Heidi Carter joins Brian E Walker Insurance Agency

With home prices stabilizing and more activity in the specialty market of boats, motorcycles and travel trailers, Brian Walker and Farmers Insurance have once again expanded their office. Agency Producer Heidi Carter has joined the team and brought her 20+ years of sales experience to the Menifee office. “Being that Heidi is a wonderfully caring individual, we are ecstatic to have her on the team” said Brian Walker when asked about the addition.
Having another licensed and knowledgeable person in the office will help with the amount of business currently being written. Summer months can be busy due to families taking their boats to the lake, buying that dream motorcycle or travelling the country with the family RV. “Plan ahead as you tune up your toys,” says Carter. Heidi is quick to talk about the need for Life Insurance as people take to the outdoors. Accidents can happen and preparing for all possibilities is important.
Please stop by the Farmers Insurance office near the corner of Sun City Blvd and Cherry Hills and meet Heidi Carter. She can also be reached at 951-672-3476 or emailed at heidi.bwalker4@farmersagency.com.
Be safe this summer and enjoy the weather!

Business Relationships 101 Workshop

     The life of a business owner consists of getting in front of the most people and letting them know what he or she can offer them. The first issue is to get their attention and the second issue is what to do once they have their attention. Many times at business friendly mixers, someone walks up to another business owner, hands them their card and begins to tell them how amazing their product or service is. Amazingly, the recipient can be given a free card and get an earful of unsolicited nonsense without asking.
     Business relationships and the art of creating them can be the difference between being successful and beating your head against the wall. Many steps need to take place before completing a sale and no one can successfully skip any step. If you go too fast, your reputation turns for the worse, but stay in for the long haul and the momentum will build like a stone rolling downhill.
     A workshop entitled Business Relationships 101 will be held on April 18th, 2012 at the meeting room located at 27070 Sun City Blvd in Menifee. It starts at 10am and will last two hours. This workshop will cover the steps to help a marketing team or individual be more approachable, productive and get into a sales step with a target audience. The cost is $79 or $40 if you are a Chamber member and well worth the investment for your business. For any questions and to sign up in advance, contact Brian Walker at 951-672-3476. Credit cards are accepted and space is limited.

Importance of Social Media

To surge in 2012, the office has been ramping up and hiring highly qualified people to educate others on their insurance needs. The additions of Laura Roeder and Mark Tungcab have solidified that drive but now the advertising budget has taken a small hit. Therefore, we have turned to Social Media and 'free' advertising space. Brian was in a class on January 23rd put on by the Menifee Chamber of Commerce featuring Emedia Insiders. They are experts in Social Media and branding. So good in fact, that we want to promote their next workshops at Menifee Coworking Connection. Joe Von G and Christine Chappel will be starting a 7 week workshop on February 1st. It will be a comprehensive, hands-on training series that will leave you with a wealth of information and practical tips to start a marketing campaign. Starting at 10am and lasting 2 hours, you will learn about Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and other platforms and strategies every week. Call for more information but I highly recommend these classes. Hope to see you there.

STILL working from home?

Has the office space in your home become too burdensome to manage? Managing a small business from home can come with a multitude of distractions including children, animals or just the burden of working in isolation. It can be difficult to conduct a business meeting in the living room while your phone rings off the hook, and even more difficult once the family gets home. If the pressures of managing a business from home have your company in the dumps, it may be time to look for other alternatives. According to an article on the Small Business Times website, finding a formal coworking place to conduct business may actually help your business succeed. The article goes on to discuss how seeking a virtual office, or even just a place outside of the home can actually help you improve business and retain customers in the long run. The first reason stated in the article that working outside of the home is beneficial to independent business professionals are that it can increase business productivity. While working from home, there’s no pressure to appear busy when distractions may arise. Working from a virtual office surrounds you with other productive people, which in turn will make you more productive as well. Another reason working outside of the home will help your business is that you can gain new insights from others. This is especially possible while working from a Coworking office, where networking with other professionals in different industries from your own is not only possible, it is encouraged. Having the ability to interact with other business professionals gives you the opportunity to share in concerns, failures and successes. The final reason for getting out of the home to do business is that it helps you find a balance between work and home. While setting goals and expectations from home may be simple enough, there is no barrier keeping you from working more hours than you had set aside for, and this can affect not only your home life but your health as well. Having an office to go to on a daily basis separates the lines between work and home, and can help you find the right balance in the long run. A great place to avoid isolation and the distractions of home, Coworking Connection in Murrieta offers a business-friendly environment that tailors to any type of business need. More than just an office, stop by and network with other professionals from different backgrounds from your own. The article includes some useful information when trying to make the jump from a work-at home/father/mother/housekeeper/gardener/maid/etc, to a Coworking professional. What are some of the ways getting out of the home are has helped your business grow?

