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... shared his experiences, telling us a number of stories. I believe that two of these should qualify for CE credits for all professions. Unfortunately I'm reasonably certain that neither story would be approved. They're separate, yet linked. These experiences are about innovations that have saved millions (if not billions) of dollars in productivity costs, but have probably never been studied at the Harvard Business School. These were lessons learned in fields with weeds, not in buildings with ivy-covered walls. &# 160 Lynn explained that when he first started in the timber industry, the companies would cut the timber, clear the land, and then replant new seedlings. The supervisor at each plant would stress the importance of lining the seedlings up in "perfect" rows so that the machine could cut them at harvest time. Lynn became curious because he knew that trees weren't cut with machines, but by men with band saws. One day he asked the supervisor about these new tree-harvesting machines. &# 160 The "boss" explained that, although these machines currently didn't exist, if we planted the trees right — in perfect rows — the machines would be invented some day because straight rows and a large supply of trees would facilitate their invention. This supervisor understood the future. I'd bet all I own that this guy had very little "schoolin'" (brain tissue), but I'm equally certain that he had great experience (scar tissue) . &# 160 Lynn then took us back to the future. He told another story — and he's a master storyteller — about a timber ...

... shared his experiences, telling us a number of stories. I believe that two of these should qualify for CE credits for all professions. Unfortunately I'm reasonably certain that neither story would be approved. They're separate, yet linked. These experiences are about innovations that have saved millions (if not billions) of dollars in productivity costs, but have probably never been studied at the Harvard Business School. These were lessons learned in fields with weeds, not in buildings with ivy-covered walls. &# 160 Lynn explained that when he first started in the timber industry, the companies would cut the timber, clear the land, and then replant new seedlings. The supervisor at each plant would stress the importance of lining the seedlings up in "perfect" rows so that the machine could cut them at harvest time. Lynn became curious because he knew that trees weren't cut with machines, but by men with band saws. One day he asked the supervisor about these new tree-harvesting machines. &# 160 The "boss" explained that, although these machines currently didn't exist, if we planted the trees right — in perfect rows — the machines would be invented some day because straight rows and a large supply of trees would facilitate their invention. This supervisor understood the future. I'd bet all I own that this guy had very little "schoolin'" (brain tissue), but I'm equally certain that he had great experience (scar tissue) . &# 160 Lynn then took us back to the future. He told another story — and he's a master storyteller — about a timber ...

... for cards was a small idea. Giving them away is a really big idea. David Cowan of Bessemer Venture Capital added, People expect a lot of things for free. And if you don't give it away, some other start-up will. So free' doesn't mean that the companies have to lose out. Advertisers are now paying visitors to visit their sites. 14. There will be no more hunters. In selling, the image of a hunter' (a male) going in for the kill remains intact. The notion of the gatherer' (a woman) as a salesperson is disdained. Now this notion is crumbling like the Berlin Wall. The Internet turns the tables- the successful salesperson will be the gatherer. Selling today requires nurturing prospects, and the gatherer uses a cultivation and harvesting process to make the sale. There's an interesting implication in all this. With such dramatic changes in buyer behavior, it's probable that sales, like other professions, will be rejuvenated by people in whom the traits necessary for cultivating and harvesting are often observed: Women. 15. It's 24/7 for everyone. Although some people erect firewalls between work and their personal life, the direction is toward a blending of the two. A wired world sets no boundaries on place or time. This translates into changing customers' expectations. In an amazing about-face, customers are less willing to travel to make purchases. Online buying is breaking the back of a deeply ingrained 50-year shopping-center mentality. You might want to check out the luggage at 7:35 a.m., browse again at 12 ...

