From This is Money:
Stephen Womack joined insurance agent Derek Lomax on his rounds in rural Cumbria to see how this seemingly old-fashioned way of business survives and finds a man whose working day includes a visit to a brewery, lunch overlooking a milking parlour and saving sheep.
8.00am Kendal
Derek Lomax’s working day starts at 8am in his sparkling new offices on the edge of Kendal, Cumbria. He is an agent with rural insurer NFU Mutual and moved into the offices – complete with a wind-turbine and solar panels – in June.
The agency looks after insurance for 2,500 customers, of whom just under half are in farming.
It is a stand-alone business, operating in the same way as a conventional insurance broker but selling only the products of NFU Mutual.
The agency is owned by Derek, 55, together with two partners. They employ seven staff, including Derek’s wife Catherine, 51, who helps out in the office three days a week.
The day starts with a cup of tea and a look through the post. ‘I watch wha…
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