BIG CHANGES, BIG DOLLARS by Brian Burke This is about our industry, IPOs, financial danger, and some possible implications for our agency clients. Let's erase the board for a mo...

Stephen Covey wrote a seminal book on how to run your life and your business, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. It’s a must read to fully understand the concepts of this article. Once you've read the book read it again at least once every quarter until you've absorbed these ideas into your psyche and are living those seven habits. One of the seminal habits is “Begin with the end in Mind”. However, an even more important principle of life and business is always do what’s right for the end user.

CHOOSING AN ACCOUNTANT by Chris Burand The agency external accountant plays an integral part in every agency's operations. After reviewing many agencies financials, I've seen the unfortunate ...

DO ADVERTISING AND MARKETING WORK? by Al Diamond It never ceases to amaze me. Even though the Independent Agency System is totally sales driven, too many agents do an abysmal job in ma...

FOCUSING ON TARGET MARKETS by Al Diamond 'Target marketing' became the buzz phrase of the '90s, yet successful agents were targeting markets for years before. Why? Because it work...

POOR COMPANY SERVICE: THE ANTIDOTE by Chris Burand Get your companies to listen to you for your mutual benefit. Recent research has revealed that all company employees ...

THE POWER OF TESTIMONIALS by Jack Burke Preachers might have been the first to understand the power of te...