September brings a lot of things--the end of summer, the start of a new school year, the halfway point of hurricane season, and the end of third-quarter 2010. Many businesses are budgeting for 2011, already projecting what the new year will bring, anticipating wants and needs and looking ahead to what their customers may face in the months ahead.
It's a considerable shift from what was predicted at the beginning of 2010, when many of the experts were foretelling an economic recovery this year. The stock market was up, businesses were slowly adding jobs, and the general consensus was that the grim days of 2008 and 2009 were receding in the rear-view mirror.
But as the side-view mirror reminds us, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." Most of the experts, including the Federal Reserve, have formally pulled back on their optimistic outlooks about the economy. With no end in sight for the jobless and floundering home sales, the recession is far from over--it's looming right there in the side-view mirror, bigger and uglier than ever.
In times like these, independent agents and brokers--and businesses of every stripe--are more concerned with the basic relationships that sustain them, both with their customers and their carrier partners. Similar to last year's theme, this issue takes a close look at the unique carrier/agent bond and what makes it work. Freelance writer and long-time industry observer Dave Lenckus spoke with several agents and carriers--including some more typically thought of as direct writers--to find out the wants and needs of both. We also share the results of another informal AA&B reader survey on carrier relationships. (Please note that these interesting surveys are strictly informal, online, voluntary responses from AA&B readers. They are "snapshot" looks at specific topics of interest to the industry, and should not be construed as scientific surveys or taken as gospel.)
On another topic, the AA&B and National Underwriter editors have been busy going through our entries for the 2010 Commercial Agency Awards for Excellence. While the jury is still out on the winners, I will say that the agencies we heard from are doing some very innovative things in the areas of marketing, technology and recruitment to stay ahead of the recession and the soft market. Obviously, not everyone can be a winner, but you can be sure you'll be reading about most of these outstanding agencies in future issues. Be watching National Underwriter the first week of October and AA&B in November for the winners!
