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The most successful entrepreneurs often have a few common traits. Whether you are an insurance agent, financial adviser, or any other type of solo business owner, use these tips to succeed.

Planning for the Future

Start with a solid business plan. Include funding sources such as loans, marketing and advertising ideas, client acquisition, and financial projections for expenses and profit. A business plan is just a start. Once you're in business, continue making plans and keeping track of progress. Where do you see yourself and your business in five years? Make a detailed plan for getting there!

When growing your business, connecting with as many people as possible is essential. That means not just writing blog posts and social media posts but also using video to appeal to a broader audience. Start creating engaging video content with these tips.

Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in the marketing and sales world. If you're looking to increase your revenue and identify opportunities, listening to a podcast is a great place to start. Here are  4 different ideas and strategies to generate more leads using a podcast.

As an insurance agent, getting in front of people to deliver your message can be one of your most challenging tasks. For agents looking to attract new clients in today’s market, expertise is everything. Seminars establish your expertise and can put you in front of a large group of people in a single setting. This type of marketing is one of the most cost-effective and time-saving ways to grow your business.

These days, people are living longer which, of course, is a good thing. But it also means retirees’ savings must stretch further to last throughout retirement. Throw in the recent surge in inflation, rising long-term care costs, and the unfortunate reality that many retirees are not financially prepared for retirement, and we have the makings of a retirement crisis ahead. 

On the bright side for older-adult homeowners, housing wealth has been on the rise. According to the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA), U.S. homeowners aged 62+ saw their home equity soar to a record $10 trillion in 2021. It can be prudent for homeowners and their advisors to discuss ways to incorporate housing wealth into retirement planning decisions. 

We're pleased to congratulate loyal NAIFA member Cheryl Canzanella, CLU, ChSNC, LUTCF, on her new position with NAIFA partner Fairway Independent Mortgage. Cheryl will take over the role of HECM Business Development Manager - Retirement Solutions.

Since joining NAIFA in 2010, Cheryl has been active in the NAIFA community. She is a Past President of NAIFA-Northeast Florida and has served in leadership positions at the local, state, and national levels. She is also a recipient of NAIFA-FL's President’s award. In 2019, she was recognized as NAIFA’s Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year. Cheryl is also a Founding Past President of Women in Insurance & Financial Services (WIFS) Northeast Florida.

The podcast industry has grown tremendously over the last few years, reaching over 100 million Americans alone. Because of that growth, more and more businesses are turning to podcasts to help promote their goods and services.

If you've been thinking about starting a podcast, you've come to the right place. With this straightforward guide, you'll be podcasting in no time. Even if you're not that tech-savvy, we'll show you how to create a podcast to build your brand in eight simple steps.

As a results-driven business owner, you know your time is valuable. You want to spend it on adding value to your business. That's why you need an effective marketing automation strategy in place. Marketing automation can take care of the repetitive tasks so you can focus your efforts on the most important aspects of your job.

The best part is that you don't have to be technical or computer savvy to benefit from marketing automation. There are many tools available for free and affordable options that allow you to create great-looking landing pages, build email campaigns, track conversions, send emails, and much more.

Many webinars and courses for financial advisors regularly talk about how to attract new clients. And while this is logical, it made me think: Instead of looking for new clients, why don't financial advisors create meaningful relationships with their HNW client's adult children? So, when their parents retire, they choose to keep them as advisors instead of finding someone new.

But you'll be surprised to know the statistics regarding advisors doing this. I've been polling advisors, and I hear 15-20% when I ask them how many of their HNW clients' adult children they have a meaningful relationship with.

For the past few years, pundits have been predicting that bots, robo-advisors, and other technologies will lead to the demise of living, breathing financial professionals. That hasn’t happened yet, and, in my opinion, it never will. Yes, people can conduct much of their preliminary research online, and a few are willing to purchase basic coverage without ever speaking to a person. But most will want a financial professional to guide them through life’s twists and turns. Even those people who purchase coverage from a robo-advisor will seek the expertise of a financial professional as their needs become more complex.