carrying out much of this role, NIBA CEO Noel Pettersen said yesterday. “NIBA brokers are eminently qualified to provide advice on many of the things that the chamber and NRMA are becoming involved in,” he said.

“While we support any initiative that helps small business-owners, the chamber should remember that advice tied to one insurer could affect the value of that advice. After all, NRMA doesn’t have much experience in the commercial insurance area. And as we all know only too well, proper protection isn’t just about saving dollars off the policy.

“I hope they’ll take the expertise of the broker into account when they start dispensing insurance advice to small business.”