Barbara Donnar is all about helping program administrators succeed by letting them do what they do best: bring together product knowledge and market expertise to meet client needs profitably. Donnar and the firm she founded in 2001, Supportive Insurance Services, do this by providing a range of licensing and related services to insurance industry professionals—agents, agencies, adjusters and companies.

“Target Markets members operate in multiple states,” Donnar says, “and because of that, they and their companies generally need to hold licenses in each state.” Unfortunately, every jurisdiction has its own set of rules, regulations and requirements. “These regulations come with a healthy—maybe unhealthy—dose of fine print,” she adds. “What’s worse, the rules and requirements change constantly.”

In many organizations, she says, someone with other responsibilities often gets licensing thrown in as an added task. “They find it tough to manage deadlines and get paperwork filed accurately for everyone on staff,” Donnar adds. “That doesn’t even include the time and effort required to stay on top of insurance department changes and file annual reports with the various secretaries of state.”

Fortunately, program administrators and other insurance organizations have a ready-made option. As the only Target Markets Program Administrators Association (TMPAA) organization providing full service licensing, Supportive Insurance Services brings unequaled licensing experience and expertise to fellow members. Services are geared toward program administrators, agents, brokers, agencies, adjusters and insurers. The firm also handles carrier appointments, corporate registrations, annual reports and a variety of other marketing, business, regulatory & compliance consulting, as well as staff training.

Donnar says her client base consists primarily of two kinds of firms: those that have experienced licensing-related frustrations and those with the foresight to head off such problems before they materialize.

“In most agencies I’ve come across, individuals doing licensing don’t really understand it,” Donnar says. “As a result, they don’t like it. People doing something they don’t understand and don’t like are bound to make mistakes, even if they’re conscientious employees.” Unfortunately, licensing mistakes can be costly, leading to fines, penalties, and even license suspension or revocation.

Organizations that do handle licensing in-house face other potential challenges. “If they’re fortunate enough to find someone who manages it well, when that person leaves, so does a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Donnar notes. “That know-how is tough to replicate with renewals and registrations breathing down your neck.” Intricacies such as the need for corporate registration before license applications and the broader geographic reach brought on by Internet marketing are other common challenges.

Supportive Insurance Services knows the ins and outs and takes care of the details. “We have 18 professionals on the job, with an average 20 years of experience,” Donnar notes. “They’re able to bring their depth of insurance licensing expertise together with state-of-the-art technology that speeds the process and ensures even greater accuracy.”

Donnar is excited about continuing to build relationships with TMPAA members. “We met so many passionate, forward-thinking members at the mid-year meeting,” she explains, “and we want to connect with even more. Target Markets members, because of their breadth of reach, their attention to detail, and their need for cost effective administration, are ideally suited to what we offer.”

Her message to program administrators is quite simple. “By outsourcing mundane, labor intensive work, we free up your staff time,” she notes. “You can use this time to deliver on what truly differentiates your organization—building and demonstrating client business expertise, creating and refining programs to meet distinct market segment needs, working with carriers to ensure targeted coverage, and delivering outstanding policy risk management services, quickly and efficiently.”