Happy New Year from IAA Mid North Coast

Happy New Year! It's not often we get July 1st on a Monday so it feels like a fresh new start. Our Blog this morning looks back at life over the past 12 months. It's been an amazing and enriching time for us and to finish up at midday on Saturday, vacuum the floor, wipe the desk and clean the screen felt pretty good. The place looked crystal clean, and considering where we started it was a proud moment.

It was literally 12 months ago to the day that we walked into Suite 3, 7 Macquarie Street and went back in time. The faux wood panelling and eaten carpet. The chipped ceiling and dusty drapes. The laminate bench top and rusty door handles. It felt like an old Swiss chalet but without the promise of schnapps by the fire or a day on the slopes.


What a way to start a new financial year,with a project and mission that seemed impossible to people with little to no trade nous whatsoever. Considering we were still only 9 months old and establishing rapport with our new clients plus working through a period of restraint it was like throwing extra fuel on the fire. Enter our friend John Ayoub and a few months of late nights and the finished result is exactly what we were looking for.

It turns out renovating an office is the easy part, getting people to know you are there is another story. We spent the first few months in our office with no sign writing or distinguishing features but then commenced a brand awareness campaign that saw the name Insurance Advisernet Australia (IAA) spread rapidly around The Manning Great Lakes area and beyond. We had our strategic partners all lined up and had a strong business plan in place but you still have to get out there and make some noise. With a 2 page spread in Focus Magazine in November it made a very clear message to the market. We are here and here to stay.

One of the simplest and best ways to raise brand awareness was our Green Slip sign. OK so being in the RTA building was a no brainer but just having a simple sandwich board strategically placed lead to an influx of walk in clients and exposure. Green Slips are not our core business but from this we have commenced partnerships with a number of clients on their business insurance programs. This sign came out in about December / January and has lead to us questioning how we handle the workload. A healthy position to be in.

Just prior to the official opening of our office on November 1st we spent 4 days at the annual IAA conference. Having been before representing an Insurance Company it was nice to be on the other end and relax with colleagues and friends we hadn't seen in a number of years. It gave us strength in the knowledge that the IAA group is 100% behind it's Authorised Rep's and is providing the right tools to help us grow and make an impact in our markets. It also gave us comfort knowing that the value proposition we are putting forward almost mirrors perfectly the group ethos. Some great speakers and a good chance to relax before launching into it again.

Our launch party was a 'day' to remember. We held an open day from 10AM and let anyone walk in and see what we were up to. Our Insurer partners had provided an array of merchandise of giveaway and we finished the night with a function in house attended by over 25 local business people and family and catered by Fish Fish Fish and Sushia. What was great about the day was that 95% of all businesses that came to see us that day are now clients and business partners of ours.

In business the numbers don't lie. Over this 12 months we've consistently stayed true to our values and our ethics and the results exceeded expectations. From not missing a single month on new budget targets to exceeding organic growth within our current client base, the numbers ticked over nicely. In a market where some in our industry are sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, we were making it happen and growing by nearly 20% with a client retention rate of over 95%.

So with this much going on we needed to step up our marketing presence. In the last quarter of the year we worked closely with one of our key strategic partners DXN Solutions to release our new web page. The page is already getting strong uptake and whilst only a month old is having some impact already. Along with the web page is a marketing slogan that ties in our whole philosophy, 'We've got you covered.' The slogan was deliberately focused on our core value of being a business partner in the protection of your business. It's not a confronting chest thumping service line, it's simply what we do.

To finish the Financial Year we had some umbrellas produced which are now being used as promotional items and a strong marketing tool with our clients. Photos of clients with our umbrellas will soon be on our web page. Our clients are the key to our business. You work hard putting all your time and energy into your business, why add the stress of  insurance to your day. Let us handle it for you.

So June 30 rolled around. To finish the year we had a full page feature in Focus Magazine which highlighted us more on a personal level. From the front room of our house, to a rundown Swiss chalet then to a modern comfortable office with a structured and detailed plan on how to help the community. It seemed fitting to finish the year in that way. The mighty Hawks won by 60, a glass of wine or 2 was had and we cleaned the office in readiness for the next 12 months. The past year was all about establishing the brand IAA in the area. Now it's time to continue getting the message out that there is a different way to have your business protected. We put you first. Without your business, the community will suffer as will the families of those it employs and those it supports.

Family - Community - Business. At IAA Mid North Coast, We've got your covered.