Expert: Harold E. Long, LUTCF, CLU, ChFC, RFC, RHU, REBC, CIC - 8/27/2007

Question
Hi Harold,

I took my P&C exam and received my license while working for large direct insurance company and have almost two years experience working in customer service for that company.  I then took a job as an office manager at a P&C brokerage firm.  I learned a great deal about the brokerage side of the business and really enjoyed working with the clients to find what was best for their needs.  I worked a great deal with NYS Assigned Risk and feel very confident working with it.  Just recently I took a position as an Administrative Assistant to a Financial Advisor and am slowly learning about Life Insurance and Securities.  My fiance and I have always wanted to own our own business and I am quite confident that I could be successful in the P & C insurance business, and possibly, in time, life insurance. I haven't the slightest idea where to start.  What is your advice on how to start the process and do you think three years is enough experience to be successful?

Answer
Hi Jaclyn,

We live in the greatest country in the world, you can do and become anything you want, and you have all the resources out there to help you make it happen.

I would look to opportunities in your area to start you own agency, Brooke Franchise is one of the many companies to check into for your area. If you have the resources or financing available to purchase a small agency, that is always a good choice, especially if it is the right agency at the right price. Here is Brooke's link http://www.brookeagent.com/franchise/ I am in no way affiliated with them, but I know this is a great way to get started.

I would also suggest you join as many networking groups as possible, especially www.bni.com, business network international, and if you can't find a group to join, then start one.

Jaclyn, make sure you have a good business plan in place and stick to it, have someone hold you accountable, if you have too, hire a coach.

Go to www.scic.com, they have three programs that will help you tremendously, Dynamics of Selling, Account Development, and Producer School, I recommend all three of them.

Most importantly it boils down to your attitude, print of this quote and put it in your office and home and refer to it daily, it will make a big difference in how your life turns out, I promise.

Quote by Dr. Charles Swindoll:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes.

Go make it happen Jaclyn and keep updated on your success!

Harold E. Long
St. Louis, MO
hlong@sbcglobal.net