Insurance giant puts Color into SME service

Royal and Sun Alliance, the UK insurance giant acquired by Swiss Re last year, has launched an online service aimed at small businesses with up to 25 staff.

Opting for the US spelling of the word, the Color website at www.usecolor.com is offering business advice, an internet service provider (ISP) and an online buying club.

The company estimates there are 3.6 million small business entrepreneurs in the UK, but claims they have generally been badly treated by big business suppliers.

Roy Coutinho, director at Color, said: "Small businesses are the engine room of the British economy, but they have often been neglected, overlooked and mistreated by big business supply chains, which often consider companies with less than 25 people to be too small to warrant the service they deserve."

"Color gives small businesses access to business products and services at discounted rates by leveraging big business buying power," he added. "We negotiate discounts and lower processing costs on behalf of our subscribers to ease the daily running of their businesses."

The company is also offering a range of advice and information services to small businesses, which often have to grapple with whole new areas of accounting and management when their businesses are undergoing the greatest growth.

There is an email advice service which will link registered users with lawyers, tax and VAT advisors, and health and safety professionals on a 24 x 7 basis.

Subscribers can download legal documents, guidance notes and checklists relating to employment, and the site will keep users updated on changes to legislation as they happen.

Other services include an ISP offering free internet access and email addresses, a web-enablement package and online forums and chat rooms.

Subscribers are offered a free 60-day trial, after which the service will carry a monthly fee of £15.