COVENANTS NOT TO COMPETE by E.J. Leverett Jr., Ph.D., CPCU, CLU, Peter Shedd, J.D., and James Trieschmann, Ph.D., CPCU, CLU Abstract: When an agency is sold, frequently an agreem...

CREATING INITIATIVES AND OBJECTIVES Your planning meeting should focus on the areas that need atte...

DEALING WITH THE THREAT OF VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE by Stephen Linzer If one of your employees calls you an obscene name and threatens to kill you, firing him or her might seem to be the appr...

FINANCIAL RATINGS DON'T TELL ALL by Chris Burand In the past year, it hasn't been unusual to see reports of companies that have had their debt ratings lowered, although their ...

FINDING THE RIGHT CSR by William Vericker Where, and what, to look for hiring quality CSRs. When clients call, e-mail, or visit your agency, they count on someone to service their bus...

It used to be the $1 million ceiling. That was the level of revenue at which an individual performing agent with a few helpers had to become a business with different people handling different clients and responsibilities. Everyone still worked for the agent, but the agent no longer made every decision.

However, running an agency as a business doesn't automatically result in growth and a high quality of professional service. By the time the agency reaches $2 million, it runs into another "invisible ceiling."

GOT NOVOCAIN WITH THAT CALL LIST? by Chris Burand A study by Sandler Sales Systems (May 19, 2010, Reuters), identified cold calling as worse than giving speeches, and celibacy was prefe...

HIDDEN LIABILITIES IN MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS by Arthur Parry Increased financial benefits coupled with regulatory restrictions have caused many organizations to merge, acquire or...

HIGH-TECH EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEMS by Doug Henderson The disastrous Japanese earthquake/tsunami of March 11 drowned thousands of people - but the toll would have been far ...

HIRING THE RIGHT PRODUCER ...