Insurance Company Business Plan

Acme Insurance

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Executive Summary

By focusing on its strengths, its present client base, and new value priced products in the next year, Acme Insurance plans to increase gross sales by 10% and profit by 15%.

Our Keys to Success and critical factors for the next year are, in order of importance:

• Identify "Target Markets."
• Institute our Property inspection program.
• Begin our "Insurance Partners" program.
• Develop a profitable property program.
• Provide small businesses with an affordable basic business package.

Acme Insurance Incorporated has been profitable, but recently we have had  declining market share  and this must be addressed. Therefore our goals are:

• To re-establish Acme Insurance Inc. as the market leader in quality and value-priced insurance products in Smalltown District.
• Establish good working relationships with our present insurance markets by meeting with their decision makers and plotting a mutual plan for success. Get commitments for support and products that we can market in our trading area starting April 1st of Year 1.
• Investigate new markets that meet our marketing criteria by a) committing to small rural brokerage; b) providing products suitable to our economic and social climate; and c) plans for the upload and download of insurance policies.
• Provide sales incentives to staff to meet sales goals of 10%.
• Complete inspection of all Pilot homeowners within one month before renewal date.
• Formulate plans to acquire another brokerage

Acme Insurance Inc. is dedicated to providing insurance products that provide quality protection with value pricing. We wish to establish a successful partnership with our clients, our staff members, and our insurance companies, that respect the interests and goals of each party.

Success will be measured by our clients choosing us because of their belief in our ability to meet or exceed their expectations of price, service, and expertise.

In order to implement our strategic goals, we will focus on developing the following tools.

1. Knowledgeable, friendly staff that can empathize with our consumers needs and circumstances, especially in handling a loss.
2. Policies that meet or exceed the expectations of our clients, and that are affordable, available, and understandable.
3. Policies and endorsements delivered on time with minimal errors.
4. A commitment to an annual insurance review for all of our clients. A phone call is more than any direct mass marketer offers. We believe personal contact and service is the cornerstone of our success.

Acme Insurance primarily markets and services Personal Lines Insurance. Its customers are mostly rural, lower income families or long time resident senior citizens who demand value priced insurance premiums in keeping with their lower and fixed incomes.

We also provide insurance to small business, mostly family-run seasonal operations primarily focused on the tourist trade.

Acme Insurance is a privately incorporated company in the Smalltown district and is licensed to transact both Life and General Insurance. The shares are held equally by John Smith and Peter Smith.

Our Insurance and Real Estate brokerage operates from two central locations. Our modern attractive office in Smalltown, at 178 Small Street, is located in a small plaza which is owned by the principals of our brokerage. It comprises 2,000 square feet.

In Nexttown, we operate from an 800 square foot, one-story brick veneer building overlooking Lake Small, which again is owned by the principals of our firm. The office is strategically located across from the Post Office.

We have stressed to our insureds the importance of good communication between the broker and client to insure proper coverage is in place. We have noticed as our clients become better informed about insurance that there has been a tremendous increase in clients wishing in-depth discussions about their policy coverage and how they can get the most value for their insurance dollar.

Our company's strength lies in the quality and depth of our products and staff. Our offices, unlike our competition, are open six days a week. Because of our larger staff, we are able to service our clients even when a client's broker is busy or out of the office on inspections.

Our staff has specialists in commercial insurance that can properly service and underwrite local business. We also have some quality commercial markets unavailable to our competition.

Our Real Estate division, which is a separate company, helps with market value and replacement cost analysis when required.

The past few years have seen tremendous upheaval in the insurance industry. The number of players has decreased in both the broker and company communities. The recession has curtailed insureds from properly maintaining their homes and automobiles, and insurance fraud has become a major issue for the entire insurance industry.

Brokers are concerned that in spite of commission reductions, quotas, contract cancellations, and refusal to write new auto business by some markets, they now may find themselves in competition with some of the traditional broker distribution companies that are setting up direct marketing facilities and branches. The banks now have announced they will open stand alone insurance offices to retail insurance.

In spite of the above, we believe that the independent broker will survive. We are more automated than most service industries. We are close to the customer, regardless of some insurance companies' attempts to sever the traditional broker-client relationship. Our clients, in most cases, still do not care or know which company we place them with. They trust our judgement in selecting the proper coverage and company to place them in.

Upload/download capabilities are in many brokers offices, including our own. This will cut costs, improve efficiency and accuracy, and help us meet the competition from banks and direct writers. Companies that truly value and trust the broker distribution system will align themselves with professional brokers and grant more underwriting authority similar to Lloyds.

Among the substitutes that are our main competition we have Local independent brokers, Agents (such as Co-operators), Mass Markets, Mass merchandise programs heavily advertised over the radio such as "Gray Power", and Group Plans.

We have depended in the past on a small advertisement in our local newspaper, listings in the Yellow Pages, and word of mouth. However with the changes in the market today, we must begin to investigate alternate ways to put our name in front of the public. We have set out several criteria for our marketing campaign that include"

• All advertising has to emphasize our differentiation point rather than price.
• We must sell the company, not the product. In spite of some companies' efforts to minimize the importance of the broker, our clients still identify with the broker, not the insurance company.
• We must improve and increase our contacts with our clients.
• Make contacts and support senior citizen groups and cottage associations.

Based on these changes in our goals, outlook, and company culture, we anticipate that we will be able to increase revenues substantially by year 3 of the plan and increase net profit handsomely. The company does not anticipate any cash flow problems.

1.1 Mission

Acme Insurance Inc. is dedicated to providing insurance products that provide quality protection with value pricing. We wish to establish a successful partnership with our clients, our staff members, and our insurance companies, that respect the interests and goals of each party.

Success will be measured by our clients choosing us because of their belief in our ability to meet or exceed their expectations of price, service, and expertise.

1.2 Objectives

1. To re-establish Acme Insurance Inc. as the market leader in quality and value-priced insurance products in Smalltown District.
2. Establish good working relationships with our present insurance markets by meeting with their decision makers and plotting a mutual plan for success. Get commitments for support and products that we can market in our trading area starting April 1st of Year 1.
3. Investigating new markets that meet our marketing criteria by a) committing to small rural brokerage; b) providing products suitable to our economic and social climate; and c) plans for the upload and download of insurance policies.
4. Provide sales incentives to staff to meet sales goals of 10%.
5. Complete inspection of all Pilot homeowners within one month before renewal date.
6. Formulate plans to acquire another brokerage.

1.3 Keys to Success

We believe the keys to success in a small town insurance business are:

1. Knowledgeable, friendly staff that can empathize with our consumers needs and circumstances, especially in handling a loss.
2. Policies that meet or exceed the expectations of our clients, and that are affordable, available, and understandable.
3. Policies and endorsements delivered on time with minimal errors.
4. A commitment to an annual insurance review for all of our clients. A phone call is more than any direct mass marketer offers. We believe personal contact and service is the cornerstone of our success.