DINOSAUR OF THE YEAR-A REMEMBRANCE by Mike Manes It was more than a banquet; it was an event-a celebration of a life of power and control. It was the annual ...

DO YOU WANT TO SUCCEED? by Robert Reagan Start planning now for your agencys future success. The concept of long-range strategic planning has become all but obsolete. Twenty-five...

E-MARKETING STRATEGIES THAT ARE MORE BRICKS THAN CLICKS by John Graham Although every business should be taking full ad...

EXPLAIN HIGH PRICES Dear (Customer Name): UP, UP, AND AWAY . . . unfortunately, that's where insurance costs seem to be heading these days. More and more people are suing America...

FIDUCIARY CLAIMS BECOME PECUNIARY PAIN Some chief executive officers (CEOs) think that fiduciary liability is solely the responsibility of the financial managers who manage and invest the money...

FOLLOW THE LEADER - LEAD THE FOLLOWER! by Mike Manes 'The first role of the leader is to define reality.' - Max DePree, businessman 'The one absolute for leadership is foll...

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."

GET THE RIGHT VALUATION IN A BUY-SELL TRANSACTION by Chris Burand Valuing an agency can be a highly complex process. Who will read the valuation report? Unl...

GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS - RESPONSIBILITIES EQUAL RISKS Dear (Customer Name): Every government entity, whether a school district or a municipality, has many responsibilities to many people. Because...

HELP PUT AN END TO WORKERS COMP MALINGERING: A GUIDE FOR BUSINESS MANAGERS WHO FACE A WORKERS COMP CLAIM by David DePaolo To malinger is to pretend to be ill or otherwise incapacitated ...