The Insurance Shop

What The Insurance Shop does

The Insurance Shop is an independent insurance agency founded in 2005 by Walt Capell and headquartered in Columbia, Missouri. Operating as The Insurance Shop, LLC, the firm functions as a multi-carrier broker appointed with more than 40 insurance carriers and licensed across all 50 states, distributing both commercial and personal insurance lines to small and mid-sized businesses and individual consumers. Its commercial offering spans general liability, BOP, commercial package, workers compensation, commercial auto, professional liability, cyber, EPLI, D&O, environmental, surety bonds, builders risk, inland marine, commercial umbrella, and EE Benefits; its personal offering includes homeowners, auto (standard and non-standard), renters, condominium, mobile home, motorcycle, RV, pet, personal umbrella, vacant property, and special event coverage.

The agency runs a primarily inside-sales, direct-to-consumer model: customers initiate contact via a 1-800 number, online quote forms, or callback requests; licensed agents then gather risk information, submit applications to multiple carriers, compare quotes, and guide binding. Service touchpoints after binding include certificate requests, claims reporting, policy changes, and payment processing, with self-service options on the website. The technology stack is described as traditional, with no proprietary platform, AI tooling, or mobile app; sister micro-sites (General Liability Shop, Workers Compensation Shop) and an Individual Referral Partnership program support lead generation. Revenue is generated primarily through carrier commissions on bound and renewed policies (subscription-recurring economics), supplemented by financing arrangements on products such as surety bonds. Pricing is fully quote-based and individualized by risk profile, with no public pricing tiers; the company reports having helped more than 35,000 individual customers and over 60,000 employers since founding, holds a BBB A+ rating, and is a Trusted Choice partner.

Name

The Insurance Shop

Legal name

The Insurance Shop, LLC

Website

https://insuranceshopllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Insurance Shop is an independent, multi-carrier insurance brokerage founded in 2005 in Columbia, Missouri, licensed in all 50 states and serving small/mid-sized businesses and individuals with commercial and personal lines distributed via phone and web.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (524210)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial Lines Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA), Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) (FSAJADAB)

Keywords

• Commercial insurance brokerage
• Business insurance coverage
• Personal insurance agency
• Multi-carrier insurance shop
• Independent insurance agent

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commission Revenue: The Insurance Shop operates as an independent insurance agency/broker earning commissions from insurance carriers when policies are bound and renewed. As a broker representing 40+ insurance companies, they receive commission based on premium volume placed with each carrier. This is a recurring revenue model as insurance policies require annual renewal, generating repeat commission income from the same customer base over time.
2. Financing Revenue: The company offers financing options for certain products such as surety bonds, where customers can pay premiums over time rather than upfront. This provides additional revenue through financing arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Insurance Shop is an independent insurance agency that shops commercial and personal insurance coverage on behalf of customers across a network of 40+ carriers. Licensed agents gather customer information, submit applications to multiple carriers, review competing quotes, and guide customers through binding policies, with most quotes prepared in under 24 hours. The agency earns commissions from carriers and offers bundled packages such as Business Owners Policies and Commercial Package Policies, plus ongoing services including certificate requests, claims reporting, and policy changes.

Product overview

The Insurance Shop is a national insurance agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of commercial and personal insurance products through a multi-carrier network of over 40 insurance carriers. The core offering consists of two main categories: Business Insurance (including Commercial Auto, General Liability, Professional Liability, Workers Compensation, BOP, Commercial Package Policy, Cyber Security, EPLI, Environmental, Crime, Bonds, Builders Risk, Inland Marine, Umbrella, Directors & Officers, and EE Benefits) and Personal Insurance (including Auto, Homeowners, Renters, Condominium, Mobile Home, Motorcycle, RV, Pet, Personal Umbrella, Special Event, Vacant Property, and Builders Risk). The agency differentiates through its shopping service model, comparing quotes across multiple carriers to find optimal rates, with additional client services including certificate requests, claims reporting, and online payment processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• General Liability Shop: A sister site/brand operated by The Insurance Shop focusing on general liability insurance products.
• Workers Compensation Shop

