Ever since NFU Mutual began back in 1910, we have based our agency business model on delivering excellent insurance products, with personal service and honest advice. Today, the business landscape has changed, and the scale of opportunities is larger, with a growing number of corporate clients. But our core principles remain the same. Our focus on building relationships with people reflects continued success in our member loyalty, with 95% of our customers renewing with us each year.

We caught up with Danny James the managing partner of the largest agency in the NFU Mutual Agency Network, to hear all about his recent hugely successful agency merger, the scale of opportunity as a self-employed Agent of NFU Mutual and his growth plans for the future. As well as what he believes makes an effective NFU Mutual Agent.

Can you tell us a bit about you, your role, and your agency merger?
I’m the managing partner of the Warwickshire West Central Agency, which I manage along with five other senior agents. And I believe is the largest NFU Mutual agency in the UK at the moment! The prospect came up to merge two existing NFU Mutual agencies in Warwickshire, and collectively we’re now fast approaching becoming a £31million agency. This merger presents huge opportunity for us to reach more customers, as our team continues to grow, and more great people join us on the journey. It’s an exciting time.

You’re very clear about your ambition for the future. Can you tell us more?
I think to be successful with your agency you have to be laser focused on your ambition. This merger has given us the opportunity to widen our reach to help more customers in broader markets. The opportunities for growth are huge. In the shorter term, we’re currently a forty-one strong agency and we expect that to grow to fifty in the next few months. We’ll refine our infrastructure and processes to maximise operating efficiency. Then moving forward, we aim to drive growth in the commercial and high net worth client space. This merger is instrumental in helping us achieve and maximise those growth opportunities, without compromising on the values or personal service characteristic of NFU Mutual. And this merger certainly won’t be our last!

Does this change how you approach businesses?
Our values are what drives us. And a key part of what makes NFU Mutual and our agency so successful is the strength of the relationships we build with the communities that we serve. We have senior managers within the agency that oversee the different client sectors. From high net worth and commercial to farming and personal lines.

We invest in good people, with good networks and we go out into the community and meet people. It takes investment to join networking dinners and events, but it pays off. There’s no replacement for having great people on board who can identify the people and businesses we need to talk to and getting out there and having conversations. It’s key to our growth and helps us to recognise the needs of our customers, so that we can keep delivering the best personalised service and remain competitive.

What is the NFU Mutual benefit?
Everything is about working for the benefit of all, and we have a huge success rate with mid to large corporate clients, because we don’t sell a policy and then disappear for a year. We nurture relationships and we’re always on hand to help. We have quick reaction times to changes and claims. It’s an excellent product, but ultimately, it’s the personal service which gives us the competitive edge.

What’s the benefit of being self-employed?
The decision to take the leap from full-time employment to becoming self-employed, is a big one. Becoming a self-employed Agent of NFU Mutual presents the best of both worlds. It’s the chance to run your own business and the freedom to run your agency as your own, with an established book of loyal clients and the support, and infrastructure of a century old, multimillion pound business in your corner.

In my mind, if you're going to work in a business that has a 95% retention rate of its existing customers, that's the place you want to start running your own business. To a degree, you've got income that's relatively secure because of that retention rate and a great opportunity to grow.

What makes a successful agency colleague?
Resilience, lots of it! You’re going to have highs and lows, and this is by no means an easy ride. You need to have ambition, high energy, adaptability, and good business judgment. You need to have an eye for opportunity and overall, you need to demonstrate effective relationship building skills, underpinned by good morals and the desire to maximise opportunities with honesty and integrity. In many ways becoming an Agent is a lifestyle choice, as you become such an integral part of the community and the rewards both personally and professionally are incredible.

How good an opportunity is this?
I think it's a bit of a hidden gem and I’d advise anyone who’s ambitious and interested in running their own business, to go for it. It’s the best way to be self-employed in my opinion.

If the Agent proposition sounds good to you, why not take a look at the opportunities that are currently available?