Business Insurance Group
Business Insurance Group is an independent insurance agency in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, offering 13 personal and commercial insurance lines to businesses and individuals across northern Wisconsin through carrier brokerage and commission-based revenue.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersRhinelander, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Business Insurance Group does
Business Insurance Group is a privately held, full-service independent insurance agency headquartered at 1856 N. Stevens Street in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The firm was established more than 30 years ago and serves businesses and individuals primarily in northern Wisconsin. Its product portfolio spans 13 insurance lines organized into personal lines (automobile, homeowners, motorcycle, boat, RV, renters, and life insurance) and commercial lines (business, trucking, bond, restaurant/bar/tavern, and employee benefits). The agency's core function is brokerage: it shops multiple insurance carriers on behalf of clients to source competitive coverage, then provides ongoing policy servicing, safety resources, and claims review to help keep premiums low.
The business is owned and operated by President and Sales Executive Bill Barnes and Agent Lauren Cliff, supported by direct customer acquisition through website quote forms, phone contact, and a formal referral program. Revenue is generated exclusively through commissions earned from the insurance carriers it represents, including Acuity, Secura, Western National, Society Insurance, Cincinnati Insurance, and Progressive. Of particular note, Society Insurance is the endorsed carrier for both the Wisconsin Restaurant Association and the Tavern League of Wisconsin, giving the agency a vertical-specific distribution channel into hospitality accounts across the state.
The agency serves six primary commercial verticals (contractors, manufacturers, service operations, retail operations, restaurants/bars/taverns, and municipalities) alongside individual consumers, with named customers including KNG Mechanical, the City of Eagle River, and Cleereman Industries. There is no proprietary technology platform, mobile app, or AI-driven underwriting capability; the firm's value proposition is grounded entirely in agent-led carrier shopping, local market expertise, and relationship-driven service.
Business Insurance Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Business Insurance Group
- Legal name
- Business Insurance Group
- Website
- https://businsgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Business Insurance Group is an independent insurance agency in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, offering 13 personal and commercial insurance lines to businesses and individuals across northern Wisconsin through carrier brokerage and commission-based revenue.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Business Insurance Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- 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 industry
- Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage (FSAEADAA)
Keywords
Where Business Insurance Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rhinelander
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Business Insurance Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Insurance Commission: As an independent insurance agency, Business Insurance Group earns commissions from insurance carriers for policies placed. They shop multiple insurance companies to find competitive pricing for customers, earning commission from the carriers they represent including Acuity, Secura, Western National, Society Insurance, Cincinnati Insurance, and Progressive.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Quote-based insurance pricing - no public tiers |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Business Insurance Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Business Insurance Group is a full-service independent insurance agency that shops multiple trusted insurance companies on behalf of customers to deliver competitive commercial and personal insurance coverage. The agency evaluates each customer's operation, recommends suitable policies, and provides safety resources and claims review aimed at keeping premiums low. Product lines span business insurance (commercial auto, general liability, workers compensation), trucking, restaurants/bars/taverns, bonds, employee benefits, and personal lines including automobile, homeowners, life, motorcycle, boat, RV, and renters insurance.
Product overview
Business Insurance Group is a full-service independent insurance agency offering a comprehensive portfolio of 13 insurance products. Their core offerings include personal lines (Automobile, Homeowners, Motorcycle, Boat, Renters, and Life insurance) and commercial lines (Business, Trucking, Bond, Restaurant/Bar/Tavern, and Employee Benefits insurance). As an independent agency, they shop multiple trusted insurance carriers to find competitive pricing and suitable coverage for each client's specific needs. The product portfolio spans personal auto, watercraft, recreational vehicles, homeowners, renters, life insurance, and business coverage including commercial auto, general liability, workers compensation, bonds, and employee benefits packages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Automobile Insurance Auto insurance providing property coverage for damage or theft, liability coverage for legal responsibility to others, and medical coverage for treatment costs from accidents. Designed for individual and business vehicle owners.
- Boat Insurance Watercraft and boat insurance covering bodily injury, property damage, guest passenger liability, medical payments, and theft for personal watercraft with liability limits starting at $15,000. For individual boat and watercraft owners.
- Bond Products Various bond products including contract performance bonds, bid bonds, maintenance bonds, payment bonds, supply bonds, license and permit bonds, miscellaneous bonds, and notary bonds. For contractors, businesses, and individuals requiring surety bonding.
- Business Insurance Business and commercial insurance including Commercial Auto, General Liability (with products-completed operations, products liability, contractual liability), and Workers Compensation coverage. Designed for businesses in northern Wisconsin, including contractors, manufacturers, service operations, retail operations, and municipalities.
- Employee Benefits Comprehensive employee benefits packages including medical benefits (healthcare, dental, vision, workers compensation, flexible spending accounts), life and disability plans, 401(k) retirement plans, and additional benefits such as tuition reimbursement and paid time off. For employers designing benefits programs for their workforce.
- Homeowners Insurance Homeowners insurance providing financial protection against disasters, covering both damage to property and liability for injuries and property damage caused by the policyholder or family members. For individual homeowners in northern Wisconsin.
- Life Insurance Life insurance products including term insurance for temporary needs with specific coverage periods, and permanent insurance providing lifelong protection with cash value accumulation. For individuals and families seeking financial protection and estate planning.
- Motorcycle Insurance Motorcycle insurance covering accidents, theft, medical costs, and liability exposure, with discounts available for safety course graduates, multiple policies, and motorcycle association members. For individual motorcycle owners.
- Renters Insurance Renters insurance covering personal belongings against fire, smoke, lightning, vandalism, theft, explosion, windstorm, and water damage, plus additional living expenses when displaced. For individuals renting apartments or houses.
