As an independent agency, your connection to your community is one of the major advantages you have over the insurance giants. The way to highlight that connection? A partners program. Your goal is to educate your customers about their coverage, but why not give them some knowledge in other areas as well? Even if you’re not in a big city like New York or Los Angeles, chances are there are some businesses in your area that would be happy to be your commercial ally. As an advocate for your community, you should want to expose your customers and prospects to the best that your area has to offer.

Here are some tips that will help you acquire the right kind of commercial partners:

Reach out to businesses you like: The first step is asking! Chances are, you have eaten at restaurants or shopped at family-owned businesses that you can personally vouch for. Approach their management and ask if they would be interested in being added to your list of commercial associates. A partnership can be mutually beneficial, as they may also promote your agency.

Try to avoid controversy: You should attempt to have a variety of partners from different kind of industries, but if they sell something explicit, it could look bad for you. Businesses that are overtly political in nature could also turn off your potential and existing customers, so try not to get into that area.

Do a little background research: Before you ask an establishment to be your commercial partner, you should make sure the businesses you are associating with are reputable. You don’t want to recommend an establishment to your customers if they will receive sub-par service or inferior products.

Talk to your partners about offering discounts: Many businesses that have partner programs promote them with a coupon or special deal. These can be printed from your website or asked about during the transaction, and they can add a little more legitimacy to your program.

In this era of corporatization and globalization, small businesses should stick together and try to promote each other. Putting together a partner program does not take long, and it can go a long way in proving that you’re familiar with your neighborhood.