It seems as if we all need a good, old-fashioned whack on the head to get our attention. This is a moment when businesses need to connect with the business end of a two-by-four.
Change is in the wind. If there's one lesson the last decade or so has taught us, it's that there's a new economy, and it's global, integrated, and interdependent.

PRODUCER COMPENSATION: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR by Pamela Millard In spite of the continuing soft market (the permanent soft market?) and the troubling economy, there are opportunities fo...

Nothing happens until somebody sells something. To make sales happen, IMMS.com Key Sales Consultant Randy Schwantz has created a comprehensive series of 43 Producer Success Lessons. Used singly or in combination, these powerful tools can help your producers build their skills - and grow their sales.

SWOT: ASSESSING YOUR CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES by Pamela Millard There are signs that the economy is improving. Some have even suggested that the recession is over. Lets hope s...

TARGET SPECIFIC INDUSTRIES THERE'S SAFETY (and savings) IN NUMBERS Dear (Customer Name): Did you know that your business can achieve a better safety record and better bargaining p...

THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY: DOES IT APPLY TO YOUR AGENCY? by Becky Lathrop It has been said that lsquo;attitude will be the deciding factor in your failure or success. ...

In the realm of technology, Don Tapscott, keynote speaker for ACORD Technology Conference '97, holds the crystal ball. His book, The Digital Economy, has influenced the direction of automation in the corporate world. Excerpts from an interview with Tapscott, published in In ACORD magazine, follow.

Today we are witnessing the early, turbulent days of a revolution as significant as any other in human history. A new medium of human communications is emerging, one that may prove to surpass all previous revolutions, including the printing press, telephone, television, computer, in its impact on our economic and social life.

Are independent insurance agents on the verge of extinction? On the MisFortune 500 list of endangered occupations? You might think so after reading some of the press. For a different perspective, Kevin Stipe offers his observations of current and past trends and market conditions to prove that we’re not necessarily going the way of the dinosaur and the door-to-door encyclopedia salesman.

VALUATION AND STRUCTURING OF BUSINESS COMBINATIONS by Carol Hammes There are three key elements that must be considered when valuing and structuring a business combination between insurance agen...

WRITING AND CREATING YOUR AGENCY'S BUSINESS PLAN by Paige Proctor Use this proven, systematic approach to ...