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For most insurance agents, the most challenging part of the job is finding prospective clients that are interested in purchasing an insurance policy. It doesn’t take long to exhaust your list of family, friends, and acquaintances; and what then? Many new agents learn finding new leads and making enough money to keep the doors open is much more difficult than they anticipated. The truth is, it is possible to maintain a continuous flow of prospects into your office. Here are some pointers to help you find potential clients and keep your business booming. Buy good quality leads. There are many companies out there that specialize in providing quality leads. Check out services like InsureMe to get a burst of business. These services often have low fees or might be altogether free. Today’s technology allows you to receive new leads in real time. Potential leads are usually prescreened and made up of individuals actively seeking new insurance polices. This means you should have a very high closing percentage. Take on an authoritative position in the insurance industry. Take the time to create easy surveys for your clients to fill out. Pay attention to any statistical trends you see and publish or publicize your results. You can send your findings to the media or simply post them on your own website. This is a great way to gain recognition and credibility. Plus, the added exposure is sure to gain you more leads and sales. Form relationships with other professionals. Know another professional in a similar line of work. Consider sharing contacts to your mutual benefit. This is a wonderful way to get a hold of more quality leads, and it won’t cost you a thing. Consider giving seminars. Contributing your knowledge in the form of seminars or lectures is another great way to gain credibility and make useful contacts. This often leads to word of mouth recommendations or media exposure. Purchase Newsletter advertising. There are many relevant online newsletters available to advertise in. Design a clever logo and whip up some quality copy. You’ll be able to track your conversion rate too, so you’ll know if it is worth the money. Consider getting involved with networking groups. Networking organizations provide a good way to increase your business contacts. Although they generally have annual fees, they give you an effective way to increase leads. Try participating in trade shows. Regional trade shows are a wonderful way to put your business in the spotlight, and get in touch with a wider range or prospects. Advertise online. Most interested consumers look for insurance info online. Try placing ads on search engines or relevant sites. Take another look at your list. See customers you haven’t heard from in a while? Give them a nudge and you might make another sale. Remember word of mouth works. Provide an extraordinary service to your clients. Ask them to refer anyone they know who might be interested. Word of mouth advertising is very effective. By following these ten tips for increasing leads, you will be able to give your business a much needed boost. So don’t despair; start building more leads and generating more sales today!

In the midst of the global economic crisis, many small businesses are on the brink of closing down if not enough capital infusion is found. It is now even more difficult to get small business loans from banks, though. Ironically, the exact reasons why small businesses need such small business loans – the fact that business has slowed down and profitability has plummeted – are the same reasons why banks turn them down for loans.

Small businesses now have to be more resourceful in finding alternatives to small business loans.

Government Grants and Contracts Instead of Small Business Loans

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama in February 2009 caused the pumping of billions of dollars for the revitalization of the economy. Because of it, there are plenty of government grants and contracts available to small businesses. These can be alternatives to small business loans.

But how can small businesses avail of the stimulus program?

The Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (APTAC) has the responsibility for helping small businesses obtain and perform federal, state and local government contracts. It has Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC) throughout the country, ready to help small business owners to get registered and find opportunities in the area of government grants and contracts. Counselors assist small businesses in filling out bids, proposals and quotations.

The PTAC holds seminars teaching small business owners all the ins and outs of government legalese, including acronyms and registries. A one-day seminar with PTAC covers what small business owners may take months to learn on their own.

The PTAC then helps small businesses with Central Contractor Registration (CCR), a requirement for doing business with the federal government. This registration can be so complicated that some companies take two days to do it when the PTAC counselor can help them get through it in 15 minutes.

Local PTACs will be of help in acquiring state and municipal contracts.

Other resources that small business owners should consult include the Small Business Administration (SBA) which also coordinates with the APTAC; the General Services Administration (GSA) which acts as the government’s purchasing department and provides information on becoming an approved vendor; the Federal Business Opportunities website (fbo.gov) where federal contract opportunities currently available are posted; and the Small Business Innovation Research website (sbir.gov) where grant and funded research opportunities for small businesses are listed.

Cash Advances from Credit Card Services Instead of Small Business Loans

Another alternative to small business loans are cash advances from credit card services. This option is much easier than winning government grants and contracts.

Most small businesses are already availing of credit card services that enable them to accept payments by credit cards or debit cards. This is practically a requirement to doing business these days, with people hardly paying cash for goods and services. Many small business owners do not know that they could avail of cash advances from these credit card services, though, and that such advances can actually equal small business loans.

The amount that a small business can borrow is based on its average monthly income from credit card sales. This is so because the cash advance does not require collateral and future sales receivables from credit cards stand as the collateral. Payment will also be done through automatic deductions from those future credit card sales. There will be no set monthly amortizations. Instead, a certain percentage of the sales will be allotted as payment. The small business owner, therefore, need not worry over where to find cash for loan payments.

Cash advances from credit card services are the best bet of small business owners as alternatives to small business loans.