'So dawn goes down today, nothing gold can stay.'
Robert Frost
'There are no more power elites.'
Manuel Castels in The Information Age
The painfully obvious implication of these quotes can be seen in the business world: IBM pulls its PCs out of retail venues because it no longer considers them profitable. The Wall Street Journal reported that in 1998, there were $301 billion in sales via the Internet, while the manufacturing sector did $350 billion in overall business. It took the Internet roughly 36 months to reach this figure; manufacturing needed 150 years.

The changing marketplace is presenting several new pressures and challenges for the owners of independent agencies. The success...

AGENTS CAN NEGOTIATE CONTRACTS by Chris Burand When it comes to re-negotiating company contracts, if you dont ask you dont get! Suppose you own an agen...

BANNING CAMERA PHONES IN THE WORKPLACE by Don Phin More and more companies are restricting employee use of personal cell phone cameras at the office for fear that the ubiquitous camera ph...

Independent Agency System carriers that rank high on the Gomez insurance Web site index probably congratulate themselves on their achievement - the result of hard work, creativity, and spending in the nine or ten-digit range. But what if these high-ranking carriers are scoring well in the wrong game?

Suppose Gomez and other Web ranking services have no idea what they’re talking about? What if they base their evaluation criteria on an implicit misunderstanding of the insurance business? What if "winning" means embracing a bankrupt business strategy?

Six questions every company should consider in their hiring process.
Companies today face the same daunting problem that confounds so many job seekers: The high hurdle of transferable experience.
Whether it’s an individual attempting to get a job or a company trying to break into a new market, both face the difficulty of having someone recognize the value of their knowledge and experience, even though these qualities might not be directly related to a new field or industry. Although applicants offer experience, a proven track record, and skills that are an ideal match for a particular position, they’re passed over. Why? The individual has worked in a different field.

INSURANCE COMPANIES: WILL THE REAL COMPETITORS PLEASE STAND UP? by Chris Burand Chris Burand tells why companies need to know their competition inside and outside their agency plant...

It’s often difficult for an agency to hire an in-house PR specialist. And assigning PR responsibilities to an existing employee has its drawbacks. This document by Henry Stimpson examines the advantages and disadvantages to hiring an out-sourced PR consultant.