Products and services

• General Liability Insurance
• Workers Compensation Insurance
• Commercial Auto Insurance
• Commercial Property Insurance
• Professional Liability Insurance
• Business Owners Policy (BOP)
• Commercial Package Policy (CPP)
• Cyber Security Insurance
• Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)
• Surety Bonds
• Builders Risk Insurance
• Contractors Liability Insurance
• Commercial Crime Insurance
• Commercial Umbrella Insurance
• Inland Marine Insurance
• Environmental Insurance
• Directors and Officers Liability Insurance
• EE Benefits (Employee Benefits)
• Pay As You Go Workers Comp
• Homeowners Insurance
• Auto Insurance (Personal)
• Motorcycle Insurance
• Recreational Vehicle Insurance
• Renters Insurance
• Condominium Insurance
• Mobile Home Insurance
• Pet Insurance
• Personal Umbrella Insurance
• Special Event / Wedding Insurance
• Vacant Property Insurance
• Client Services Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 35,000 satisfied customers helped save money on insurance since 2005
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Trusted ChoiceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Insurance Shop is a partner with Trusted Choice, a network of independent insurance agencies. This partnership provides marketing support, brand recognition, and access to industry resources while The Insurance Shop maintains independence as a local agency.
• Individual Referral PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe company operates an Individual Referral Partnerships program allowing individuals and businesses to refer potential customers to The Insurance Shop. Referrers earn compensation or benefits for successful customer referrals that result in bound policies.
• Insurance Carriers (40+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Insurance Shop is appointed with over 40 insurance carriers nationwide, allowing them to shop coverage across multiple markets on behalf of customers. Carriers include national and regional insurance companies offering commercial and personal lines products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Thimble: Digital-first small business insurance provider offering on-demand GL and professional liability for freelancers and micro-SMBs. Overlaps with The Insurance Shop's SMB and contractor segments but skews smaller and more digital-native.

Direct peers

• CoverWallet: Online commercial insurance brokerage acquired by Aon; offers multi-carrier shopping for SMBs with digital quoting and binding — directly comparable business model to The Insurance Shop's commercial lines brokerage, though CoverWallet is better capitalized and tech-enabled.
• Insureon: Online commercial insurance marketplace specializing in small business coverage across general liability, professional liability, BOP, and workers comp. Direct competitor in the multi-carrier SMB online brokerage space with similar target customer segments.
• BizInsure: Online commercial insurance brokerage targeting small businesses with multi-carrier quoting across liability, professional, and commercial lines. Closely comparable online multi-carrier SMB brokerage model.
• Next Insurance: Digital-first SMB commercial insurance provider offering instant online binding for GL, professional liability, workers comp, and commercial auto. Competes for the same SMB customers with a vertically integrated carrier-plus-agency model.
• Simply Business: Online small business insurance marketplace comparing quotes from multiple carriers for GL, professional liability, and BOP. Direct competitor in the multi-carrier SMB online brokerage category.
• Commercial Insurance.Net: Online commercial insurance brokerage offering multi-carrier quotes for SMBs across GL, workers comp, commercial auto, and other commercial lines. Direct competitor in online commercial brokerage.

Broad incumbents

• CBIZ Insurance Services: Large national insurance brokerage serving small and mid-sized businesses with commercial lines, employee benefits, and risk advisory. Operates a similar SMB-focused brokerage model but at significantly larger scale and broader service portfolio.
• Hiscox (Small Business): Specialty insurer with significant direct-to-SMB small business insurance presence including GL, professional liability, and BOP. While a carrier rather than agency, they overlap heavily in target segment and compete for the same end customers.

Others

• Trusted Choice: Network of independent insurance agencies of which The Insurance Shop is a partner. Provides marketing support and brand recognition across member agencies — comparable through shared independent agency business model and customer referral patterns.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ishopinsurance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Insurance Shop