- Restaurant, Bar & Tavern Insurance Specialized insurance for restaurants, taverns, and hospitality businesses, represented through Society Insurance Companies (the endorsed carrier for Wisconsin Restaurant Association and Tavern League of Wisconsin). Covers diners, sandwich shops, sports bars, brew pubs, bakeries, and other food service operations including liquor liability, workers compensation, property, and food contamination exposures.
- Recreational Vehicle (RV) Insurance Recreational vehicle insurance covering liability, property damage, physical damage, vandalism, theft, and collision, with optional specialized coverage for awnings and custom equipment. For individual RV owners.
- Trucking Insurance Commercial trucking insurance covering auto liability, cargo insurance, bobtail insurance (coverage when the truck is without cargo), physical damage (collision and comprehensive), and environmental liability for trucks carrying potentially toxic cargo. For commercial trucking operators and fleet owners.
Companies that use Business Insurance Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments11 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Business Insurance Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Business Insurance Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AcuitycoreInsurance carrier represented by Business Insurance Group. Acuity is a Wisconsin-based insurance company. Business Insurance Group provides links to Acuity's payment portal and resources on their website.
- SecuracoreInsurance carrier represented by Business Insurance Group. Secura is an insurance company offering various commercial and personal insurance products. Agency provides links to Secura payment portal.
- Western NationalcoreInsurance carrier represented by Business Insurance Group. Western National provides insurance products. Agency features Western National on their resources page.
- Society InsurancecoreSociety Insurance Companies is the endorsed insurance carrier for both the Wisconsin Restaurant Association and the Tavern League of Wisconsin. Business Insurance Group specializes in restaurant, bar, and tavern insurance through this partnership. Agency provides payment links and resources for Society Insurance.
- Cincinnati Insurance (CIC)coreCincinnati Insurance (CinFin) is an insurance carrier represented by Business Insurance Group. Featured on the agency's resources page alongside other carrier partners.
- ProgressivecoreProgressive insurance is represented by Business Insurance Group. Agency provides links to Progressive's payment portal (payment2.progressive.com) on their payment and resources pages.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Business Insurance Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cottingham & Butler: Independent insurance brokerage headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa serving commercial clients across the upper Midwest with strong specialty practice groups. Comparable independent agency model with regional Wisconsin footprint overlap.
- The Horton Group: Independent insurance and risk management firm headquartered in Illinois serving commercial clients across the upper Midwest. Comparable in independent agency structure, commercial vertical specialization, and regional geography.
- M3 Insurance: Madison-based independent insurance brokerage offering commercial insurance, employee benefits, and personal lines to Wisconsin businesses. Comparable as a Wisconsin-focused multi-line independent agency with similar carrier-shopping value proposition.
- Robertson Ryan & Associates: Wisconsin-headquartered independent insurance agency providing business, personal, and life insurance across the state. Comparable independent agency model serving Northern and Central Wisconsin commercial clients.
- Hausmann Group: Independent insurance brokerage based in Wisconsin serving commercial and personal lines clients across the upper Midwest. Most directly comparable peer given similar regional independent agency model, multi-carrier representation, and SMB/mid-market commercial focus.
- R&R Insurance Services: Independent insurance agency headquartered in Wisconsin offering commercial, personal, and employee benefits coverage. Direct peer as another Wisconsin-rooted multi-line independent agency with similar SMB commercial focus.
Broad incumbents
- USI Insurance Services: One of the largest US insurance brokerage and risk management firms serving middle-market and large commercial clients nationally. Comparable as a multi-carrier brokerage but operates at vastly larger scale with broader product set.
- Higginbotham: Large independent insurance brokerage operating across multiple US states with a broad commercial and personal lines offering. Relevant as a scaled-up version of the independent agency model with broader geographic reach.
Others
- Society Insurance: Wisconsin-based mutual insurance carrier and key distribution partner of Business Insurance Group, endorsed by Wisconsin Restaurant Association and Tavern League. Included as a critical ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor; carrier-side counterparty in the agency's hospitality book.
Emerging players
- Progressive Direct: Direct-to-consumer insurance carrier offering personal auto and small commercial policies online without an agent intermediary. Represents the digital disruption risk to traditional independent agencies like Business Insurance Group, particularly in commodity personal lines.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Business Insurance Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Business Insurance Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Business Insurance Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Business Insurance Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Business Insurance Group
What does Business Insurance Group do?
Business Insurance Group is a full-service independent insurance agency that shops multiple trusted insurance companies on behalf of customers to deliver competitive commercial and personal insurance coverage. The agency evaluates each customer's operation, recommends suitable policies, and provides safety resources and claims review aimed at keeping premiums low. Product lines span business insurance (commercial auto, general liability, workers compensation), trucking, restaurants/bars/taverns, bonds, employee benefits, and personal lines including automobile, homeowners, life, motorcycle, boat, RV, and renters insurance.
Is Business Insurance Group a public or private company?
Business Insurance Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Business Insurance Group founded?
Business Insurance Group was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Business Insurance Group based?
Business Insurance Group is headquartered in Rhinelander, United States, in the North America region.
How does Business Insurance Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: insurance Commission.
Who are Business Insurance Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cottingham & Butler, The Horton Group, M3 Insurance, Robertson Ryan & Associates, Hausmann Group and R&R Insurance Services. Broad incumbents are USI Insurance Services and Higginbotham. Society Insurance is listed as an others. Progressive Direct is listed as an emerging player.
Does Business Insurance Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Business Insurance Group.
What industry is Business Insurance Group in?
Business Insurance Group's product category is Insurance Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEADAB, Commercial Lines Insurance Brokerage, with a secondary code of FSAEADAA, Retail (Personal Lines) Insurance Brokerage. Its NAICS code is 524210 and its SIC code is 6411.