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Starting your own independent insurance agency is both exciting and overwhelming. In my 37 years in the business, three factors stand out as being essential for the success of any independent agency.

As an insurance agent, your business lives or dies on the amount of new and renewing policies you sign with your carriers. Years ago, how you got paid was fairly straightforward: you got paid a percentage of the premiums you signed. But carriers have changed the way they compensate their agents.

Gone are the days when insurance agents had to invest in expensive hardware and software to quote, issue, and place policies. Updating software was tiresome and time-consuming. And when a computer went down, your production ground to a halt.

Three tips that help take the mystery out of selling your insurance agency.

As an independent agent, it’s easy to get so caught up in your business that you forget to work on your business. But, if we fail to continuously develop and close leads, eventually, our agencies will suffer.

In my recent article, “The Art of the Close,” I discussed how I coach insurance agents to close on value versus cost. I don’t leave my close until the end of my meeting with a prospect. The entire meeting is the close.

In insurance, as in any sales business, there comes a time when the presentation is over and it’s time to close. Or, to put it another way, time to get paid for your investment of time and hard work in looking for the best coverage options for your clients.

We all know the most important relationships you have at your insurance agency are the ones with your clients. But your relationships with your underwriters are a close second. Here are three ways your relationships with your underwriters can help your agency become more profitable.

Here’s my shopping list for essential insurance agency office supplies.