Maplevale Credit, a small-business funding service in Johnson City, TN, helps agency owners and buyers describe acquisitions, expansion and working capital needs and passes the request to funding partners who decide. This page covers buying an agency or a book, agency loans, and Washington County, TN agency counts from the Census Bureau.
At a glance
- Insurance agencies with paid employees, Washington County, TN
57 (CBP 2023)
- Share under 5 employees
75.4% (CBP 2023)
- Agency businesses without paid employees (NAICS 52421)
142 (NES 2024)
Insurance agency employers in Washington County, TN (NAICS 5242)
County Business Patterns counted 57 insurance agency employer establishments (NAICS 524210) in Washington County, TN in 2023, with 439 paid employees; 75.4% had fewer than five employees, a higher small-office share than the county's all-sector 45.3%. Eighteen of the agencies used a ZIP 37601 address.
Nonemployer Statistics counted 142 businesses without paid employees at the broader NAICS 2022 code 52421 in 2024. The codes and programs differ, so the two counts are not compared. By our arithmetic, CBP agencies averaged about 7.7 employees each.
| Industry (NAICS) | Employer establishments (CBP 2023) | Paid employees (CBP 2023) | Share under 5 employees | Annual payroll (CBP 2023) | ZIP 37601 employer count, ZBP 2023 | No-payroll businesses, NES 2024 count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance agencies (524210; NES 52421) | 57 | 439 | 75.4% | $17.8 million | 18 | 142 |
Insurance agency acquisition financing for Washington County, TN buyers
Insurance agency acquisition financing pays a seller for a book of business: the policies in force and the renewal commissions they produce. A partner reads three things: the commission history by carrier, how many policies renewed in each of the last few years, and the carrier appointments that will or will not transfer to the buyer.
Business loans for an insurance agency: notes for Washington County, TN
Business loans for an insurance agency that is not changing hands pay for hiring producers, opening a second office, buying a smaller book to fold in, or technology. Agencies have few hard assets, so partners lean on commission deposits and their stability.
Insurance agency financing options for Johnson City, TN agencies
Insurance agency financing options include a term loan for a purchase or expansion, working capital while a new producer builds a book, and a line of credit for uneven commission months.
Insurance agency loans, explained for Johnson City, TN owners
Insurance agency loans are reviewed on recurring revenue. Bring commission statements by carrier for two or three years, a list of producers and their books, and the agency's expense ledger. If the agency depends on one carrier for most of its revenue, say so; a partner will ask.
Insurance agency acquisition loans, explained for Johnson City, TN buyers
An acquisition loan can be paired with seller terms: part of the price paid at closing, part over time, and sometimes part tied to retention. Illustration only, invented figures: $250,000 borrowed at a 9 percent annual rate over 84 months is about $4,022 a month. Compare that payment with the renewal commissions the book produced last year, after the agency's own costs.
Loan to buy insurance agency: a Johnson City, TN primer
- Get the seller's commission statements and retention history.
- Confirm which carrier appointments transfer.
- Agree the price structure: cash at closing, seller terms, earn-out.
- Size the loan to the cash due at closing.
- Send the request with the draft purchase agreement.
Other professional firms are on the industry pages, including accounting and consulting firms.
Agency payroll and solo agents across Washington County, TN
County Business Patterns reported $17,798,000 in 2023 payroll for the 439 paid employees of insurance agencies, about $40,542 per employee by our arithmetic; 43 of the 57 agencies had fewer than five employees. Nonemployer Statistics counted 142 businesses without paid employees at the broader code 52421 in 2024, with $11,313,000 in receipts, about $79,669 each (our arithmetic).
Finance and insurance employers in ZIP 37601, Johnson City, TN
ZIP Code Business Patterns counted 68 finance and insurance employer establishments at a ZIP 37601 address in 2023, half of them with fewer than five employees. County-wide, County Business Patterns counted 222 in the sector, 57.7% under five. Banks and credit companies are part of that sector, so not every establishment is an agency.
Funding a new producer in Washington County, TN, worked
Illustration only, invented figures: an agency pays a new producer $4,500 a month for 12 months, $54,000 in all, and funds it with working capital. If the producer's policies start paying $1,500 a month in commissions from month seven, the agency has recovered $9,000 by month twelve, so $45,000 of the salary is still carried by the agency at year end.
Retention: the number a buyer cannot skip
Illustration only, invented figures: a book produced $180,000 in commissions last year. If 88 percent of it renews, the buyer keeps $158,400 in the first year before any new sales; if 80 percent renews, $144,000. That $14,400 difference repeats every year, which is why a partner reads retention before price.
By Maplevale Credit · Updated
