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... 11. Maintain close liaison with public accountants, state examiners, and Int...

... agents writing surety bonds. But that could change. Prices for surety bonds are no longer regulated and price-shopping may become an issue. But regardless of what happens in the surety market, Ward will still be writing other types of coverage. In my area, we have to be all things to all people, ' he says. We have to be everything from writing homeowners and BOPs to doing notary bonds. Identify Needs The handwriting was on the wall, says Cynthia Regnier, CIC, president of Regnier & Associates in Austin . In 1983 and 84, everybody was talking about niche markets, and how an agency would need to develop niche markets to survive, ' she says. Regnier, who had just opened her agency in 1982, heeded the warning. She just recently turned her existing ... J.P. Everhart & Co. of Dallas. Normally, an agency is happy with $75,000 to $80,000 a year in revenue per employee. We do 50 percent per employee higher than a general agency. In fact, target marketed' programs, as he calls them, are so profitable the Everhart has abandoned more conventional lines of business. Two of his four niche programs-notary public bonds and used-car dealer bonds-are marketed solely within Texas . The others-personal watercraft (jet ski) insurance and hole-in-one coverage-are marketed outside the state as well. When Everhart started his agency on April's Fool's Day 1970, he handled standard fire and casualty lines and specialized in the trucking industry. But he quickly found that he was spending most of his time convincing carriers to underwrite programs instead of selling products ...

...of his four niche programs-notary public bonds and used-car dealer bonds-are m...to changing legislation. 'The notary public bonds and used-car dealer bonds ar...