Over the last 6 months, friends and colleagues have asked me why I decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurship and the life of running an insurance agency. The answer is very simple – opportunity.
Opportunity – You probably read that and thought “Sure, Brad wants to acquire an established business, grow it, and make more money.” Of course everyone wants to be successful, but what I mean by opportunity is a real chance to enlighten people. Yes, this is insurance talk, but bear with me, there is a more interesting story here beyond cost of insurance, filing a claim, etc.
Back in 2015, I was contemplating the opportunity to acquire Brandon Insurance. At the time, I worked for a great company, had a wonderful boss, and supportive co-workers. Why the heck would I leave? More than that, why would I want to leave and enter an industry that is perceived as commoditized? Not to mention the pressure of being a 3rd generation owner by taking over my mother-in-law’s 56 year old agency, and making sure I live up to her expectations (note – I LOVE my mother-in-law and would never want to let her down).
I found the answer when I started asking friends and family about the opportunity. They all confirmed the chance to grow a business, make more money, and own an entity, but I found the answer from what they didn’t tell me. I asked each person about their insurance, what coverages they did or didn’t have. 95% of those that responded could not answer the question. The most common answer was “I have no idea what I have.”
In this industry most consumer’s first thought is “how much” not “how much coverage”. The OPPORTUNITY for me is to make sure whenever someone walks through my door or calls me, they understand what they are or are not covered for. I will give the customers my recommendation, but ultimately they get to decide the coverages they want – I can sleep well at night knowing that. Unfortunately, I talk to too many people who purchased insurance online or via a referral, and never actually sat down for 30 minutes to understand their coverage before they signed on the dotted line. Your house is most likely your biggest investment, and an automobile accident is probably one of your biggest potential liabilities. TAKE 30 MINUTES TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE (or are not) COVERED FOR.
I write this to share my story, but also to provide you with an opportunity. Everyone reading this most likely has insurance – I challenge you to review your policies, call your agent, or call me. Make sure you understand what coverages you have!