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... 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, ... 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 ... trucking industry. But he quickly found that he was spending most of his time convincing carriers to underwrite programs instead of selling products to potential customers. That seemed like a waste of time. So he dabbled in niche markets, enjoyed the change of pace and eventually dropped his other lines of business. From that early experience, Everhart developed three agency rules for any potential niche market: there should be little or no competition, little or no underwriting activity, and little or no service after the sale. Minimum competition is guaranteed ...

...ting homeowners and BOPs to doing notary bonds.' Identify Needs The ha...crop. That gives us a good loss ratio, and keeps our companies happy, because ...