Virtual Insurance Agency – The Ultimate Green Office

There are many ways that insurance agencies can be transformed into virtual offices. This article will help you reduce your company’s carbon footprint and make it more enjoyable to commute to work.

Search for niche insurance products that can be sold online

Online insurance sites can now reach customers across the globe through the internet. Finding a niche product that customers are interested in is key to selling insurance online. You could choose from international insurance, Christmas tree lot insurance or international health insurance. My personal favorite is auto insurance for those who travel to Mexico by car. Although these products may seem small if they are sold on a local basis, the potential for a large customer base is possible if these products can be marketed to the entire country and even the world. Although there may be only 15 Christmas tree lots within 50-miles of your home, there are many more across the country.

The ease of issuing an insurance policy is another important aspect to consider when choosing a product. Simpler is better. Online insurance is not a good idea if you have to fill out 20 forms or fax documents back-and-forth for several days. You want to find a product with the potential to allow the customer to apply online for insurance.

Create your website and virtual office call center

After you have chosen your insurance product, you will need to create your website and set up a call center to answer any questions. Here you can use the virtual office concept. Several years ago, call center offices had to be located in one building. Customers service representatives were confined to cubicles, while managers watched over employees connected to the local telephone system network. With Voice Over IP (VOIP), you can set up a virtual service center that allows customer service employees to work from their own homes. A VOIP phone system for call centers functions just like a centrally-located phone system. However, individual call center phones can be found anywhere on the planet as long as they have an internet connection. Instead of having cubicles packed into one building each employee now has a cubicle in their own house.

Selecting your VOIP Solution

If you don’t want to manage your own phone system it is strongly recommended that you sign up for a hosted VoIP phone system. Hosted VOIP systems mean that the phone network system is hosted by a VOIP company at their data center. Your business only owns the actual VOIP phones. The VOIP phones are typically a few hundred dollars and function just like any other network phone. You plug the VOIP phone into an Internet cable, instead of connecting to a phone line. Hosted VOIP companies will set up your call center according to your specifications. This includes features like voicemail, call transfer, call queuing and on hold music.

You can set up call logs in order to keep track of all activities and generate reports for each employee’s phone activity. Even though you cannot physically see your employees’ necks, you can monitor their activities through their call logs. You can also listen to their conversations if necessary.

The advantages of a virtual agency office

You can now eliminate multiple commutes to work depending on how many employees you have in your call center. Also, you no longer have to pay energy costs or other expenses associated with managing an office building. You can also have solar panels installed at your home. Additionally, you can take advantage of the commercial tax credits which tend to be more favorable for solar systems that are commercial. Insurance products are unique because you don’t need to have inventory. Insurance is not an e-business that requires products to be shipped and warehoused. Instead, it’s a promise that has a policy number. Insurance agencies do not need to ship or stock inventory. All documents can be sent electronically, instead of being delivered by mail.

Although it is difficult to set up an insurance agency or virtual office, brainstorming these ideas can help you find the right business idea. It can also be profitable and green. You and your employees can work from home.