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I thought this article was great for those that have recently decided to open an insurance agency. Let me know what you think.
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/arti ... phone-fllw

I'm glad you liked the article. I really do believe now is a great time to be an agent. I'm curious what others are experiencing. What are the opportunities and/or challenges you are facing in starting an insurance agency today?

SteveAnderson wrote:I'm glad you liked the article. I really do believe now is a great time to be an agent. I'm curious what others are experiencing. What are the opportunities and/or challenges you are facing in starting an insurance agency today?

Fortunately, opportunities are everywhere given the wide range of products that can be offered. The major challenge is being able to disconnect at the end of a 14 hour day...

Steve is on the money with his article about small agencies. One thing I would like to add about "Market Access" -- there are more agency aggregators than ever and these groups do want to grow. Some believe there is a stigma in being part of a group or that they will lose commissions. Well reality is, Agencies of 10mm or more in premium are part of these groups and many groups arrange for direct appointments for their Agency Members. One can make more in these types of groups since they negotiate contingent commissions (additional percentages) and most groups share in on the profit sharing, which is based n the production of the group, rather than your specific agency. In most cases, a start up agency will not qualify for profit sharing for years, but being a part of a group gets you in on part of the pooled production and profit sharing in most cases right off the bat. Best yet, you will be able to access and get appointed with significantly more markets than you can on your own. My Guide to Starting an Insurance Agency as well as an Agency Aggregator Directory (Clusters & Alliances) is on my website which is linked below.

There's never been a better time to start a new insurance agency than today

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