... producers build their skills - and grow their sales. I remember the time I first understood the concept of a system. It was mid-May, and my dad was planting cotton on our farm. I asked him why we planted cotton in late April. Dad told me that way, the cotton would have the summer to grow and be ready for picking in October or November. I had a brilliant idea: Why not plant the cotton in March, or even February? Then it would be ready in July, and we could beat everyone else to market. I excitedly explained this to Dad, who listened patiently, then gave me my first lesson in farming. Son, everything has a time. You have to plant when it's time, water and weed when it's time, and harvest when it's time, ' he said. You can't rush the first step, or you'll be planting in the wrong season, and your seeds will die. For the same reason, you can't forget to water and weed, or your plants will die. And you have to pick cotton at the right time, or it falls off the plant and is useless. So we don't fight the natural cycle of planting and picking - we learn to understand it and work with it. The best farmers are the ones who know the system, then take care to perform each step well. Years later, I found that this held true for selling as well. All you have to do is understand the system, be careful to cover each step, and harvest at the right time. ...

... for cards was a small idea. Giving them away is a really big idea. David Cowan of Bessemer Venture Capital added, People expect a lot of things for free. And if you don't give it away, some other start-up will. So free' doesn't mean that the companies have to lose out. Advertisers are now paying visitors to visit their sites. 14. There will be no more hunters. In selling, the image of a hunter' (a male) going in for the kill remains intact. The notion of the gatherer' (a woman) as a salesperson is disdained. Now this notion is crumbling like the Berlin Wall. The Internet turns the tables- the successful salesperson will be the gatherer. Selling today requires nurturing prospects, and the gatherer uses a cultivation and harvesting process to make the sale. There's an interesting implication in all this. With such dramatic changes in buyer behavior, it's probable that sales, like other professions, will be rejuvenated by people in whom the traits necessary for cultivating and harvesting are often observed: Women. 15. It's 24/7 for everyone. Although some people erect firewalls between work and their personal life, the direction is toward a blending of the two. A wired world sets no boundaries on place or time. This translates into changing customers' expectations. In an amazing about-face, customers are less willing to travel to make purchases. Online buying is breaking the back of a deeply ingrained 50-year shopping-center mentality. You might want to check out the luggage at 7:35 a.m., browse again at 12 ...

... /2013 10:39:13 PM by CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. LEGAL OUTLINE FOR CALIFORNIA INSURANCE AGENCIES &# 160 INTRODUCTION This outline is written for the owners of small or medium sized California property and casualty independent insurance agencies, and the broker/agents who own them or produce insurance for them. It is intended to raise practical legal problems facing agents, and to help them find practical answers. The outline is based on California law, but it may be helpful to broker-agents in other states as well. There are some legal areas which are California specific, such as covenants not to compete. An interest in an agency or a book of business is like a farmer's crop. There is a life cycle, from planting the seed to bringing in the harvest. By planning ahead from the beginning, an agency principal helps both the agency's operation and its ultimate disposition. Choosing the form of doing business is an important decision. Deciding whether to incorporate requires the agent to weigh the protection of a corporation against its increased cost in time and money. The small producer needs to consider the possible advantages of joining with others. The owner of a larger production agency needs to consider how to grow and to develop new producers. An agent also needs to think ahead about how he plans to sell or transfer his agency or book of business when he retires, and how to structure his business to accomplish his plans. I feel that an agent with any substantial assets should either be incorporated or join with someone who is. Important questions of structuring the ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Online Invoices Get Paid Twice As Fast 6/4 /2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Steve Anderson This content has not been rated yet. Web-based invoices that give recipients the option to pay online result in payments being made twice as fast as those that don't, according to data from Harvest, an online time-tracking and invoicing vendor. The company looked at data from more than 250,000 paid invoices from their system. They found that invoices that included the option to pay using PayPal were paid 16 days faster than those that did not, which took an average of 32 days. Although online payment isn't new to the Internet, few agencies have used it. As their clients become accustomed to being able to pay all of their bills online, agencies need to offer this method as an option. The increase in the use of direct bill options helps agencies manage receivables more effectively. It's important for agency Web sites to offer, and display prominently, all types of payment options. Steve Anderson is a licensed agent who heads The Anderson Network, Inc.;, PO Box 1546 Franklin, TN, 37065-1546; (615) 599-0085; e-mail [email protected] ; or visit www.SteveAnderson.com . Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands of other great articles. Need more reasons to join? Need insurance for you, your business or your family? Get quality appointments - Save yourself a whole lot of time & money when you use our directory of carriers, wholesalers and service providers. Negotiate lucrative contracts with carriers and wholesalers. ...

