Keeping your agency’s name and brand in front of prospects and current clients is always a good idea.

There are multiple ways of doing this. For years, many agencies used calendars — either bigger paper calendars or magnetic calendars that would stick on the refrigerator. There are some companies that specialize in branded promotional products. These are the ones you see vendors giving out at convention trade shows. These products are all potential ways of keeping your organization visible to your ideal prospect and client.

One item that is not typically included in these promotional product catalogs are stickers. Moreover, they seem to be a hot item with certain people. People put stickers everywhere — laptop cases, motorcycle helmets, and who knows where else.

Operating any insurance organization today requires a stable, high-speed Internet connection. Obtaining a premium quote for a prospect, requesting a policy change for an existing client, operating your online agency management system, even making a telephone call — all require Internet access.

Because of our dependence on the Internet, I have recommended for many years that every agency make sure they have redundant Internet connections from different service providers. Adding a satellite connection as an Internet backup is a simple and effective disaster recovery option that will go a long way toward helping you make sure you can continue to operate effectively.

Every agency has to deal with password hell.

An agency with 50 employees that conducts business through 65 carriers or MGAs must, at a minimum, ensure the security of 3,250 IDs to protect the personal information of its clients. Industry experts have projected that the cost of compliance, including adding and deleting user IDs and passwords, may soon reach as high as $3,000 per employee per year.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and emerging laws on cybersecurity soon will further complicate credential management (user IDs and passwords) for agencies, brokers, MGAs, and carriers.

This can’t continue.