auto and home insurance
I want to start my own auto home & life insurance agency with no experience. Where should I start?
Info on where I get information on how to start an agency and get an understanding of the business? Specific offices or offering are acceptable.
You’re going to hate this answer, but it’s the truth.
Start by getting a job with an agency, as receptionist or CSR. Honestly, with NO experience, you have NO idea how the whole insurance/agency system works, or even if you’re going to like it. If you work for someone else for a couple years, you’ll learn the ins and outs, make valuable contacts, and have someone paying YOU to learn how to solve problems.
If you don’t want that, you can always contact State Farm, Farmers, or Allstate, and see if they’ll sign you on as a captive agent. Then you have to self study, pass the tests, and go out and sell – you don’t get paid, unless you sell – it’s straight commission work, and the “mentoring” isn’t nearly so strong as it is if you’re working for someone else. Plus, there are more up front costs, such as YOUR liabiltiy and E&O insurance, office supplies, etc, so you’ll need some cash to start up. And if you hate it, you’re out the cash. If you’re starting your own office, you need to work 60-80 hour weeks at first, just to scrape by. If you’re good, and work yourself that hard, you *might* make $40,000 the first year. Just enough to keep afloat.
95% of agents wash out the first year. If you either can’t sell, or don’t want to put in those kind of hours, you’re going to wash out. Business doesn’t come to you, and getting leads is HARD.
That’s why I recommend working for someone else for a while.
Clear Lake Auto, Home, Flood Insurance Quotes Houston, Texas
Compare Cheap Home Insurance With Free Online Quotes
When you want to compare cheap home insurance rates it can pay to use one of the many free online quote websites that are available. At the same time you also want to make sure that you are getting the best coverage for the best price because being underinsured is the last thing any homeowner wants.
Home insurance rates are variable and depend on a number of factors including the square footage of your home, the construction materials used in its construction, and the average cost of building a home in the area you currently reside. The geographic area in which your home is located can also affect rates depending on what types of natural disasters your area is known for. These are all things that you have little control over when it comes how it affects the cost of homeowners insurance.
This does not mean you can’t find cheap insurance because there are ways to help lower that monthly premium while making sure that you are fully covered against accidental damage or destruction. Check into your current deductible and if it makes budgetary sense consider raising it by $500 or more. You can also install security systems and purchase both your auto and home insurance from the same company. These simple changes can lead to significant savings on your monthly payments.
The best way to find low cost home insurance is by getting multiple quotes from multiple insurance providers. How many quotes should you get? The general rule is 4 or more. This will give you a good cross section of prices and coverage’s to compare before deciding to buy.
With the ability to get these free insurance quotes online this process is easier then ever. Back before the internet you would have to call each company and talk to one of their sale people in order to get a quote. This could be time consuming and more then a little frustrating. Now you can have your four or more quotes in a matter of minutes without having to talk to some pushy sales person.
Once you have your quotes in hand you can start your comparison as to which homeowner’s insurance policy will work for you. The first thing you will look at us of course the price’s quotes. While it would make sense to just choose the cheapest one you do need to make sure that it offers the coverage you need. It is therefore important to look over each quoted policy closely. Remember if it seems too good to be true it just might be.
Once you compare cheap home insurance with your free online quotes you can make an informed decision about your homeowner’s insurance needs.