The ubiquitous solicitations sell my agency hit my email inbox as well as my snail mailbox, seemingly every week. I’m sure they are in yours too.
Frequently I would talk to my computer screen, “I don’t want to sell!” Occasionally, my business partner would be in my office as I opened the envelopes. He came to associate the exclamation with the predictable piece of proverbial junk mail, however, those days are gone. We made a move, and we haven’t looked back.
I suppose, if you have found yourself late into the fourth quarter, with no plan or strategy for exit, you may not consider it junk mail.
We were not looking for an exit, we were looking for a launch: mentorship, capital and the resources to take us to the next phase of our dream.
Along the journey we had tried to mitigate our risks while preparing for our future. During the early years we had a Buy /Sell, we had life insurance along with the desire to preserve this spectacular enterprise for future generations. This enterprise, of course, was our version and interpretation of the independent agency system of which we are a proud part.
The Dilemma: A Plan to Grow, Not an Exit
Here was the rub. We had plucked my son from a Fortune 100 company some years back. We knew he had what it takes to move the firm to the next level, but how were we to execute? While we had consulted bankers, CPAs and lawyers we could not figure out how to transfer this asset without dying or paying ourselves off with our own money, and neither option was appealing.
Selling to a national broker and moving from what makes our agency unique and has made us successful to what they are was not a plan for growth that we could accept. Unwilling to lose what we had built, we needed a plan, not an exit.
We were already a Keystone Insurers Group franchise agency and shareholders. Keystone Agency Partners provided the unique solution to what I believe is far from a unique problem and so we were among the first to line up.
If you are asking yourself why of these questions, KAP has the answers:
- How do I transfer this to the next generation?
- How do I continue to grow and acquire without using your own capital?
- How do I become a part of something bigger than myself, without becoming lost in the process?
Connected Autonomy: The KAP Model Provides Growth
In fact, the beauty of their answer is in what-it-is-not. KAP’s “Connected Autonomy” model is not a dramatic change in the culture, personality or daily operation of your agency. It is strategic support with top notch training and guidance, back-office support and synergy. Their support is aligned to your growth strategy whether it is an expansion of your market share, access to new markets or expanded resources for cross selling that includes expertise for specialized market capabilities such as investment or wealth management, captive solutions, specialty programs or risk management services.
In the year and a half since we joined Keystone Agency Partners, we have witnessed firsthand the explosive growth, the expansion of the onboarding processes, phenomenal help in acquiring talent and acquisition targets. Yet the greatest sign of success to me, are the familiar smiles and I readily admit, idiosyncrasies that make us who we are as an agency, a company and force for good in our local community.
Does any of this strike a chord with you? Feel free to reach out to me for an agent’s perspective of what your future could look like with KAP on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/bradrgreer/.