The VIA is the logical successor to agency clusters. Agency Consulting Group, Inc. has been creating cluster groups since the early 1980’s. Recent analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of clusters determined that the owners spent MORE, rather than less, time involved in managing. But now they had to manage by committee with other owners. Additionally, carriers have never been completely comfortable with the cluster concept because it appears to be cross-brokering of business between a number of agencies. Finally, every agency had to maintain their own talent (and expense) base, using most clusters for marketing strength, alone.
The VIA solves all of these hurdles through professional management (with VIA owners serving on the Boards of Directors), a mega-merger of agencies, satisfying carriers that the consolidation is permanent and centralized processing and servicing, saving substantial amounts of expense for each member agency. Ownership still lies with each source agent and each agency still has total control over how it spends its revenues (as long as it makes a profit and grows).
Agency Consulting Group, Inc. will come to you to conduct a one day familiarization seminar on the VIA for you and other agents in the area who may benefit from this evolution of insurance agencies. The VIA maintains the independence of smaller agencies while providing the benefits and economies of scale of large organizations.
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