HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING    Georgia firm's fledgling benefits operation enjoys rapid growth While the United States economy struggled during the economic recession of 2007 and 2008, Ironwood Insurance Services in Atlanta, Georgia, began building a thriving commercial insurance practice-and when the U.S. economy started to grow again a few years later, the agency began to accelerate-with a new employee benefits practice. In 2011, the agency began its employee benefits operation by hiring an experienced employee benefits producer, now Managing Partner Mark R. Conner. "We began with 25 accounts purchased from my previous agency," he recalls, "but there was plenty of low- hanging fruit to pursue-commercial property/casualty insurance customers looking for assistance with their employee benefit programs." In the first year, the agency added another 25 accounts co-produced with the agency's property/casualty division, setting a pattern of growth that has continued, Conner says. "I hired our first account manager in the first 30 days of our development, and we have been adding resources ever since," he says. Click here for the complete article …

BUILDING YOUR BENEFITS TOOLKIT    Replace your "hammer" with smart tools to grow your business You know the old saying, "When all you have is a hammer, you approach every problem as if it were a nail." And wow, are we ever seeing a lot of hammer swinging and nail pounding in the world of benefits! Whether you are a benefits-only agency or a multi-lines agency with a benefits practice, it's time to step back and redefine your problem. When a hammer is sufficient In the past, the hammer and nail approach worked pretty well in building a benefits practice. Our toolbox was simple: we had a framing hammer and a finish hammer. We used those hammers to drive the nails of product, price and service. Over time we started collecting additional tools that have the potential to help us build a more complete solution for our clients. You will recognize these tools as the "value-added services" in which you have made a big investment, but which largely collect dust in the corner of the workshop. Click here for the complete article …

WHERE'S MY MONEY?    Financial well-being studies show concerns You know the old saying, "When all you have is a hammer, you approach every problem as if it were a nail." And wow, are we ever seeing a lot of hammer swinging and nail pounding in the world of benefits! Whether you are a benefits-only agency or a multi-lines agency with a benefits practice, it's time to step back and redefine your problem. When a hammer is sufficient In the past, the hammer and nail approach worked pretty well in building a benefits practice. Our toolbox was simple: we had a framing hammer and a finish hammer. We used those hammers to drive the nails of product, price and service. Over time we started collecting additional tools that have the potential to help us build a more complete solution for our clients. You will recognize these tools as the "value-added services" in which you have made a big investment, but which largely collect dust in the corner of the workshop. Click here for the complete article … JUMP-STARTING A TRIED AND TRUE PRODUCT    OneAmerica's promising debut for permanent life at the worksite Last March OneAmerica took its flagship individual permanent life policy, known as Legacy, and introduced it to its menu of voluntary employee benefits. As of mid-October, brokers had sold the product to 24 groups totaling nearly 7,800 eligible employees, producing estimated annual premiums of $416,000. "The adoption rate of this product in the workplace by employers, employees and brokers has been beyond my expectations and predictions," says Jim McGovern, vice president, employee benefits division. "It's a significant opportunity for OneAmerica to meet the needs of the large number of employees who have little or no permanent life insurance." According to LIMRA figures from 2012, an estimated 30% of Americans have no life insurance. A high percentage of this untapped market is made up of middle income and below middle income wage earners. There are definite advantages to permanent life insurance to discuss with these long-neglected consumers-cash values, protection from rate increases and the portability of the product when they leave their employer or retire. Click here for the complete article …  Click here to unsubscribe This message was sent by The Rough Notes Company, Inc., 11690 Technology Drive, Carmel, Indiana, 46032 1-800-428-4384