After struggling through one of the harshest winters many of uscan remember, March is a welcome sight. Although the weather canstill be a little dicey, at least in the Midwest, there are days ofmelt and thaw, when the smell of spring right around the cornerturns our thoughts from mere survival to rejuvenation and newgrowth.

Of course, new growth is always on the minds of independentagents and brokers. Putting fresh business on the books is thereason most agents get up in the morning. But in these days ofcutthroat competition, shrinking commissions and the legislativeuncertainty surrounding some lines of business, it's tough tobalance that quest for new business with the need to keep existingcustomers satisfied. That's the focus of this month's features.

In our coverstory, insurance writer Dave Lenckus once again does aformidable job of breaking down a big issue and making itunderstandable: healthcarereform and what it means to independent agents. Although theuncertainty that surrounds this issue can still be pretty scary,some believe that adapting to the new requirements will create newsynergies within agencies and present new opportunities to assistclients in navigating the law.

We also take a look at the perennial chicken-and-egg questionfor agents: How do I focus on going after new business while bestserving the customers in my existing book? Three agency consultantsshare some suggestions on the best ways to make both strategies work. Continuing theretention/new business discussion, we feature the perspective of aseasoned agent on how to structure your agency operations to best serve bothfunctions.

If you're still hungry for new ideas to grow that book ofbusiness, check out the propertycasualty360.com website for anew series of podcasts hosted by Rick Gilman, AA&B's “AgencyTechnology” columnist. Now the executive director of the PersonalLines Growth Alliance, Rick and his guests share some great ideason how to beef up your agency's personal lines business—anindispensable strategy in light of the still-soft commercialmarket.

And don't forget our ongoing series of nexGensInitiative bloggers and columnists for an ongoing freshperspective from the younger generations on how to succeed in theinsurance business.

There may still be some snow on the ground, but March isn't toosoon to start thinking about that spring garden. Here's hoping thismonth's issue will give you some new ideas on what to plant afterthe thaw!