Q. Please give our readers an introduction to your business. Please include what your business is all about, in which city you are located and if you have offices in multiple locations/ cities.
Ans: I like to think of us as a boutique style insurance agency. In the grand scheme of things we are small but always on the move. Small but with strong roots and we know our customers – all of them. Now this doesn’t mean clients pay more for their coverage. We are not Neiman Marcus and on the same token we are not Costco either. Everyone gets a fair shake and in some cases much more for their money in the form of advice and personalized service. We can procure all clients the same if not a better deal with any insurance company out there as the big boys. We will just remember who you are and what you do – therein lies the difference. We specialize in professional service liability coverage aka as E&O for a wide variety of technology and biotechnology corps. We also have specialty programs for Pedicabs and an wide array of small to mid-level contracting companies, schools, real estate developers, main street businesses and even dog walkers. Business insurance is only part of what we do however. We are the servicing agent for several large Home and Auto insurance carriers and can assist anyone in need of assistance. We are a growing company but I would prefer to not get too large as I like to know the names of most of my clients. When a client calls on the phone asking for me and I don’t know who they are, I feel the personalized aspect of service gets lost which is 99% of corporate America.
Q. Please give us a brief description about yourself.
Ans: I am a local guy who grew up in newton, didn’t really move far in terms of location and I am back living in Newton with my wife and two kids.
Q. How did you initially become involved in your industry?
Ans: I wasn’t originally interested in this industry. Actually I was going to go to medical school but life is strange. When I was about 20, my father the original owner of this business writing mostly personal lines was very ill. I basically took over, grabbed on to the world wide web as soon as it came to exist and connected with people like myself who wanted change. From then on the business has gone in a totally different direction taking on a new name but keeping the same basic ideology. Taking the worry away from customers and making sure they are properly covered.
Q. What three pieces of advice would you give to young business owners?
Ans: I would advise that there is not one perfect model for success. You need to find your own niche. Second I would say take some calculated risks and get out of your comfort zone. Third, don’t take any crap.
Q. What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful small business owner?
Ans: You need to be prepared to wear many hats. You may be speaking to high level clients but you also may be emptying the trash, opening mail, dealing with administrative duties as well as complaints.
Q. How do you go about marketing your business? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Ans: Best way to get clients is by referral and we get a lot of them. We also have a website that we usually re-design every year. We also buy leads.
Q. What is the best way to achieve long-term success?
Ans: Well, I think it is important to give clients an appropriate product to protect their assets whether business or personal and its not always for the lowest price. I would like to think there are enough people out there who actually want this kind of service. For those only interested in price, sometimes we just take a pass.
Visit us : http://massinsurers.com
