Our team at The Paul Long Agency does not want anyone to give-up on being insured. Potential clients can trust our agents to work hard and find options.

The Paul Long Agency is a full-line, Trusted Choice agency with five office staff members and two full-lines producers. The agency has received many awards, and Paul has been awarded the MAIA Young Agent of the Year, multiple life insurance sales awards,  and has served his local community as the past president of Bolivar, Mo’s Rotary and Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, the success of The Paul Long Agency earned the company the title of Bolivar Area Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year in 2009.

Business Interviews: Since founding The Paul Long Agency, how has your business grown over the years?

Paul Long: Since its inception in 2006, The Paul Long agency has grown over 20% a year. We are a customer-focused agency operating across the United States. Our wide-scope of services gives our agency the unique ability to serve people through insurance niches or ‘hard-to-place’ policies.

The Paul Long agency is a full-line insurance company, meaning we handle insurance of all kinds, including: life insurance, estate planning cases, impaired risk, individual health, Medicare policies, auto, home, farm, boat, motorcycle, RV, annuities and even many forms of professional liability.

Business Interviews: As an insurance agent and entrepreneur, what are some tips you could give budding entrepreneurs​?

Paul Long: The key to starting a small business is to be prepared. Before you get started, be aware of the timeline. For most small business, it is going to take three years to be profitable and on-top. Some businesses fail simply because the entrepreneurs wanted to be an overnight success.

My best advice is to always remember, “PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN”. It’s an easy concept, but can be difficult for some, as they want to jump in several directions instead of following a successful roadmap.

Business Interviews: What inspired you to enter into the insurance arena​?

Paul Long: I entered into the insurance arena because I liked to get to know people and provide them with the right policy for their needs. Also, I like being a salesman. Someone told me I could sell anything to anyone, at anytime and anywhere. This gave me a ton of confidence, so jumped-in with both feet and got my insurance license.

Prior to owning my own insurance company, I was always in some kind of sales related business. After several years, I realized I loved to help people and insurance became the perfect fit for me. Of course I could not have done it without the many mentors I have had along the way, helping me grow and reach new goals.  

Business Interviews: Can you explain the core reasons why someone should consider an Impaired Risk Life Insurance plan?

Paul Long: Impaired risk life insurance can be very tricky. Unfortunately, people think because of an illness the are uninsurable, but always remember there is a policy for everyone.

With Impaired Risk Life Insurance, or high-risk life insurance or impaired risk insurance, our agency takes a proactive approach to understanding the fear our clients have about life-threatening illnesses and the toll they can have on their family. We do an in-depth look at the steps our clients are taking to improve their health and their overall well-being. From there, we work with insurance underwriters, at the most competitive impaired risk life insurance companies, to provide the best insurance rate available.

All-in-all, our team at The Paul Long Agency does not want anyone to give-up on being insured. Potential clients can trust our agents to work hard and find options.

Business Interviews: Are you noticing any recent trends in insurance, like Impaired Risk or Health Insurance, an employer would need to know about for their employee’s benefits packages?  

Paul Long: As Employers go, they have a lot of guaranteed options for their employees. Employers need to talk to a benefits insurance agent who really knows what they are doing and can help them look at all the options. At The Paul Long Agency, we have several representatives who can help you with any employee benefits questions!

As for health insurance, it is always changing. As a matter of fact, the 2018 policies are still up in the air. At The Paul Long Agency, we pride ourselves on being on top of new mandates and issues to better inform our clients of their options.

Business Interviews: How does your Impaired Risk Life Insurance expertise help your clients solve problems?​

Paul Long: My personal experience with Impaired Risk Life Insurance spans over 15 years, so my client’s can trust my expertise to find the right policy for their lifestyle. Not only do I have almost two decades of experience, but I also have knowledge of how mandates and policies vary from state to state. My comprehensive approach to impaired risk insurance allows me to give clients seeking high-risk life insurance policies a tailored approach.

Unfortunately, most agents don’t know what is needed to secure an impaired risk policy right out-of-the-gate. Plus, they spend the client’s precious time calling and getting denied. As a seasoned agent, I can bypass all of the hurdles and work towards the right policy quickly.

Business Interviews: When you take on a new client, what is your process for finding the right insurance plan for them?​ How has your process grown over the years?

Paul Long: At The Paul Long Agency, we begin with a small questionnaire. This helps our team understand the client’s needs and their personal situation. With this questionnaire, we can work with companies and in most cases, nail-down the options without filling out applications.

Even though we believe this process is extremely efficient, our company is always evolving and finding ways to make the process easier and faster for clients to obtain the coverage they need.

Business Interviews: ​What should every insurance entrepreneur know about navigating the industry?​

Paul Long: This is a tough, but rewarding business. It takes at least three years to build a book of business, sustain the renewals and continually add new business. If you’re new to the insurance industry, you must be ready to pivot from product to product.

Also, here’s a tip: Avoid specializing and instead, learn as much as you can about all lines of insurance. This will help you serve a wide-variety of clients and succeed faster.

Business Interviews: ​What’s on the horizon for you and the The Paul Long Agency​?

Paul Long: We are still growing by adding staff and buying acquisitions. In the last four years, we have purchased two insurance agencies and plan on adding more soon!

Adding more branches to The Paul Long Agency allows us to supply more options for our customers and provide agents where they live. Additionally, we have added more insurance agents and doubled our support staff for all insurance lines.

Business Interviews: What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?

Paul Long: WORK HARD, PLAY HARD and PLAN YOUR WORK, WORK YOUR PLAN. These are my words to live by! If I don’t have a plan, I cannot get to where I want to go. Once I have reached my goal, I always make time to recharge and evaluate. Taking time to review accomplishments gives me the opportunity to look at my goal to see where I was successful and where I need to improve. Plus, it keeps me from getting burned out. These ‘tools of the trade’ have helped me sustain a long and prosperous career.

Last, but not least, always be willing to hire and surround yourself with people who make you better. Don’t be afraid to swallow your pride and hire the best!