One-Person Shop: When you’re Juggling it All

Being an independent health insurance broker is, well, a labor of love. While you likely enjoy calling all the shots, being your own boss, having the flexibility to create your own daily schedule that works for you—and other perks of being a one-person shop—you may also feel overwhelmed sometimes. After all, you wear all the hats.

From finance to marketing to sales to admin and everything in-between, it’s all on your shoulders.

So how is a busy broker supposed to successfully and efficiently juggle everything?

Know your priorities. Of course all functions of running a business are important on some level. That stack of paperwork isn’t going to file itself. However, at the end of the day, bringing in business is what puts food on the table.

Bringing in new business and nurturing your relationships with your current clients are top-of-the-list priorities. You’ll want to learn creative ways to market yourself (it’s a whole new world with technology, so you have lots of room to form a flexible marketing strategy) and brush up on presentation skills for when you land those face-to-face meetings. Also, be clear on who your customers are so you don’t waste time marketing yourself to those who aren’t.

Be disciplined. Time management is a big challenge for many people, but being disciplined with your limited time is a skill you should master. Take a look at your week and dedicate certain days to certain tasks.

For example, one day can be an admin day where you take the time for filing papers, organizing your inbox and other related tasks; another day can be heavily focused on customer service issues; another can be for sales calls and business development. You get the idea.

One trick for managing your time: limit your daily phone calls to 30 minutes. Getting stuck on lengthy calls can be a real time suck. Try to wrap things up by the 30 minute mark, and you should start to see more time in your schedule for other things.

Delegate. But wait, you have no employees…it’s just you. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t delegate by outsourcing.

If you can swing it, you could look into hiring a virtual assistant—these are independent contractors who provide remote services such as administrative, creative and technical. Or, consider hiring freelancers to take some of the burden off your shoulders. If you’re spending too much time every month on web design or other technological tasks because that’s not your strong suit, hiring a freelancer is probably money well spent to free up your time for doing what you do best: selling.

Another less expensive option is utilizing online tools, such as QuickBooks (business accounting program), Google Docs and Calendar (create and share web-based presentations, spreadsheets, calendar events) and Mail Chimp (FREE email marketing service).

Remain current. You know your stuff when it comes to the health insurance industry. But, it’s important to take time to read up on what’s changing, particularly with health reform. You can be a key advisor for your clients who most likely have some questions and confusion about requirements under the Affordable Care Act.

Offer up your knowledge and expertise and become an invaluable partner to your clients. They’ll look to you for guidance to help them navigate the health reform landscape—and make the best decisions for their businesses and employees.

Take care of you. Two words: reduce stress. Without a doubt, wearing this many hats can leave your neck and shoulders in knots. You’ve got to remember to have a good work-life balance, which can be difficult when you work for yourself at home. The lines can easily blur.