LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR DIRECTORS by George Nordhaus The best-run agencies I know have outside directors. There are lots of good reasons to have them. You get an outside point of view. You get objectiv...

LOSING THOSE MEETING BLUES by Jack Burke Meeting, noun. 1. A coming together; assembly. 2. A joining. 3. A hostile encounter, as a duel. (Webster's American Dictionary) Meeting, n...

LOST ACCOUNT W/QUESTIONNAIRE With the lingering image problems suffered by everyone in the financial services area, our industry is in particular need of focusing more sales dollars on e...

MACHINE SHOPS - 'WHY EXPLAIN YOUR BUSINESS?' Dear (Customer Name): (Your Agency Name) knows that in your business, a jig isn't a dance, die isn't the singular for dice, and bar stock doesn't re...

MACHINE SHOPS - CUSTOMIZED INSURANCE PLAN Dear (Customer Name): A machine shop is a specialized business and carries its own unique risks. Machine shops are more vulnerable to fires, with a number o...

MAKE A SMARTER DEAL: BASE AGENCY VALUE ON PROFITABILITY, NOT A MULTIPLE OF COMMISSIONS! by Roger E. Thomas What multiple does an agency sell for these days? 1.25 times commission? 1...

Where's your business headed this year? This article by John Graham offers recommendations on setting your priorities.

If we listen to half the politicians, everything will be coming up profits this year. They tell us to stop worrying about the economy. We're heading towards a new sunrise, they say. The other politicians paint a darker and far less optimistic picture. Where does that leave us? What are we to believe in 2004?

MAKE MEETINGS WORK This seven-part recommended agenda should be followed at each meeting. Adaptation will be necessary by department, but the general content and structure should be similar for...

MAKE MEETINGS WORK This seven-part recommended agenda should be followed at each meeting. Adaptation will be necessary by department, but the general content and structure should be similar for all d...

Over the years, we’ve stressed the benefits of having standard operating procedures (SOPs) for everything that a business does. As a reminder, here are nine reasons why SOPS make sense.