... !8/10/2018 by CompleteMarkets Editor , John Jaques This content has not been rated yet. With summer approaching, the lull in autumn's new business results can't be far behind. September, October, and November are the weakest months for revenue and sales for a majority of agencies. Theories abound as to the reason, but probably it's because too many producers take the summer off from new account prospecting, or they spend their time continuing to round existing accounts. Sunshine, golf courses, and family take priority, and little new business is set up to be written in the fall. To counteract the fall fall-off, try putting the following three-step program in place. Some work in May will help energize new business activities in June, July, and August, so you can harvest new revenues in September, October, and November. Step 1. Have each producer review any "add-on" products available to you for rounding out coverage for existing clients. For every Commercial account in the producer's book of business, have the producer identify at least one add-on coverage to sell the client. Regardless of the expiration date of the account's primary coverage, the producer should send a letter, followed by a phone call, followed by a "service" visit (when warranted by premium size) specifically pitching the identified coverage. Step 2. Have the producer or the agency's sales coordinator prepare a list for each producer of prior-year unsuccessful quotes and lost accounts with inception dates of July 1 through November 30. The producer should call each prior-quoted client to schedule a visit to review ...

... business strategy, you want to focus on the events that are about technology exclusively. They range from small (100 or so) meetings that offer panel discussions, lectures, and networking opportunities to the major technology shows (several thousand) like Comdex. There are also a few insurance or financial services technology events that provide education and, at times, an eclectic showcase of exhibits. The wired world is a confusing place. The challenge for ACORD is to bring people from different parts of the industry together. We build the standards necessary for processing business and communicating from end-to-end is no simple matter when the industry resembles a patchwork quilt of isolated special interest groups. Association leaders driving industry technology agendas on behalf of a constituency must reach out to others doing the same thing. We need to harvest good ideas from everyone, forge a consistent industry direction, and encourage trade associations to work more closely together on technology and standards. Industry trade associations must share information, listen to each other, and perhaps merge limited resources to accomplish more. There's such a glut of information that it has become difficult to separate fact from fiction. Don't take everything you read at face value. What you read and what people believe is largely influenced by perceptions, attitudes, and self-interest. Remember: The future is shaped and influenced to a great extent by those who have the most to gain or lose. Gregory A. Maciag is president and chief executive officer of ACORD, the non-profit industry association based in Pearl River, N.Y. ACORD develops and maintains standards for the insurance and related ...

... lose most or all of a crop. Whether it's a flood, hailstorm, deep freeze, or other misfortune, you're in for a major financial hardship. That's why the demands of farm organizations and the work of insurance companies have made Crop and Hail insurance available to you. It's one of the most important forms of insurance for the farmer. Any crop you plant may be insured . . . you can select any amount of coverage per acre . . . and if you prefer, the protection can be written for a guaranteed price per bushel on most crops. We recommend that a Crop and Hail policy be written to cover the entire growing season - such comprehensive protection costs the same if coverage begins when plants are standing or when fruit appears, and protection lasts until the crop is harvested or until a predetermined season- termination date. You invest too much in your crops not to guarantee a profitable outcome. That's why I'd like to tell you more about Crop and Hail insurance. I'll be glad to answer all your questions - no obligation, of course. Sincerely, Login or Register (for FREE) to gain access to thousands of other great articles. Need more reasons to join? Need insurance for you, your business or your family? Get quality appointments - Save yourself a whole lot of time & money when you use our directory of carriers, wholesalers and service providers. Negotiate lucrative contracts with carriers and wholesalers. Net result. More revenue for your agency! Clients & Prospects will research you, your co-workers and your agency here. The most comprehensive online ...