Can insurance — that most traditional of industries — be marketed in an untraditional way? Marlene Bieler, president of Integrity Insurance of Florida, offers an unqualified “Yes.” In 2000, when business dropped off for the group of financial planners she was with in Tampa, she decided to go on her own — but in a way that suited her work style.
“I sell mostly commercial insurance, and normally I am out seeing clients at their places of business.” It didn't make sense to her to pay high overhead to maintain an agency when she would rarely be there, so she switched her base to her home. But because the Department of Insurance wants agents to be available for the public to make appointments, she also opted for a virtual office in the form of a business identity package.
Bieler chose Bradenton's Com Center 70 executive office park for her virtual office even though she lives in south Pinellas County. “Pinellas and Hillsborough have a lot of independent agents,” she said. “In order to get A-rated companies, I needed to go to an area that was less crowded. The Manatee location has worked well.” An added bonus is the high visibility of one of her office neighbors, the Manatee Chamber of Commerce. She benefits from networking opportunities and exposure from this setting.
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