Ok, 2020 has now become one of my least favorite years. It certainly started off on a bad foot with the passing of my father in the middle of the legislative session but frankly, I’m not sure how he would have handled the craziness of this year. So, blessing in disguise?  

SwissRe/Westport’s recent change to allow a 5% premium credit for website reviews is a wonderful opportunity for your agency to take advantage of the savings.

 

If your agency is already receiving a current 2020 10% Risk Management premium credit you are now eligible to receive an additional 5% credit if you have a website review completed.

Merger and acquisition advisors have shared guidance to "take care of the team" as an important step to build agency value in 2020 and reduce the risk of brain drain and second tier leadership strength. This is challenging with an ongoing pandemic, remote working and the potential for another round of economic restrictions. However, the calendar provides an opportunity.

Research from both Gallup and The Best Places to Work studies reveals a strong linkage between gratitude, recognition and feedback with team engagement. Even more important is that higher engagement produces significantly better results on a variety of business indicators.

Your team has been through challenging and stressful times this year. Providing gratitude, recognition and feedback is a great step for improving team health and building a stronger, more engaged team. This not only can lead to improved business results, but also to a more valuable agency.

Next Steps: The start of the new year is a great time to double-down on gratitude and recognition on an ongoing basis. Be genuine and do it in a manner that the recipient will appreciate, but take care of the team to improve results and business valuation.

A new Virginia law banning the use of cellphones while driving goes into effect Jan. 1, 2021, and Drive Smart Virginia is reminding motorists of the consequences of distracted driving.

 

The mandate was signed by Gov. Ralph Northam on July 8, making Virginia the 22nd state to ban the use of handheld devices while driving. The law now prohibits drivers from holding any personal communication devices while driving a moving vehicle on the state’s roadways.

 

Georgia Non-Resident License Bulletin.

 

Recently the Georgia DOI transitioned their licensing contract to a new vendor. Many agents submitted the required citizenship affidavit via email to the previous vendor, however, our DOI does not have access to those email records.
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BRP Group, Inc., a rapidly growing independent insurance distribution firm delivering tailored insurance solutions, today announced that the Company has acquired all of the outstanding equity interests of Armfield, Harrison & Thomas, Inc., a brokerage and consulting firm offering property and casualty, employee benefits, retirement, personal and international services for a wide range of industries. The Company will own and operate AHT through its middle-market subsidiary and operating group.

 

Richmond, Virginia … Mark Crutcher, CPCU, is joining the Society in a newly created position as Vice President, Innovation and Marketing.   Mark completed his undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech and his MBA at the University of Richmond.   He joins Mutual Assurance after two years at Safe Auto, where he worked as a Senior Product Manager, and eight years as Vice President of Marketing, Underwriting and Product Development for Lititz Mutual.

Have you completed your required CE credits? Check your transcript HERE.

Need a few more credits? Here's what we have to offer:

 

12/15/2020 - Agents' Honor: Insurance With Ethics in Mind (#219782) | 9:00am-12:00pm | 3 VA Ethics

12/15/2020 - Ethics: Not What You Think and More Than You Thought (#220452) | 1:00pm-2:00pm | 1 VA Ethics

12/16/2020 - The Honorable Thing To Do (#217619) | 9:00am-12:00pm | 3 VA Ethics

12/16/2020 - More Than Politics: Your Agency and the 2020 Virginia General Assembly (#220690) | 1:00pm - 3:00pm | 2 VA Ethics

12/16/2020 - Common Problems Found in Agent Investigations (#216344) | 3:00pm-4:00pm | 1 VA Ethics

12/17/2020 - Insuring Motorized Toys - A Personal Lines Challenge (#220471) | 9:00am-10:00am | 1 VA P&C