But in the current market, it can be nearly impossible to become a successful independent agent. Joining an insurance agency network ensures that you have someone negotiating on your behalf for things like commission rates, bonus and incentive opportunities, markets access, and more. The right insurance agency network can make all the difference to a new or struggling agency.

You can’t manage what you can’t measure. My agents and team have heard me say it so many times that I could hear their eyerolls as they read that line.

Maria Del Mar Lopez, the owner and president of MDM Insurance Enterprise, has been in the insurance industry since 2006. Prior to starting MDM, she worked for a several different insurance agencies. She was very good at what she did, but she felt that her success was limited.  She knew she could achieve more … if only she could open her own independent agency.

Strategic Planning and Best Practices: Attainable, Achievable Results for Your Agency

Joining an insurance cluster group is a great way to gain access to appointments with carriers that would be off-limits if you were negotiating on your own. Cluster groups give independent agents power in numbers — a group of agents has more buying power than a single agent alone, leading to more profits.

While many agents join networks like ours simply for help accessing appointments, many agents approach our network seeking ways to diversify their business. In this particular insurance climate, having a diverse range of options to satisfy customers will be crucial to both retention and growth.

Kyle McMackin is the owner of Main Street Insurance. The full-service agency offers personal insurance, commercial insurance and Medicare plans, as well as retirement planning services. The agency also  provides coverage for many high-risk accounts that  standard carriers are reluctant to sign. Network support from Smart Choice has helped Kyle navigate this challenging market.

Smart Choice® announces the acquisition of Carriage Hill Insurance and key leadership appointments for Smart Choice Partners (SCP). SCP identifies strategic agency acquisition opportunities that are complementary to Smart Choice’s existing network of over 9,500 independent agencies.

Can you think of a small business that doesn’t use email? What about a small business that doesn’t use the internet? While cybercrime has traditionally been considered more of a concern for larger organizations, that trend has shifted quickly.

Although we’ve been seeing indications of a hardening market for some time now, the state of the insurance industry shows no signs of shifting directions. Independent insurance agents will be feeling the squeeze when it comes to being able to provide coverage for clients. Here's how you can succeed despite the hard market.