In the January pages of NU, you'll find old friends like Barry Zalma, Chris Amrhein, Rick Gilman and all the others—and you'll continue to meet our industry's young movers and shakers.

I've been writing about the independent agency system for more years than I care to remember, and I've seen this industry weather plenty of storms. There may be fewer agencies now than 30 years ago, but today's successful agencies and brokerages are using technology and creative thinking to achieve levels of success your predecessors could have only dreamed of.

That's why when “impartial” reports come out about how you're going the way of the buggy whip, I feel like I've already sat through this part of the movie—more than just once.

This isn't to say that you aren't facing plenty of challenges, such as:

Keeping up with Technology.

Today's consumers expect a seamless, virtual insurance experience, from researching prices and coverages online to using mobile apps to report a claim. It's no wonder that most agencies in the IIABA 2013 Best Practices Study say they'll be investing in tech updates in 2014, whether it's for Internet marketing and social media or upgraded agency management systems.

Balancing Retentions with New Business.

In their quest for new clients in new regions and lines of business, carriers are offering agents higher commissions for new business over renewals. But front-line agents know that most new business needs to be on the books for a year or more before it makes a profit for the agency—and new business gained by price alone will flee to another agency that can go lower.

Educating Your Clients.

Sure, they can glean information online. But do they know that if they get four feet of water in their basement, they're not covered unless they have a sewer backup rider? Do they know why their premiums might be going up? Do they understand the more they have to lose, the more they can't afford to buy minimum auto collision coverage limits? Geckos don't know that—and aren't telling even if they do, because they just want to churn new business.

Bringing “sexy” back to insurance.

Wait, insurance was never sexy—except maybe in “Double Indemnity.” But the fact is, we need to do something to entice upcoming generations to take over from the 55-and-up set that's currently heading up most independent agencies.

Perpetuation, or lack thereof.

A recent MarshBerry survey calls the internal perpetuation challenge “the biggest long-term threat to the independently held distribution marketplace.” The average balance sheet value among independent agencies dropped as a percentage of net revenues in 2012, despite the trend of more agencies reporting higher profitability. This, coupled with the difficulty in attracting, hiring and training a succession team, does not bode well for internal perpetuation.

We hope to help you fight the good fight by living up to the AA&B tagline, “Your source for agency success,” and providing you with the best information to help you succeed.