Ten years ago it took $5 million in total agency revenues and about $30 million in Property/Casualty premiums to land on the top 100 agency list. Now an agency needs to have in excess of $10 million in revenues and $60 million in premiums to make the cut. Ten years ago the average independent agency in the country had $250,000 in total revenues with six to seven people. Today the average is close to $600,000 in revenues, also with six to seven people. To use a phrase from Bob Dylan, "the times, they are a changing."

CLUSTERS - ARE THEY RIGHT FOR YOU? by Val Jordan As an independent agent, you know that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find products and services. Carriers have incr...

Most agencies plan, measure and record the sale of new business, but very few take the time to really control the loss of business to the agency. It is the opinion of our firm that no agency really profits if business keeps coming in the front door and going out the back.

Successful marketing of Commercial Lines requires a detailed plan. The first step is to assess where you are right now. In this first of a three-part series, Jack Fries examines the preliminary steps that an agency should take in marketing Commercial Lines.

Use this “one-two” technique to wedge your way into taking accounts from your competitors.

CREATING A LEGENDARY AGENCY by Al Diamond A 'legendary' agency is one that loses customers only when the customer dies, moves, or sells the business. It has a regular, measurable flow o...

I have always been a believer that the best salespeople we have working for us are our clerical staff. The biggest problem seems to be our lack of proper motivational tools to excite them into selling. I have attempted to change their method of thinking, and although our program is in its infancy, it appears to be a step in the right direction.

Professional Agency Reviews invariably reveal backlog in most of the profit centers (Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, etc.). There’s no way to do regular account reviews for Personal Lines and small Commercial Lines, because the CSR 'doesn’t have time.' In this document, Jack Fries tells you how to motivate people to eliminate backlog and provide customers with the service that they deserve.

ENHANCE BUSINESS IN DIFFICULT TIMES: MANAGE FINANCES by Brian Burke, ASA Successful agencies act in seven areas to enhance business during difficult economic times: marketing, prosp...

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN AN UNCERTAIN MARKETPLACE by Carol Hammes It takes a lot of planning to attain higher growth rates and lower expense levels. The first step in the process is to evalua...