Many of the challenges, opportunities and formulas for success are the same for brokerages of all sizes. (Image: Greg Betza)

“The Art of the Deal” would be a good title for a book about the state of the benefits brokerage business in 2018 (if President Trump hadn't already used it). Mergers, acquisitions, consolidations and strategic partnerships continue to dominate the headlines in the employee benefits space.

But is bigger always better? Successful brokers with businesses of all sizes believe it's far more important for a company to understand its corporate values and core competencies, and then deliver exceptional customer service.

“In my opinion, most brokers and consultants work in their business and need to spend more time working on their business,” says Billy Potter, a principal with Snellings Walters Insurance Agency in Atlanta. Potter considers his company, with 65 employees, a small business. One measure of its success: Potter was named the 2018 BenefitsPRO Broker of the Year.