MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM--(Marketwire - Sept. 19, 2012) - Swinton Commercial, one of the UK's leading business insurance brokers, is offering valuable advice to businesses to help them lower their insurance premiums during the tough economic climate.

A recently published index which predicts business performance two quarters ahead has shown that optimism among UK businesses has hit a 20-year low, with business performance falling from 93.1 in July, to 89.1 in August.

The figures come as economist's debate whether the economy will be able to emerge from the double-dip recession.

With this in mind, Swinton Commercial is offering business owners the following tips to help them lower their insurance premiums by managing the risk to their business:

• Improve your security with additional locks, closed circuit television cameras or alarms.
• Introduce management systems to help you meet health and safety and environmental requirements.
• Draw up a business continuity plan, setting out how your business will continue in the event of a major incident.
• A strong health and safety record can help you to reduce your premiums for a number of forms of insurance, as insurers are likely to be particularly concerned about these risks.
• Increase your excess - the part of the claim you will have to pay yourself. This will help give you a lower premium. You should also consider whether it is worth claiming for minor issues, as this could push your premium up.

Brian Greenfield, Chartered Insurance Broker at Swinton Commercial, said: "Financially this is a difficult time for business owners and as these figures show, the double-dip recession has had a dramatic impact on the performance of UK businesses. Taking these simple steps to reduce your business insurance premiums can go a long way in helping you to reducing your unnecessary costs in the long-term."

Notes to Editors:

About Swinton Commercial:

As one of the UK's leading commercial insurance brokers, Swinton Commercial has the expertise and industry knowledge to provide you with highly competitive business insurance that's tailored to your needs.

With 34 branches across the UK, including 19 regional centres, Swinton Commercial has quickly established itself as the UK's local broker, offering a dedicated team of advisors with specialist industry knowledge in many sectors.

Your local Commercial Account Executive has an in-depth understanding of the insurance market in your area and will arrange a face-to-face appointment with you, taking the time to thoroughly understand your business and its specific requirements.

We cater for most types of business - from small start-ups to well-established organisations, comparing quotes from leading UK insurers to find you the right level of insurance, at the right price.

What's more, our award-winning offering has over 80,000 business customers - and we're growing fast.

Visit www.swintoncommercial.co.uk for more information or call 0800 954 3802.