Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Thompson.
Hi Julia, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by telling us a little bit about The Thompson Agency.
In 2008, my dad and brother (Phil and Brian) had the crazy idea to open an insurance agency in Fort Myers, FL. Both graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics, so you would think they would have steered clear of anything having to do with the Southwest Florida housing market in 2008. But they decided to take a risk despite the recent market crash and open The Thompson Agency, with a small business loan from a local community bank and one principal in mind… “always do the right thing for the client”.
Our first location was a 500 square foot office on the corner of DeLeon St and Colonial Blvd. Phil and Brian hired their first employee, Michelle Kruse, about six months later. Michelle still works with us today along with 11 other employees. And we now have two office locations: Fort Myers and Orlando.
I came on board in 2009 at The Thompson Agency. The business was growing fast and my dad and brother needed help with HR, processes and procedures, employee appreciation programs… all the bells and whistles if you will. So I worked in Fort Myers for a year or so and studied the business while helping them get organized. Then I made the terrifying “leap” of opening an office location here in Orlando, originally in Avalon Park. I know it probably sounds cliché but I had a lot of sleepless nights… what if I fail, what if no one gives me a chance, what if the phone doesn’t ring. I’m sure other small business owners can relate, those first few years when you’re not sure you’re going to succeed can be scary.
But here we are, about to celebrate ten years in Orlando! And 14 years total/as a company in January of 2022. Time sure flies when you work with amazing people and have the support of a local community around you. I get emotional thinking back to those days of when we first started and how supportive friends, family, realtors, bankers, people we have never even met were. Because we were so focused on customer service and always doing the right thing for the client, the local communities embraced us, lifted us up, and wouldn’t stop talking about us. We owe them a great deal.
And that’s why we’re so passionate about giving back. Whether it’s to A Gift for Teaching or Community Cooperative or ACT or Harbor House or Clean the World or local youth supports. We want to do as much as we can for these communities that have touched our hearts and helped make our business so successful.
Another reason we have been so successful is our outstanding staff. Brian, our current CEO and one of our original founders articulates it this way, “Clients want to deal with staff who are happy and helpful. That sets us apart, our level of service”. And not only is the professional and warm staff a big draw for business, but also our proactive approach. It’s another way we feel like we give back and treat clients like family, we contact each client at renewal to discuss their options with them.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of the challenges we’ve faced over the years are finding and keeping talent, growing during COVID, and expanding to new areas of Florida.
You oftentimes have to “weed through” lots of resumes, phone calls, and job applications before coming across just the right fit. Since we’re a small agency, it’s very important that everyone gets along and communicates well. One bad apple can rotten the whole office culture.
COVID was challenging for many small business owners and we were no exception. We saw less commercial business come through the doors as people weren’t taking the risk of starting their own business. We also saw many businesses “shrinking” and trying to reduce costs including insurance. Fortunately, we’ve started to see things pick back up in 2021.
Since we are a family-owned and operated business, we like to keep the “small feel” and personal approach that our clients have grown accustomed to. However, we’d still like to open additional office locations. It’s hard sometimes to let go and trust someone else to care for the business and run it the way you would. My brother and I joke that we need an Uncle or cousin that wants to open an insurance agency in Brevard or Jacksonville. There’s no bond or trust like that of family.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Thompson Agency?
We are a local family-owned and operated independent insurance agency. We write with multiple different insurance companies offering a wide array of insurance products including homeowners, auto, flood, and business insurance. At The Thompson Agency, we specialize in educating clients on what type of insurance they actually need. We also pride ourselves in being extremely responsive; typically providing quotes back the same day (specifically with personal lines, commercial quotes often take longer).
We’ve learned over the years that being proactive is key as well. Instead of waiting for a client to call us about their renewal price increasing 30%, we try to reach out to them first. Since we’re independent, we can oftentimes save the client money at renewal by switching them to another insurance company or by adjusting their existing coverage, if appropriate. It’s the right thing to do and we know if we continue to do right by our clients, they will do right by us. Over 80% of our business comes from word of mouth/referrals. Happy customers are the best form of marketing.
What’s next?
Continue to grow our commercial side of the business (right now, it’s about 15% – 20%). Hire a producer/agent for specifically commercial accounts. Hire another amazing CSR for both office locations. And expand to another part of the state i.e., open a third office location.
Pricing:
- Insurance Policy Reviews are Free!
Contact Info:
- Email: info@thompsoninsurancefl.com
- Website: www.thompsoninsurancefl.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thompsonagencyinsurance/
Image Credits:
First two photos were professionally taken by Signe Pagel Photography.
All other photos – The Thompson Agency
