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... x No Thanks Loading.. Horseback Riding Or Riding On The Back Of A Horse 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Michael Manes This content has not been rated yet. HORSEBACK RIDING OR RIDING ON THE BACK OF A HORSE by Mike Manes Are you running your agency, or is it running you? This document by Mike Manes examines the elements that make the difference. Understand them and you'll be well on your way to taking control and steering your business forward. &# 160 As a boy, more than anything else I wanted a horse. In my fantasy world, I'd be Roy Rogers on Trigger, a jockey aboard Man of War, or a pioneer driving a covered wagon on the Oregon Trail. I got my wish (watch what you pray for!) . Suddenly my fantasy world collided with reality. My horse, Sham, was a beautiful animal. He was young, spirited, and impossible to ride. His first evening at the farm foreshadowed his style and our relationship. He went through a corral to visit with an old blind mare that roamed free. We attempted to curb his spirit by limiting his manhood. Watching this procedure hurt me, but it didn't calm Sham. I thought that a horseback ride was the ideal way to spend an hour, an afternoon, or even a day pursuing adventures. This animal would take me places that I wanted to go — physically or imaginatively. The horse and my command of it would make me special. The reality was far different. I never took Sham for a ride; he ...

... . When using their own personal vehicles for company business, employees must show proof that they have Auto insurance as required by law in their state. A copy of the employee's current policy must be given to his or her supervisor and kept in the personnel files. When an insurance policy expires, a copy of the renewal must be supplied. Transporting Employees When several employees are transported in a van, bus, or truck, the operator must have a license appropriate for the class of vehicle being driven, and the vehicle must be equipped with adequate seats. Lamps, brakes, horns, windshields, mirrors, and turn signals should be in good repair. The vehicles must also be provided with handrails, steps, stirrups, or similar devices for mounting or dismounting. Employees are prohibited from riding on top of any load that can shift, topple, or otherwise become unstable. When tools with sharp edges are carried in passenger compartments, they must be placed in closed boxes or containers that cannot shift or topple. Employee-transport vehicles must carry at least two reflective-type flares. A fully charged fire extinguisher in good condition should also be kept. Vehicle Safety Rules 1. Only authorized individuals are allowed to operate company vehicles. Operators are required to have a proper drivers license for the class of vehicle they are operating. 2. Do not operate any vehicle that you do not feel comfortable handling in both routine and emergency situations. Get training if needed. 3. Do not operate any vehicle if your ability is impaired by medication, alcohol, or drugs. 4. Before using a ...

... must be supplied to the employee's supervisor and will be kept on file. Employees using personal vehicles for work must also provide proof of Auto insurance as required by law in their state. A copy of the employee's current policy must be kept on file with the employee's supervisor. After a policy expires, a copy of the renewed policy must be provided to prove continuation of coverage. Transporting Employees When several employees are transported in a van, bus or truck, the operator must have a license to drive the class of vehicle driven by the employee. All vehicles must be equipped with adequate seats and working lamps, brakes, horns, windshields, mirrors, and turn signals. Vehicles must be provided with handrails, steps, stirrups or similar devices for mounting or dismounting. Employees are prohibited from riding on top of any load which can shift, topple, or otherwise become unstable. When tools with sharp edges are placed in the passenger space, they must be enclosed in closed boxes or containers which cannot shift, topple, or become unstable. Vehicles must carry at least two reflective type flares and a fully charged fire extinguisher maintained in working condition. Vehicle Safety Rules Do not drive the vehicle without authorization. You are required to present the proper driver's license and/or operator's permit. If you have concerns about a vehicle's handling ability in routine or emergency situations, do not drive it until the required repairs are made. If you are uneasy about operating a certain a vehicle, ask your employer for proper training before attempting to drive it. If your judgment and ability are impaired ...

... off of their choice. Employees can schedule doctor appointments, be at home while a special service is performed, or run errands during that time. Remember those instances when an employee had to run home to open the door for the rug cleaners or take one of their children to the doctor? Think about how much more efficiently the agency could run with a consistently full staff most of the time. It could eliminate disruptions throughout the day and result in a higher quality of work. After all, employees know they have their half-day off to take care of personal needs that might otherwise be on their minds. Morale goes up, and work remains up-to-date. PICK THE KIDS UP AT SCHOOL Sally has a temperature, and the school nurse called me to pick her up. I don't want Sally riding the bus today. I really need to pick her up at school. How often have you heard these kinds of concerns from parents? One agency allows an employee to do this every day. Apparently, the employee wanted to make sure that the child wasn't riding the bus every day. They wanted to be there when the child left the school grounds. Believe me, the employee is very grateful to have this opportunity. After all, what other company would allow this benefit? Again, morale and efficiency increase. TELECOMMUTE WHILE THE BABY'S SLEEPING Enrolling young children in preschool is now very common. Parents drop off their children at school in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. One employee wanted to do just that. They wanted to pick their child up and make sure ...

