At least 30,000 attorneys in the U.S. claim that they're practicing employment law. Statistically speaking, what holds true for any profession is true for employment lawyers: Half are above average and half are below average. How do you distinguish one from the other? How can you find out which lawyers or firms are in the top 5%? Don Phin discusses the questions you should be asking.

How do you know what to change to make your agency run better? You're proud of your accomplishments, but can't seem to make the progress you desire year-by-year. In this document, Al Diamond recommends that during your planning process, instead of focusing outwardly on your competitors, the industry, or the economy, try focusing inwardly instead.

FINDING A COMPATIBLE BUSINESS COMBINATION by Catherine Oak Over the past few years, many firms have entered into a merger, acquisition, or some type of cluster arrangement with...

As your agency grows, you will probably recognize the need for the services of a public relations (PR) advisor to help you get media exposure.
To choose the appropriate PR advisor, you should have a good idea of what to expect in the way of services, what you need (or more accurately, want to accomplish), where to look for an advisor, and how to select one. Not an easy task, but it's a lot more manageable if you plan ahead.

FINDING AGENCY PERSONNEL by John Caswell 'Good help is hard to find.' That old adage has never seemed more true, given the increasing difficulty employers are experiencing when looking to fill an ...

FINDING MARKETS: THE SPECIALTY PROGRAM CONSULTANT by Andrew Barile While a reinsurance intermediary operates between the ceding insurance company and the reinsurance company market, the...

Why all the concern with first impressions? Why do we believe that the first contact makes such a difference? 'No one gets a second chance at making a first impression' — true, or just popular business lore? John Graham looks for the answers in this document.

Paying attention to business is one of the major benefits of a recession. Ford figured it out. So did Starbucks by bringing back the founding CEO, closing nearly 1,000 marginal stores and most significantly introducing their own instant coffee. This could be a brilliant move. While proudly passing up their $4 cup of coffee, we take the instant stuff home and keep a little Starbucks in our lives.

FIVE KEYS TO ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS by Pamela Millard Plenty of things can distract you from your goals. Its all about making sure your goals meet a few critical criteria: Engagement...

FIVE STEPS TO MARKET RESEARCH by Patricia Berry Patricia Berry offers five market research tactics that can help ...