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January 2010

Marketing Agency of the Month:
21st Annual Rough Notes Marketing
Agency of the Year candidates

FEATURES
Specialty Lines:
Trucking markets see beyond problems to opportunities
Pursuit of specialty truckers, providing extra services pays off for retailers.

Marketing:
Environmental insurance: Emerging risks, new coverages
Exposures move beyond industries with obvious environmental risks.

Technology:
You say you want an Evolution
The eVo agency management system delivers powerful performance
at a pleasing price.

Benefits Agency:
Benefits are key to corporate risk management
J. Smith Lanier offers sophisticated solutions that go beyond insurance

Other Feature Stories:  
Insurers explore offshoring of services
Study raises issue: How wide a range of services might be offshored?

More muscle
Consultative & collaborative Agency Services Group brings
savvy & services to agencies.

Michigan young agents take top honor
Big “I” names Outstanding Young Agents Committee.

Better off dead
Latest securitization scheme raises some eyebrows.

Hard market, soft market—What does the future hold?
Definitive predictions for 2010 are hard to come by.

 

COLUMNS
Winning Strategies—Are you an employee or an entrepreneur?
By Roger Sitkins

Benefits Business—Cost control—A mixed bag
By Len Strazewski

Agency Financial Management—Exploring a sale of your wholesaler
By Allen M. Go, CFA

Public Policy Analysis & Opinion—Back from the abyss
By Kevin P. Hennosy

Customer Service Focus—The CSR’s role in virtual business marketing
By Lori Loomis, CISR, ACSR

Internet Marketing—The greatest growth opportunity since the telephone
By Tim Sawyer

Beyond Insurance—Building a strong work ethic
By F. Scott Addis, CPCU

Benefits Products & Services—Protecting against the cruellest cut: Loss of income
By Thomas A. McCoy, CLU

 

DEPARTMENTS
Court Decisions
People Management
Centuries of Rough Notes (PDF)
Rough Notes Staff
Reprints

 

ADVERTISERS INDEX & PRODUCTS PAGE (PDF)