Search CompleteMarkets

...e particular line in question 'installation floater.’ The rating work sheets s...be alerted primarily because most installation floaters are written at 100% co...

... better…) Control your professionals – it's your deal, not theirs! Get advice from them, but don't let them renegotiate the sale. Keep relationships cordial. You'll almost certainly need help of some kind from the seller after the sale. Don't let your professionals poison that well. MOST IMPORTANT: The most important rule for buyers (and for sellers too): Both sides must perceive The sale as a "win-win" scenario. In most cases, neither side is compelled to do this transaction. If either side concludes that the sale is a "lose" for them, then the sale is off. Special Situations Some special situations will be covered in more detail in later columns but deserve mention now. Internal Sales: Many agency owners would like to sell ... Perpetuate An Agency: Ii 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Larry Morrison This content has not been rated yet. HOW TO BUY, SELL, MERGE OR PERPETUATE AN AGENCY: INTRODUCTION, PART II by Larry Morrison and Gary Jacobson A Comprehensive Look at the Best Ways to Handle One of the Most Significant Financial Events in the Life of Your Agency Editor's note: This is the second installment in a series that covers buy/sell arrangements for agency, valuation and tax issues, shareholder internal buy/sell agreements, related estate planning, employment contracts and non-competes. It's part of a unique pre-publication book by the authors that gives you practical street-level understanding of one of the most significant financial events in the life of your agency. In Part I of this chapter, we talked about ...

... . The terminal user doesn't have that option. For most of us, the monitor remains in one spot at a fixed distance from the eyes, creating such unique irritants as glare and flicker. The ABCs of CVS Eyestrain, headaches, blurred vision, dry or irritated eyes, neck or back aches, photophobia (unusual sensitivity to light), double vision, and afterimages are the most common side effects of extended VDT work. Other symptoms include blurred distance vision, crossed eyes, and-in some cases-the McCullogh effect, ' in which white objects appear pink after using a VDT (This usually clears up within minutes) . Optometrists attribute CVS symptoms among nearly 40% of their VDT-using patients to environmental factors: lighting, poor screen resolution, glare, and so forth. To that list, ... , some filters are supposed to cut static, which means they prevent charged dust particles from collecting on the surface of the monitor. Others claim to block potentially harmful electromagnetic emissions. However, filters cannot block rays from the back of monitors, the greatest source of low-frequency emissions. The big question is: Do filters work? Many users report reduced glare and, often, reduced eye fatigue after installing their filters. With an effective filter, users can work at a terminal all day with virtually no eyestrain and without having to position the monitor away from the sun's path. And you couldn't ask for an easier product to install. Filters come in three basic designs: They attach directly to the front of your monitor, hang from the top, or fit like a glove over the bezel ...

... construction, renovation, and installation trades, although they can arise in...

... , but it's not a risk you want to take. The equipment: Guy wires Support poles Platforms The wire Turnbuckles The net You've seen the set-up. Do it right the first time. You won't get a second chance! Guy wires. There are two sets of these — one on each support pole. On the starting end, the guy wires are the organizational values. On the other side they're the marketplace — your customers. Organizational values are the absolutes in your systems. You must never compromise these values, which are the final arbiters of all disputes. What are your values? Is this the talk, or the walk? Values aren't lip service; they're a way of life! Do all of the stakeholders in your organization (employees, customers, vendors, suppliers, ... No Thanks Loading.. The Decision And The Questions 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Michael Manes This content has not been rated yet. THE DECISION AND THE QUESTIONS by Mike Manes IMMS Consultant Mike Manes strives to facilitate change, communication, learning, and positive results. To that end, Manes has written this powerful, substantial document. The IMMS Management Center will post it in three installments. Used singly or in combination, these documents will help you build your skills and achieve your goals. In the world of business you and your organization can perform at any level you want, as long as you're willing and able to pay the price. Remember: Consumers will only pay to watch those who are soaring' or adoring. In the short term, you must at least soar ...

... construction, renovation, and installation trades, although they can arise in...