Laura Roeder brought to team

People spend their time on protecting their “stuff” while forgetting the most important part, their families and selves. Sudden changes in life can be unexpected; but educating people on preparation for the unthinkable will help differentiate between a terrible situation and financial ruin. Laura Roeder has joined the office of Brian Walker; Farmers Insurance in Menifee. She is part of the Farmers Financial Services department. Mr. Walker has been in business in the Menifee/Sun City area for almost 10 years. During that time, he has become a very strong supporter of the Chamber of Commerce and other outreach programs in the area. Mr. Walker's office team is highly knowledgeable, motivated and maintains the highest level of integrity while serving their clients every day. "I feel strongly about brining someone in that can specialize in the financial arena, I believe that Laura brings with her the same values that our team brings to the table and with her knowledge and experience in business our office will be able to service our clients successfully and with the highest of integrity. We are all very excited about Laura joining the team and have great expectations for the upcoming year 2012", Mr. Walker states. Laura has over 20 years of experience in sales and management. Several years ago, she decided to enter financial services and earned her FINRA Series 6 and 63 securities registrations. She also has her CA life insurance license. "The most uncomfortable of conversations can be about life insurance. But thinking about benefits can also involve planning for a person’s greatest vacation of their life, retirement.” Having been a general manager of several different businesses and also as an independent consultant, Laura has always tried to prepare her clients for what will happen, and eventually, what could happen. Laura lives with her husband, Dennis, who is a Retired Chief Master at Arms of the U.S. Navy and their children, Nikole and D.J. with their 3 dogs, a cat and assorted fish. In their off time, Laura and Dennis enjoy Scuba Diving. To start the conversation about life insurance and retirement planning, call Laura at 951-672-3476. Or you can email her at lroeder@farmersagency.com.

After an Accident

As an insurance agent, I often receive a call about an accident immediately after it happens. I picture my client standing in the middle of the road with a smoking car and fluid leaking from the point of impact. If you have lived in California for a long period of time, you probably have seen a bad accident or two. However, most accidents occur in parking lots and thankfully, involve low speeds. People always ask me, what do I do after an accident? If the accident is an emergency call 911 and avoid moving an injured person. This may seriously complicate the injury. Do your best to warn other drivers, turn on hazard lights, set flares or signal with a flashlight or flag. When everyone is safe, exchange information starting with insurance documentation. Make sure to get the license plate number from the vehicles involved and the names of any drivers, passengers and witnesses. Double check the other party’s driver’s license to make sure it is valid and the picture matches the person. Be careful what you say, do not admit responsibility. Investigation may show that you were not responsible. When appropriate, report the accident to the proper authorities. Your insurance company may do this for you if/when you make a claim with your carrier. Some things to remember to write down: time of accident, location and cross streets. Road conditions are very important in some situations including weather or construction. Look for traffic signs or signals and street lights and report if you think the other party is intoxicated or under the influence of drugs. Call the police immediately if you feel threatened in any way, as some people get very upset. If the police arrive, get the officer’s name, badge number and phone number so you can follow up with them later and possibly give a report. Remember, accidents happen. They are unfortunate events but chances are that sooner or later, your drive will be interrupted by one. Know what to do; staying calm, collecting important data, saying as little as possible. These are vital steps in helping the healing process, for both you and your vehicle.

Importance of having Household Inventory Records

If you had a burglary or fire in your home tomorrow, you wouldn’t want to rely on just your memory when filing a claim. The items you use every day may come to mind quickly, but what about that set of silverware used only on special occasions? An inventory of your household goods, in both words and pictures, is essential to getting all the benefits from your insurance policy. Compiling a list of possessions can provide you and your insurance agent with a base for determining whether your homeowner coverage is sufficient. You may need to fill in the gaps or eliminate costly overlaps. Getting the full benefit of your insurance coverage is important if and when a claim may happen. You don’t have to be a professional photographer or camera person to do an inventory of your possessions. Start by photographing or videotaping each room, wall by wall, floor to ceiling. Then take close-up shots of the valuables in each room. When you finish each room, go on to the closets, attic, garage and storage sheds. When you’re finished, write basic information on the back of the photos or include this information in the audio portion of your videotape. Review your photo/video inventory every two to three years. Note changes in your possessions such as a new TV or couch you have reupholstered. Delete items you no longer own. Sales receipts help prove ownership and for recent purchases, they also establish the value of an article. Insurance companies do not expect customers to keep receipts for everything, but major purchases should be documented. Secure your records in a safe place. Do not keep all of your inventory records at home! The inventory itself could be destroyed in case of fire or other household damage. Consider such locations as a safe-deposit box or the home of a relative. Safeguarding the value of your home and its contents may require investing a little time and money, but should you ever suffer a loss, you’ll have all the documentation you need to file and back up your claim quickly and easily.