TIME FOR THE YEARLY ACCOUNT REVIEW AGAIN by Grace Bauer It's about time to discuss the yearly account review process again. As we all know, most agencies have difficulty performing the year...

TIME MANAGEMENT FOR PRODUCERS by Ken Buehler Avoid these common traps that can waste producers time - and your money. Time management is an essential ingredient to ...

TIME OFF: THE GUILT TRIP by Grace Bauer What happens in your agency when an employee calls in sick? As with any other event, if you have a plan in place youll be able to ...

The best way to master the tools reviewed here is to practice using them on the next spreadsheet you create. Sometimes it pays to take a step back and ask, "How can this basic spreadsheet be enhanced?" When these tools (along with a myriad of others that Excel has to offer) are applied properly, it's amazing what a spreadsheet can do.

Once these tools are mastered, it will be difficult to go back to that old pocketknife. When preparing your next spreadsheet, keep in mind the Excel tools discussed here, and use them often. Just as your trusty pocketknife comes in handy in many different situations, so will these tips for Excel spreadsheets.

TIPS TO HARNESS THE POWER OF THE MASTERMIND by Bill Cates If there is one book responsible for creating more millionaires than any other, my guess is it would have to be Think and Grow Ri...

Use this proven technique to turn Commercial Lines prospects into clients.
Does this sound familiar? You go into a sales interview telling your prospect that you work for one of the best agencies in town. You tell them you give great service, represent 14 markets, and would like a chance to prove your value. As a result, they give you the chance to bid on their account, and you feel like you’ve got your first victory. Incidentally, when you asked if there were any problems that you should address, they said, no — they just wanted you to do what you could to keep their insurance costs low.

TO BOOST PROFITS, CUT AGENCY EXPENSES: PART I by Jack Fries and Gary Holgate For your agency to survive, and thrive, youll need to implement effective expense con...

TO BOOST PROFITS, CUT AGENCY EXPENSES: PART II by Jack Fries and Gary Holgate This second installment in a three-part article focuses on the major techniques for controlling your agency e...

TO BOOST PROFITS, CUT AGENCY EXPENSES: PART III by Jack Fries and Gary Holgate This final installment in a three-part article provides guidelines for using expense controls to improve you...

TO CAPITALIZE OR NOT TO CAPITALIZE, THAT IS THE QUESTION by Irving Blackman Many business owners have questions concerning repair vs. capitalization problems. If Hamlet had owned a business, he ...