10 BASIC PLANNING INITIATIVES THAT WILL ADD TO YOUR BOTTOM LINE by Ken Buehler The need for planning has never been greater. While planning focuses on profit...

12 LOW-BUDGET MARKETING IDEAS TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS by Emily Huling Its nearing years end, or weeks end for that matter, and your people are looking just ...

'So dawn goes down today, nothing gold can stay.'
Robert Frost
'There are no more power elites.'
Manuel Castels in The Information Age
The painfully obvious implication of these quotes can be seen in the business world: IBM pulls its PCs out of retail venues because it no longer considers them profitable. The Wall Street Journal reported that in 1998, there were $301 billion in sales via the Internet, while the manufacturing sector did $350 billion in overall business. It took the Internet roughly 36 months to reach this figure; manufacturing needed 150 years.

Getting your company’s message out to the buying public doesn’t have to be complex or expensive. Direct mail is perhaps the most targeted and cost-effective vehicle for communicating to an audience.

ACCOUNT ROUNDING BY CSRs by Ralph Manfredi In this article, Ralph Manfredi focuses on a proven system for turning service into sales and profits. Learn how to turn every service...

ACCOUNT-UPGRADING Dear (Customer Name): Clients often ask us, 'Do I need to bond every single one of my employees to make certain I'm protected?' The subject of bonds can seem complex, but at (Yo...

AGENCY COMPENSATION SURVEY by Carol Hammes As of this writing, the government has determined that the insurance industry as a whole has 2.2 million workers who earn an average of $3...

AGENCY COMPENSATION SURVEY by Carol Hammes Doing what youve always done in terms of raises and bonuses might not be giving you the 'bang for the buck' that it used to. This docume...

AGENCY INTRODUCTION Dear (Customer Name), Allow us to introduce ourselves: We are (Your Agency Name) and have been doing business in (Name of City) for over ( ) years. We are an independent ins...

AGENCY MANAGEMENT: THE GREAT COMPROMISE by Chris Burand Chris Burand defines the great compromise as working smarter, rather than harder. Of course, 12 hours of working smarter is alwa...