..:: Insurance News & Views ::..

The current flooding in New England, 2005’s multiple hurricanes, Northridge and Oakland Hills fires, the World Trade Center---every one of these disasters affected insurance agencies. Some suffered direct hits, others massive claims and others still market disruptions. While you may be fortunate enough to never be stricken with such massive "destruction and distress," other events might cause your agency grave misfortune: IT failure, burglary or vandalism, professional liability, fire or perhaps loss of a market.

The best way to prepare for any potential disaster (catastrophic or stressful disruption) is crisis management. Now, while you have the luxury of not being in the midst of the emergency, is the time to apply clear-headed thinking to develop a plan you can automatically rely on when you need it most---the moment the disaster strikes. It will allow you and your staff to quickly mobilize the right resources and get up and running smoothly, with accounting for as many contingencies as possible in advance, while minimizing panic, frustration and loss. Hopefully you never have to implement these plans, but you must have them.

The first step is to figure out how to develop a plan—from the actual process, to who to include to how often it to review and update it. The Crisis Tool Group specializes in assisting organizations from local to multi-nationals in developing comprehensive, effective disaster plans. It developed with the Big "I" the "Best Practices of Crisis Management – A Step-by-Step Business Recovery Planner."

This must-have guide suggests several areas you must address when developing an effective agency disaster plan: leaders, information technology, internal and external communications, relocation strategies and possibilities, services and logistics, salvage and security and customer services, among others. Each area must have a person in charge of coordinating all actions within that area. Combined, these leaders will make up the Business Resumption Team.

Once developed, an effective plan will provide guidelines to help individuals prepare for possible business interruptions by assigning and describing the duties of each person involved, communicating clearly to all employees about actions to be taken, provide an external communications guide, provide a fast reference for all critical services, establish a framework for ongoing improvement and updating of the plan and more.

For assistance in developing your agency disaster plan, turn to the Best Practices guide. It includes a manual with complete step-by-step instructions on how to put the plan together while covering all the bases. All of the material can also be found on the included CD-ROM, which walks you through creating and printing an action plan unique to your agency’s needs. To stress the importance of developing a crisis management plan for you and your clients, when you purchase a guide for your agency, you also will receive a free copy to share. Now is the time to get started on your plan. Click here to download an order form. For more information, contact the Big "I" Education Department at 800-221-7917.

You made the right decision for your agency and joined Trusted Choice®. You and the more than 6,000 other participating agencies are communicating to consumers that Trusted Choice® agencies are the smart way to buy insurance and financial services. But is your agency making the most of the opportunities that Trusted Choice® provides?

One way to make sure you are capitalizing on the benefits of the brand program is to update your agency profile. If your agency profile is not up to date, a consumer will not be able to find your agency when they do a search on the Agency Locator on the Trusted Choice® Web site.

Updating your profile is quick and easy. For step-by-step instructions, click here. Make sure to update your agency’s profile in its entirety – all six steps, including insurance lines written and company appointments. That way, your agency will appear if a consumer does a detailed search. Once updated, it takes 24 hours for your agency information to appear on the Trusted Choice® Agency Locator.

More than 2 million consumers visited the Trusted Choice® Web site in 2005. That is a lot of potential business, and consumers are looking for you. Make sure your agency can be found by updating your profile today. If you need your user ID and password, contact Ines Hoyle at 800-221-7917; ines.hoyle@iiaba.net.

Take advantage of the other resources the Trusted Choice® Web site provides, including:

· Professionally produced Trusted Choice® television, radio and print publications advertisements that you can tag with your agency’s information for use in local markets

· Public relations support and downloadable press releases for use in local markets

· The "Zoom in on Branding" workbook, which demonstrates how to manage your firm’s brand, leverage its strengths and make your customers more loyal.

Make the most of your Trusted Choice® membership – updating your agency profile is a good place to start!

For more information about Trusted Choice®, contact Jeff Myers at 800-221-7917; jeff.myers@iiaba.net.

For many people who cannot access traditional learning opportunities, online programs are the best means to meet educational goals. The majority of VU students say they opt to learn online because they need flexibility to choose the time and place where they study. Some have multiple work and family obligations, and online learning allows them to continue their education and develop a career path at the same time.

Who succeeds in the online classroom? Some insurance students are better suited to learning online than others. A student who succeeds in the online world is usually self-motivated and self-disciplined, works independently, is comfortable with the written word and the computer-screen format and asks for help when needed. Travel time is negated, but online students must have the time to dedicate to the coursework and to taking exams uninterrupted. Students in an online classroom should spend as much time on their course as they might in an onsite classroom.

Could online learning be for you? Take the self assessment test below to find out:

1. Do you have the ability to prioritize your responsibilities?

2. Do you classify yourself as someone who gets things done on time?

3. Do you prefer to learn on your own and work independently?

4. Are you self-motivated?

5. Are you good at following written instructions?

6. Do you have access to a computer with an Internet connection?

7. Are you comfortable using e-mail?

8. Do you have basic computer skills?

9. Are you comfortable with the idea of trying new technologies?

10. When you need assistance, do you ask for it?

11. Do you have important reasons for considering online education? (Examples: busy lifestyle, geographic isolation, family requirements, corporate support to learn at work)

The more questions you answered "yes" to, the more you fit the profile of an online student. The Online Classroom area of the Big "I" Virtual University provides the insurance industry with quality, online education to supplement and enhance traditional learning methods. Take a look at our courses and experience a new way of getting the critical training you need to succeed in your career as an insurance professional. View the course catalog of nearly 100 classes and find one that interests you.

For more information about the Big "I" Virtual University, and how to take advantage of this innovative tool, contact Madelyn Flannagan at 800-221-7917; madelyn.flannagan@iiaba.net.

The Big "I" national Young Agents program provides the next generation of industry leaders with the tools they need to improve and strengthen their agencies, their state Young Agents programs and the insurance industry as a whole. It’s an exciting time for the National Young Agents Committee as it launches the Young Agent Leadership Institute in September. This national event will attract Young Agent leaders from across the country who are eager to develop and strengthen their leadership and sales skills, network with companies and peers, and share new strategies and techniques. For more information, contact your states’ Young Agents Committee. Don’t let this great opportunity pass you by---be a part of Young Agents 2006. For more information, contact Barbara Miller-Richards at 800-221-7917; b.miller-richards@iiaba.net.

When it comes to insuring a community bank, what advantage do independent agents have over the competition? As a local business owner, you can relate to the everyday challenges that community banks face while fending off competition from the bigger regional and mega-banks. Local independent agents are in the best position to understand the unique coverage needs of the banks in their communities. The definition of a community bank differs, but despite a wave of mergers and acquisitions in the late 1990s, the number of community banks is actually growing. As a Big "I" member, you have access to the St. Paul Travelers product on Big "I" Markets to write the bank in your community. You also have access to your St. Paul Travelers underwriter, who will walk you through the sale step by step. To learn more about this product, log into Big "I" Markets at www.bigimarkets.com.