2. If you are an experienced insurance broker you might start thinking about
the possibility of enlarging your activities by starting an insurance agency.
It is not an easy or simple thing to do, but with the help you are going to get
in this following article, many aspects be much better understood.
First of all you need to know that in order to be allowed to sell insurance to
people, you need to have a license which is legal and proves you have been
trained in this sector of activity. The first thing to do is to decide the
insurance company you want to work with. In order to do that, make a list
of the products and services you are interested in selling to your future
customers. It is wise to decide to sell, at least in the beginning, only a few of
them.
Start smaller and wait for the first signs of efficiency and you can increase
your offer step by step. If you consider starting an insurance franchise, you
should be familiar with the domain. It would be a big mistake to get
yourself involved in a domain you know nothing about. But once you have
worked few years for a big insurance company and you have been seriously
trained you can start to think about having your own small insurance
business.
There are a lot or training courses in this area of activity that you should
attend. This will clarify a lot of aspects and will teach you how to perform
well interacting with people and their various needs.
All the big and important insurance companies provide training for all their
potential franchisers. Or at least they can provide you with a lot of materials
that you should study in order to get your smaller business on track.
3. Determine the type of insurance you plan to sell. If you have been trained in
selling, let us say, car insurance policies, it would be wise to start you small
business by selling car insurance and nothing else. The idea is to reduce the
risks to a minimum possible. In time, you will have the experience to
enlarge your offer to the clients, beginning to sell, maybe, more insurance
policy types.
As with any other business, you should calculate the sum of money you are
going to need at the start point. The smallest insurance broker firm will
require a consistent amount of money to rely on at the beginning. Calculate
it and decide if you can afford it or not. In order to make a solid business
plan, work with an accountant that is going to help you consider the first
expenses.
Making a solid business plan is crucial; as a matter of fact, all successful
businesses started with a clear vision and a solid plan. Try to give answers
to some of the very important business related questions such as: where
will my office be located, who are my business adversaries, how am I
supposed to get to my potential clients, what selling strategies is it wise to
use, where should I get qualified staff.
Give complete and in details answers to these questions. If it is possible, try
and collect information from lawyers, accountants and business experts.
They will all help you address all the aspects of a solid, well done business
plan.
Every insurance company has a General Agent Kit that you should analyze
before you sign the papers. From this kit you will find out the details and
the standard arrangement each insurer makes with new brokers. You need
to contact the insurance company and establish a meeting with a
4. representative to whom you can ask all possible questions in order to
understand the whole process.
You will probably be demanded to fill out an application and you will need
to show them you insurance license. Read everything that is printed on the
contract because even the smaller font paragraphs might prove to be
essential for your future success.
Once you have analyzed the potential insurance firma you might want to
work with, you need to find a proper office space. The way you will organize
the office will influence the potential customers. If they feel comfortable,
welcomed and at ease, the business relationship will go well. So it is crucial
to arrange the desks, the tables, the chairs and armchairs so that everyone
getting inside will feel well.
You will probably need a reception area, a closing room and a separate
office. Think about buying a new computer and internet access. Install also
telephone lines so that all potential clients might get in touch with you.
An insurance business demands effort, time and energy. You will certainly
not be able to do all the work by yourself so you would better start thinking
to get an assistant. You should find someone who is familiar to this domain,
a person who is able to do the office work, call the clients and schedule
appointments. This assistant should be a person you can trust, rely and
depend on, a person with whom you will end up sharing the success and
challenges of this activity.
Another thing you need to consider is advertising. This would mean
investing some money and thus making yourself known. People need to
hear about your offers before they choose you and you can achieve this
5. through marketing campaigns. You can advertise in the newspapers, at the
local radio station, on TV or on the internet.
Consider also the fact that your family members, your friends or pals can
work miracles in this area, spreading the news of your new insurance
business. People tend to have more confidence in the news spread like this.
If you live in Europe, you can get started with your insurance business
without having to invest too much money; the Franciza Broker Asigurari
website offers plenty of information concerning this matter.