I am just now starting my research to open up my own independent office. A little background for you guys is that I have been selling in 2 different offices for State Farm (Texas and KS) over the past 2 years and both were new market agencies. All I have done since I joined State Farm is call out and sale. I don't get many freebies and I don't get many policies just handed to me. I have worked for every policy I have wrote and I have put a lot of time into doing my own prospecting and marketing. As I have grown to become decent at my craft, I've started to become impatient with being a SF team member. I work very hard to close my prospects, I get a one time commission, and then I send the policy into the books where I will no longer benefit from them. I had aspirations to become a State Farm agent but in a nut shell, I don't want to be forced to be a financial planner (where SF agents are headed) and I don't want SF on my back to break the bank and succeed, even if I wrote a 100 cars per month. I am turning 26 here and I feel like this is a perfect time to look at other options.
Okay, enough of my soap box. My point is, I am ready to start an independent agency and I want to (obviously) do everything right from the get-go. I know that's not going to be possible but I can at least research enough to get a solid business plan going. The big debate that I have read about is whether or not you should go with a direct carrier appointments or join a cluster. Which holds more potential for earnings and which is even doable for a person without a book? I've heard direct carriers usually want some form of book prior to starting with them, so is cluster my only option as a scratch agency?
Now, I may be WAY off base with there even being a debate about the two but from what I read, those are two different paths you can take? Let me know!
Okay, enough of my soap box. My point is, I am ready to start an independent agency and I want to (obviously) do everything right from the get-go. I know that's not going to be possible but I can at least research enough to get a solid business plan going. The big debate that I have read about is whether or not you should go with a direct carrier appointments or join a cluster. Which holds more potential for earnings and which is even doable for a person without a book? I've heard direct carriers usually want some form of book prior to starting with them, so is cluster my only option as a scratch agency?
Now, I may be WAY off base with there even being a debate about the two but from what I read, those are two different paths you can take? Let me know!