... but not all have sufficient financial resources. Some are true to their word and others aren't. Hire a consultant to help. Consultants act much like a bonding company, sifting out non-qualified buyers so you won't waste your time. Their experience and objectivity will save you time and money, usually saving you more (including legal fees) than you pay them. While they're helping you on the sale side, keep doing what you do best to maintain agency value. RULE 2. Don't ask more for your agency than it's worth. Only deals that are fair on both sides work. You can't make the agency worth what you need for retirement; it's worth what it's worth! In most parts of the country, the commission multiples of the past aren't appropriate in today's tough market. The ... big ones. RULE 6. Make sure your producers have employment agreements. It's not as easy to get the terms you want if your producers have no agreements. Have your lawyer make sure the agreements are enforceable if they have been drawn up well after the producer was hired, and make sure they are assignable to a new buyer. RULE 7. Demand and expect good collateral for any future installments. Agency assets alone are not enough. The buyer's corporate and personal guarantees are a minimum. It's good to have other collateral, which is usually available if you are an attractive purchase. RULE 8. Expect and be prepared to sign or warrant your accounts receivable, unknown liabilities, and a covenant not to compete. A sale is definitely a two-way street, with promises on both sides ...

... — customer patience is at an all-time low. Clear and understandable answers to complex questions, from both novices and experienced customers. This situation has created a tremendous need for technology-based tools to support customer service organizations in providing service that "delights" customers. The "soft stuff" is really the hard stuff. Many people still believe that, in organizational change, issues dealing with the "human side" are fluffy and insubstantial, and should be an afterthought. The only things that really matter are technology and hard design. But we're all beginning to learn that what we once considered hard or difficult is, in fact, the "easy stuff." The technology issues are the easiest to deal with and don't usually make the most difference. All too often, simply installing these technology-based ... x No Thanks Loading.. Ten Ways To Maximize The Return On Your Technology Investment 4/30/2013 by CompleteMarkets Editor , Jack Fries This content has not been rated yet. All too often, installing technology-based tools doesn't produce either the promised payback or the desired results. Instead of delighted customers, you get frustrated customers. Three trends dominate the agency agenda today: Customers, competition, and change. In customer service, these trends have translated themselves into three key areas. To be competitive your agency must provide: One-stop and one-call access for every customer, whether they're using the telephone, a personal computer, or the Internet. Faster and faster response times — customer patience is at an all-time low. Clear and understandable answers to complex questions, from both novices and experienced customers ...

... December of 2006, federal rules governing civil litigation require U.S. companies to keep better track of their employees' e-mails, instant messages, and other electronic documents in case of litigation." &# 160AP Business writer Chris Rugaber notes that: "Companies and other parties involved in federal litigation must now produce ‘electronically stored information' as part of discovery, the process by which both sides share evidence before a trial. Federal and state courts have increasingly been requiring the production of such evidence in individual cases, and the rules clarify that the data will be required in federal lawsuits." Without a better sense of what data organizations have and where to find it, some companies are settling lawsuits in order to avoid the costs of electronic discovery. Potential Solutions To get yourself in ... groups of employees with different levels of access depending on the role of each employee. Although EIM products can come in the form of desktop software, server-based software, or a network appliance, the latter is generally the easiest to implement and the most cost-effective solution. In many cases, a network appliance can be up and running in less than 30 minutes and does not require technical expertise. Once installed, it requires very little attention, and because content updates are done automatically, the tool ends up being managed by the office manager, HR manager, or even the business owner ASCnet past president Dana Nulty- Beals of Nulty Insurance (Kalamazoo, MI) recently implemented iPrevision's Panoptech device ( www.iprevision.net ) . "It took us less than 15 minutes to get the device out of the box ...

... to a customer. That's why agents must ask a few tough questions before they take the plunge: Is there a large enough untapped demand that I can fill? Do I have the skills to run a finance company that generally must be licensed, incorporated, located, and staffed separately from the agency? Am I prepared to assume the requisite financial risk? Most agencies play it on the safe side. Julie Sizemore, Commercial Lines supervisor at the Murray M. White agency in High Point, NC, says her company has been arranging premium financing for Commercial accounts for more than 10 years. But they don't market the service aggressively: It's mainly a service to the customer, ' she says, offered when the carrier or broker doesn't provide a payment plan. The agency, which uses ... Imperial's President and CEO Robert Cycon urges you to be more aggressive in selling premium financing. We tell the agent to prepare the financing agreement and present it along with every policy quote. Rex Hughes, vice president and partner with the Messer-Bowers Company, a $13-million agency in Enid, OK, is that aggressive. He'd rather strike a gusher than watch a slow dribble of commissions checks come in as installments are paid to the carrier. We try to finance everything and get our money upfront, ' Hughes says. Messer-Bowers draws on several premium finance companies to arrange deals for multimillion-dollar premiums, but the agency also does its own financing by borrowing from a local bank. We shop for the best rate just like we shop for the best price for coverage, ' he adds. When the agency ...