Chicagoland SIA Blog

If you’re like most Americans, you have amassed quite the collection of financial documents, including receipts, invoices, pay stubs, bank statements, utility bills and old tax returns. Most can be tossed after a certain period of time. But there are some things that you’ll want to consider keeping forever. Here are some of them:

An insurance producer is hired to find new prospects for an insurance agency and turn those prospects into clients by convincing them to purchase an insurance policy. He or she may be designated as an employee or as an independent contractor. There have been legal rulings both ways as to the proper classification of insurance agents/producers. Does it matter which classification you choose? It does matter. Here is why.

Do your insurance agency employees have job descriptions and titles? They should! It can help to clarify potential issues as your agency grows and you expand your staff. Let’s look at how to start this process.

We all make mistakes. To err is human, right? However, if you are a business offering professional services, such as an insurance agency, those errors can be costly! Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance is designed to cover damage caused to clients by negligence, faulty advice or other failure of duty acts.

Women have made great strides within the insurance industry. According to a recent Population Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau, women make up approximately 60 percent of the workforce within the insurance industry. Where the inequality seems to prevail is at the leadership level. Less than 20 percent of board seats and executive officer positions are held by women, according to whitepaper by the Million Women Mentors (MWM).

Are you conducting exit interviews with your employees who have turned in their resignations? You should be. It is a great way to learn more about your agency, its strengths and weaknesses.

As an agency owner, you likely have a set time for staff meetings. How do your staff meetings go? Are they productive or is it usually the “same old same old?” Get out of a rut and start holding staff meetings that produce results! Here are a few ideas.