KEEP CONTROL OF THE AGENCY UNDER CONTROL by Grace Bauer In these times, agency principals and owners are working lean. It's difficult to find good help, and agency numbers force com...

KEEP EMPLOYEES HAPPY! by Grace Bauer Have you ever asked yourself, 'Am I treating my employees the way I would want to be treated?' The more I talk to agents, the more I realize so...

KEEP THE HUMAN TOUCH IN CUSTOMER SERVICE by Jack Fries For better or worse, electronic commerce is changing the relationship between consumers and vendors. It's often for the worse in cu...

KEYS TO FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SUCCESS by Catherine Oak Following these six guidelines will help keep your agency in fine financial fettle. Owners are usually oriented toward sales...

LAPTOPTRAVEL TIPS by Jack Fries ('...

Just as the Personal Lines lead form opens the door of opportunity for the Life producer, the Commercial Lines lead form generates potential business.

What does it take to be an effective leader? How have the principles of leadership evolved? Mike Manes, with a little help from his friends, provides multiple perspectives on the roles that leaders must play in order to win.

LEADERSHIP FOR DUMMIES by Mike Manes Since this article is for Dummies, Mike Manes is writing it simply. If this...

LEADERSHIP MELTDOWN: ATROPHY OR RECOVERY? by Jack Burke Hundreds of thousands of small to medium-sized businesses that form the foundation ...

Every year sometime after Thanksgiving, my clothes shrink. My newest suit coat no longer buttons, and the pleats of the pants pull tight. This is confusing, because in my mind’s eye, I’m still the lean, mean, fighting machine who completed Army basic training in 1971. The truth is that my clothes are the same size, but the body the fabric must cover has grown and reshaped.