Personal Insurance Agent Business Plan

To implement its launch in Peristyle Gardens, Plynthe Insurance intends to target clients on the younger side of the total potential market in order to build up a client base for long-term service. This is also a target market that is ignored by other local independent insurance agents, making it easier to establish a foothold in the market this way. This implementation will include:

• Advertising to new parents/parents-to-be (in need of life insurance) and renters (in need of renters insurance)
• Sell additional insurance policies to these clients as the years go on
• Maintain a high policy renewal rate and high client retention rate through excellent service

Competitive Edge

Plynthe Insurance will establish its competitive edge through a single-minded focus on personal insurance. By being and staying an expert on personal insurance products and providers, Plynthe Insurance will be a one-stop-shop for individuals looking to minimize the risks in their lives for themselves and for their families. To maintain this expertise, Plynthe Insurance will devote time and energy to training and course work, and will subscribe to trade periodicals and newsletters. Plynthe Insurance will also spend time learning about the specific risks and problems associated with Peristyle Gardens in order to better serve its residents.

Marketing Strategy

The marketing strategy for Plynthe Insurance involves an initial focus on the target markets chosen, new parents/parents-to-be and renters. Renters require renter’s insurance and valuable items insurance. It is often the first time they will have purchased insurance in their lives. New parents require life insurance to protect their family and their children. Both groups may only purchase policies with small premiums at the moment, but their loyalty will turn into an annuity of renewals and opportunities to sell additional policies as they age.

To reach these target markets, Plynthe Insurance will engage in the following tactics:

• Advertising in Peristyle Gardens parent newsletters
• Posting flyers at apartment buildings
• Direct mail to apartment tenants and inclusion in books of coupons/flyers provided to new tenants
• Creating a basic website
• Search engine marketing: Bidding for keywords about renter’s and life insurance locally to come up in search results
• Yellow Pages listing

Sales Strategy

The sales strategy of Plynthe Insurance will be an aggressive one based on profiling and targeting individuals in the initial target market. Kolem Plynthe will have initial phone conversations with clients and then meet them at their home or office to discuss further. He will bring his laptop with him to all sales calls to search for insurance options for clients on the spot whenever possible.

Potential, actual, and past clients will all be managed through a CRM database in salesforce.com which will contain contact information and data on the relationship, and will generate reminders for follow-ups and next steps automatically.

Kolem Plynthe will encourage referrals through his interactions with clients by asking them directly and by offering gifts to those who refer clients.

Sales Forecast

Property insurance and life insurance will be the main drivers of business. Customers who use other products will typically be customers who have first purchased property or life insurance. Cost of sales is low as the revenues earned come directly from the insurance providers generally as a commission on the policies sold and renewed. The commissions will range between 4% and 7% depending on the insurance provider, but Plynthe estimates an average of a 5% commission on policies sold, leading to the per unit commissions listed in the forecast. Cost of sales consist of the fees involved with submitting and processing a client’s paperwork and the costs of travel (gasoline/tolls) that can be directly attributed to sales calls at client homes and is estimated to start at 16% of sales in the first year and to drop to 15% in future years as travel costs can be saved due to the volume of sales calls being made as well as some clients who do not need sales visits due to renewals.

By building business through Kolem Plynthe’s own sales work and then through an additional associate, the business is expected to significantly grow its revenue streams, especially in the target market of younger clients, in these first three years of operation.

Milestones

The marketing activities listed in the Milestones Table are all intended to be low cost methods to establish an initial client base. They are intended as one-time activities with the exception of search engine marketing which will continue with a dedicated budget of $500 per month and advertising in parent periodicals which may continue with $500 per month devoted to it after the launch.