Articles by Catherine Oak and Rachel Schoeffler

Oak is the founder of the consulting firm, Oak & Associates, based in Northern California and Central Oregon. Oak & Associates. Phone: 707-935-6565. Email: catoak@gmail.com.

How to Bring in Young People to Insurance

The workforce is faced with a generation gap. Baby boomers are retiring at the rate of 10,000 per day. Generation X and millennials each have a smaller pool of people than baby boomers. Generation Z is now the largest percentage …

The 12 Days of Christmas – Good Personnel Management

On the first day of Christmas, the agency owner said to staff: “Our growth was phenomenal this year, thanks to you.” On the second day of Christmas, the agency owner said to staff: “Everyone will get a percentage bonus based …

Becoming a Socially Responsible Agency

Social responsibility is becoming increasingly important to all agencies, especially for millennials. Whether the social issue is local, national, or global, the concern for some aspect of society is becoming more and more a part of doing agency business. Many …

Why It’s Important to Find the Agency’s ‘Why’

A new book, “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek covered this topic and gave us inspiration for this article. “When you fill an organization with ‘good fits,’ those who believe what you believe; success just happens,” said Sinek. Sir Ernest …

Minding Your Business: Producer Compensation – What’s New Today?

Designing a good and motivating producer compensation model does not need to be a mystery. The bottom line is to pay what can you afford to pay, for what you are providing the producers, and be in line with the …

When Selling Your Agency Does NOT Make Sense

The process of selling a business involves an amalgamation of financial, personal and external factors. Sellers should work with their advisors to create a wish list of what they want. It is equally important to create a list of what …

How to Improve Communication with Insurance Companies

Today agents must assume an active role in establishing solid relationships with their insurance companies. The key to any good relationship is communication. Agencies must devise a well-organized plan to communicate with their carriers. This article shows owners the way. …

Use Social Media to Improve Sales

Today’s generation is all about social networking. Social networking has become the most popular way to network and promote business. And in the current “tech savvy” environment it’s becoming increasingly apparent social media is here to stay, so it’s important …