... who is a "tire kicker" and who is a "buyer." You can learn who is there to gather information – the Reactive personality – and those who want an opportunity to take action – the Proactive. In many cases, "Reactives" are passive personality types – followers. They also tend to experts in specific bodies of knowledge. In uncomfortable or unfamiliar situations, many people can't initiate activity, but need to gather information in to understand the situation before they can begin to make a decision. For example, if you've ever gone to an amusement park and found yourself at roller coaster you face only two choices: 1) get in line; or 2) have an anxiety attack at the thought of getting on that insane ride which will surely throw you to your death. In the context of roller coasters, are you Proactive or Reactive? People who initiate action are "Proactive." They're often the impulse buyers, leaders, pioneers, early adopters. Their unconscious motto is, "Fire, Ready, Aim." In battle, Proactives would waste all of their ammunition by the time they saw the whites of the enemy's eyes. Back to the sales scenario: If Bill is leaning forward in his chair, the chances are that he's a Proactive who hates inactivity, tends to get involved in a situation early on, and wants to take action. He's not a researcher or planner – give him the opportunity to buy as soon as possible. On the other hand, if Bill is ...

... crises. In the presence of such a calm and effective management style, enough new business is produced to more than offset attrition. The agency is on a steady growth curve and morale is good. Then, seemingly overnight, things start to unravel. The system that had been running so smoothly becomes a roller coaster of minor disasters. The team spirit grinds to a shaky halt, and what was once frequent laughter becomes almost constant bickering. Revenues level off or even begin to decrease, and the profit margin erodes. When this happens, a lot of agency owners and managers blame the market conditions, temporarily forgetting that they had been doing just fine in the same competitive market until only recently. Seizing on this convenient excuse for all of their ills, they are tempted to try to ride out the storm until the market turns. With so much capacity available, the hardening of the commercial market still lies in the distant future-if it will happen at all. An agency that was generating a 12% profit can withstand 10% revenue decreases for only two years before serious adjustments have to be made to keep from going under. Waiting is not a viable option. At the first sign that the well-oiled machine is rusting, you must actively search for the cause and get things turned around quickly. With premiums and commission rates going down at a steady pace, there's not a lot of room for procrastination. In most cases, the organizational difficulties are rooted in the very success that the agency had been enjoying. It may simply have grown past the point where the existing organizational structure ...

... services, there's no doubt that doing so has played a key role in our growth and retention — and helped differentiate ourselves from insurance peddlers. We have considered setting up a separate profit center and working on a fee basis with businesses that we don't insure; however, due to exclusions in our Errors and Omissions contract and lack of manpower, we've concentrated on existing clients. The objective of risk management is to conserve the physical assets of the business from Accidental Loss and Liability claims. The first step is to identify all the exposures a client faces. This can only be done by a physical inspection of the premises and a thorough investigation of the client's business. When clients and prospects are reluctant to give us their valuable time, we've always replied: "If you were taking an airplane ride, would you prefer the pilot check out the plane in advance or just hop in and take off?" Agents need to examine the client's coverage closely in order to build a better mousetrap. Duplicating the existing program makes price, rather than enhanced coverage, the primary factor for change. There's no way that an agent can underwrite properly over the phone or based solely on information the client volunteers: They need to ask questions. We strive to uncover uninsured exposures, and then offer the insured coverage for these exposures if it's available. This has been a tremendous sales tool. We've written many accounts based on exposures that the existing agent failed to recognize. Once the account is on the books, we continuously update the coverages, because businesses change on a daily basis. We employ ...

... x No Thanks Loading.. Change Is A Certainty 4/30/2013 by Al Diamond , CompleteMarkets Editor This content has not been rated yet. Attempting to maintain the same old business practices in a changing environment is as futile as trying to sit stationary in a rising tide. As independent agents confront the evolving economic and industry conditions of the 21st century, the wise ones learn to ride the waves rather than drown in them. Change isn't bad or good-it's simply inevitable. And it can be hard to weather. Businesses experiencing failure and performance-related losses may have an easier time with it-change to correct weakness is easier to accept, even though it can be difficult to implement. Changing from a position of strength is harder. High-performance agencies have different strengths, yet all are similar in that they are growth- and profit-oriented and proud of their position and results. This pride can become a weakness in an otherwise strong organization. A history of success makes it easy to cling to the systems and procedures that were once so innovative and that enabled the company to surpass the competition. But innovations soon become ordinary practice, and adhering to ordinary practice prevents the agency from benefiting from the systems, procedures, workflows, marketing, and service that come with the next wave of change. The most successful agencies in the United States share two common traits-a philosophy of continuous change and a feeling of celebrated discontent. Continuous change is easy to define and difficult to implement. An agency can never stay in place. It's like a vehicle on an incline with no brakes: If it doesn't get ...

...m convinced that almost everything rides on making a correct first impression:...

... 1% to 3% of revenues as working capital. If an agency is working from a deficit, this amount obviously must increase. Working capital is important for averting disaster, but it also enables an agency to take advantage of opportunities. Agencies occasionally get a chance to acquire another agency or producer at a great price. But doing so usually requires cash up front. An agency with enough working capital can grab these deals because so few other agencies will have enough cash to compete for them. The risk of not having enough cash to pay bills increases dramatically without adequate working capital. On the other hand, great opportunities exist for adequately capitalized agencies because many inadequately capitalized agencies will fail. Why not have enough capital to take advantage of opportunities and make the road to success a smoother ride? NOTE: None of the materials in this article should be construed as offering legal advice, and the specific advice of legal counsel is recommended before acting on any matter discussed in this article. Regulated individuals/entities should also ensure that they comply with all applicable laws, rules, and regulations. Chris Burand can be reached at Burand & Associates, LLC, PMB 345, 215 S Victoria Ave., Suite E, Pueblo, CO 81003, (719) 485-3868, fax (719) 485-3895, e-mail  [email protected] , Web site www.burand-associates.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 ...