Operations

Fishing for marine capacity after Lloyd’s partial withdrawal

Marine insurance, one of the “hot lines” in Canadian Underwriter’s forthcoming 2019 Stats Guide, is already falling on some leaner times. “Yes, absolutely,” replied Kent Rowe, vice president of Wedgwood Insurance Limited in St. John’s, Nfld., when asked if he is seeing a tighter market in Newfoundland and Labrador’s marine lines. “Particularly on larger commercial […]

By Jason Contant | July 5, 2019

2 min read

Operations

Sports heroes: one way to score big with your marketing

When it comes to marketing, brokerages and carriers like pairing up with pro sports teams and athletes. For Waterloo, Ont.’s Aha Insurance, which launched in 2017, partnering with a professional sports team seemed like a perfect way to create brand awareness. The brokerage has been working with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League […]

By Adam Malik | July 5, 2019

3 min read

Operations

Is love in the air? Why it can hurt your brokerage

Brokerages need to have a formal workplace relationship policy in place. Otherwise, they’re at risk of things getting messy. Workplace issues like bullying and harassment are challenging enough; the problems are only compounded when you add a relationship to the mix (be it familial or romantic), said Laura Williams, founder of Williams HR Law in […]

By Adam Malik | July 4, 2019

3 min read

Operations

Hub scoops up two Alberta firms in latest acquisition

Hub International continued its M&A spree this week with the acquisition of two Edmonton-based firms – one a brokerage and the other a benefit and retirement consulting firm. The Chicago-based global brokerage Tuesday acquired BenefitLink Resource Group Edmonton Holdings Inc. (BenefitLink Resource Group), an independent benefit and retirement consulting firm. Jay Kemp, owner of BenefitLink […]

By Jason Contant | July 4, 2019

2 min read

Where do you invest first to grow your business: People or machines?

To grow their business, broker principals would be wise to zero in on health, happiness and staff harmony as priorities. That’s the strategy going forward for many for Canadian businesses, according to a new study. Naturally, business owners are looking at the usual ways to boost growth, said the report, Navigator: Made for the Future. […]

By Adam Malik | July 2, 2019

2 min read

Is running your brokerage affecting your mental health?

The stress of being an entrepreneur is taking its toll on the mental health of small business owners. Whether it’s the anxiety related to cash flow issues, finding talent, or figuring how to make it all work at home and at the office, nearly two-thirds of respondents to a Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) survey […]

By Adam Malik | June 28, 2019

3 min read

What’s new in education for MGAs

The Insurance Institute of Canada is preparing a three-course program specifically tailored to the needs of Managing General Agents (MGAs) in Canada. The hope is to launch the first phase of the MGA program in early 2020. “The program would be the first of its kind in Canada, for sure,” Brad Neal, vice president of […]

3 min read

Another way to show off your expertise

Brokers wanting to stay a step ahead of the competition and stand out from the crowd need to consider an untapped field: video. It’s an area with huge potential for insurance brokers, said Garrett Wasny, a Vancouver-based technology skills advisor who works with professionals. People can read about your business online, but words can only […]

By Adam Malik | June 26, 2019

2 min read

Operations

Fishing for marine capacity after Lloyd’s partial withdrawal

Sports heroes: one way to score big with your marketing

Is love in the air? Why it can hurt your brokerage

Hub scoops up two Alberta firms in latest acquisition

CRM Convert

Juggling priorities

Where do you invest first to grow your business: People or machines?

Is running your brokerage affecting your mental health?

What’s new in education for MGAs

Another way to show off your expertise