RJ and Makay

The recession has clearly affected the insurance buying habits of Main Street America, independent agents report. For example, smaller businesses are paying more attention than ever to insurance costs, especially once they've reduced other outlays. "When you cut payroll and expenses, the cost of insurance sticks out like a sore thumb,” explains Florida agent Chip Greene, co-owner of Greene-Hazel and Associates in Jacksonville.

Fortunately for them, however, small businesses have been able to secure much deeper insurance cost cuts than other businesses. Their cuts have been about $71 billion, or a 17% decline since 2007 compared with an 8% decline for middle and large market businesses, according to a recent study by Coming Research and Consulting.