SOLIDIFYING THE BOND WITH YOUR CUSTOMER by Jack Burke Very few people will recognize the name Hikari, unless they're in the beauty salon industry. Hikari is a scissors manufacturer and dis...

STAFFING & PRODUCTIVITY: HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP? by Judith Newman Is your agency overstaffed - or understaffed? How would you describe your agencys performance: Hi...

Problem:The insurance industry is under attack from consumer groups, is the subject of political debate and radical legislative...

SUCCESSFULLY GOING BROKE by Roy Phillips Various studies conducted by an aggregate of trade groups report that insurance agencies and brokerages suffer from inconsistencies in manag...

It's easy to lose sight of the fact that agencies are in the service business. But consider that all agents sell the same product-insurance. Why do some agencies blossom while others wilt? Service and marketing are keys. Too often, getting new customers (through marketing) is emphasized at the expense of keeping customers (through service). You have to do a first-rate job at both to have first-rate growth and to control expenses

SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF: SUCCEEDING BY SERVING THE CUSTOMER by Jack Burke The top-selling book Don't Sweat The Small Stuff gave me pause to think. Many businesses today aren't sweating the...

The virtual office concept, also known as telecommuting or a mobile office, emerged as the American work force shifted from physical labor to knowledge-based work. Workers who create or manipulate information can generally perform anywhere there is a telephone, desk, chair, and computer. Technology enables the knowledge-based worker's office to be portable.

TELEMARKETING: ONE STEP TOWARD SALES EFFICIENCY by Phil Zinkewicz As the agency system strides to be competitive, some agencies find telemarketing pays off. The efficiency of the...

TEN QUESTIONS SENIORS SHOULD ASK BEFORE BUYING AN ANNUITY by Jim Summers Senior Americans considering the purchase of an annuity to help save for or provide income during retirement shou...

THE ABCs OF NON-COMPETITION AGREEMENTS by Al Diamond Non-Compete Agreements have long been a source of dispute (and a lucrative source of income for many attorneys) when a departing em...