CHANGE: WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY! by Chris Burand A changing industry offers the greatest opportunity business people ever have for becoming successful. Chris Burand urges you to welco...

CHANGING AGENCY-COMPANY RELATIONS by Bobby Reagan On January 26-27, 1998, Reagan & Associates and the Independent Insurance Agents of America (IIAA) sponsore...

CHANGING ENVIRONMENT MAKES HIGH VALUED AGENCIES EASIER TO RECOGNIZE by Robert Smith Stories are starting to circulate around agency/brokerage meetings, 'Did you hear what the ABC or XYZ Age...

CHARACTERISTICS OF STRONG AGENCY/CARRIER RELATIONSHIPS by John Jaques The compilation of agency/carrier relationship characteristics presented in this article is based on observatio...

Ten years ago it took $5 million in total agency revenues and about $30 million in Property/Casualty premiums to land on the top 100 agency list. Now an agency needs to have in excess of $10 million in revenues and $60 million in premiums to make the cut. Ten years ago the average independent agency in the country had $250,000 in total revenues with six to seven people. Today the average is close to $600,000 in revenues, also with six to seven people. To use a phrase from Bob Dylan, "the times, they are a changing."

CHECKLIST OF SERVICES Dear (Customer Name): SHARPEN YOUR PENCIL AND CHECK OUT THE COMPETITION . . . and we bet you'll find that it pays to comparison-shop when you're...

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MARKET FOR YOUR AGENCIES by Janet Lewis After the work that goes into finding and qualifying prospects, getting in the door, and gathering the proper data to quot...

CLUSTER TIPS by Chris Burand Cluster contracts among individual agencies or groups of agencies (not necessarily the major cluster-type agency organizations) are almost alw...

The cluster concept has been a popular one for doctors, dentists, realtors, and others for many years. Insurance agency clusters have been around for a few decades, but interest in them intensified during the hard market of the early 1980s. At that time, smaller agencies banded together to protect themselves against increasing carrier demands brought on by tighter market conditions.

COMBINING INSURANCE AND FINANCIAL SERVICES: REALITY CHECK by Carol Hammes After the Barnett decision in Florida and the subsequent passage of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financ...