(Steve Holmes)
Feedsy.info

Even if you plan to stay in business for years to come, it’s wise to plan for every contingency. That includes a plan to have your business ready in case you need to sell—for health reasons, for relocation, retirement —whatever the reason.

With their need to follow strict Government regulations, financial planners, mortgage brokers, and accountants have even more boxes to tick off to make sure their business is not only valuable but saleable as well. When it comes time to contemplate selling, will you have maximised the value of your business? Will it be sale ready?

To demonstrate your business’s worth to prospective buyers, you may need to boost your digital presence and client engagement. With the right strategies, your business can soar into the next decade as an industry leader. With such a formidable record, you won’t have to beg for a buyer. Buyers will seek you out. Here are some strategies that can get your business sale ready.

 

Your client base is your business’s lifeblood

It is really important to maintain accurate client email records and contact information and to keep in touch with your clients on a regular basis with informative emails. Your clients—and their colleagues—will gladly share their contact information when asked; after-all it’s in their best interest. Make sure that with every meeting, every phone call, every email—you and your support staff document and retain every bit of communication. Accurate records ensure better compliance. Furthermore, your business’s potential buyers will have an updated client base they can depend on for their own revenue.

Ask yourself this; if you were buying a business, would you want see validation that your client records are up to date and analytics on the client relationship? Feedsy can help.

 

Increase Your Digital Presence

An effective digital presence is more than just a company website and a Facebook page. It must target your business’s likely clients with information-rich content they can use to solve their own problems. That takes research. Furthermore, you must look at various channels to see which ones will give you the best return on your investment in both client engagement and client retention. They include:

• A modern, informative website: An attractive website that provides useful information will be a major selling point for any business. Add some compelling case studies, offer well-researched, helpful white papers, and you’ll raise your authority in the eyes of potential and current clients. Always provide multiple avenues by which people can contact you. Make sure your website is consistent with your brand and advice offer — from your logo to your tagline to every bit of media.

Check out these websites examples.

 

• Social media profiles that target the right audience: With such a diversity of social media out there, your business can’t be on all of them. Choose the ones that attract your target clients. Twitter, for instance, attracts a real-time audience that wants real-time updates.  A mortgage broker, may want to tell some of his or her or success stories. Facebook, with its more story-oriented format might be an excellent choice to pour energy into for financial advisers because Facebook is where people live their lives. Research where your target clients spend the most of their time online. That’s where you want to concentrate your efforts. Make sure your social media profiles are up to date, on-brand, and relevant to your clients’ needs. FeedsySocial can help.

Comply with E-mail Opt-Outs

If a potential client—or a current one, for that matter—opts out of your email subscription, the last thing you should do is pester them with more emails. Just like the Do Not Call Register, a unsubscribe request indicates that a recipient wants no more. See to it that the emails stop. Don’t risk your reputation. This is why a third party like Mailchimp or FeedsyMail is needed.

Create Client Engagement with Your Brand

Turn your clients into your most effective sales force with sterling customer service and compassionate care. Enthusiasm is, after all, contagious. Give your brand a distinctive image that sets your business apart from the rest of the field to build awareness in those who come in contact with your business or its clients. A memorable image, beautiful design, a timeless tagline—all will create the type of client engagement that lasts.

Focus on Client Retention

Like a marriage or business partnership, the client-provider relationship can go stale if the spark goes out. Communication, therefore, is paramount in client retention. Stay in touch. Reach out often to cement your brand presence in their minds. Like with new clients, encourage your current clients to engage with your brand often. Continue to deliver service that anticipates and meets their needs. Above all, make every interaction with your employees a positive one for your clients—from the receptionist who answers the phone right through to your client liaison officers, paraplanner and advice team.

Maintain the Highest Level of Compliance with Australian Financial Services

Don’t settle for good enough when it comes to your company. Buyers want to see a company who goes above and beyond when it comes to following the rules. Whether it’s privacy laws, general advice warnings, or meeting your fee-for-service obligations, ensure that every standard is met—and then some. Buyers avoid risk, especially when it comes to following industry and Government standards. Make sure your company is above reproach.

At Feedsy we can help you with your licensee compliance approval, we even check the ASIC website.

Work with the New Buyer to Maximise Business Succession

Organise your financials—dating back at least to three years—to make sure that the new buyer can see at a glance where the business is headed—and which areas need improvement. Encourage your employees to share information with the new buyer to help him or her get off to a good start. Prepare the groundwork to transfer lease agreements, employee contracts, and other legal papers to the new owner. Sit down with the buyer to explain how you arrived at your company’s policies, but don’t insist that they follow them. Make the transition a smooth one so your company’s legacy can continue long after you’ve left to pursue other interests.

If you would like to catch up, we would love a face to face coffee and review what you are doing or in fact discuss what you would like to do. You can book some time HERE.

If you would like to read about what our clients are saying click HERE.

Hope to speak soon.

Cheers,
Steve
0423 020 190

 

Co-Founder & Director
Feedsy Pty Ltd