Becoming accustomed to a growing economy is easy and dangerous. Although there are always pockets of problems, we forget that success is often more the result of a good economy than our business acumen. If everyone else is doing well, our major challenge becomes how to pull ahead of the pack. Unfortunately, many business people tend to get a bit lazy-and that's when we can get caught.
There are ways to become more successful, keep business booming, and give companies the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. Here are 15 ways to develop an extra edge:

BEST PRACTICES OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT by Angela Bemiss In today's insurance environment, a successful insurance agent or broker must have good sales management, good operatio...

CHARACTERISTICS OF STRONG AGENCY/CARRIER RELATIONSHIPS by John Jaques The compilation of agency/carrier relationship characteristics presented in this article is based on observatio...

CYCLE-UP YOUR MARKETING by Nanci Evarts Check out these solutions to soft-market woes. Shifts in the marketplace are either heralded by agents and brokers with general e...

DON'T LET CHANGE CRIPPLE YOUR COMPANY by Emily Huling 'That's not our policy.' 'We tried that before and it didn't work.' 'It's not my job.' ...

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

FORMING A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE by Carol Hammes A major challenge facing the Independent Agency System today is to provide quality products and services in a more cost effective and user-frien...

INSURANCE COMPANIES AND AGENCIES: THE PARTNERSHIP DREAM by Carol Hammes A proven way to develop a mutually beneficial relationship with your carriers. Most insurance companies have ...

The major goal of any agency or brokerage can be expressed in just one word: survival.
The mounting failures involving seemingly strong, well-established businesses that have been around for 15 to 75 years are of great concern.
The time has come for agencies and brokerages to take immediate action in order to survive a protracted economic downturn that may extend for several more years in some sectors of business or regions of North America.

MARKETING-THEN SALES- FOR THE SHORT AND LONG TERM by Richard Barry Most everyone has firsthand knowledge of just how competitive business is today. We reali...