Monday
As soon as I get to our Yeovil office, I have the unavoidable task of wading through the backlog of emails. There is never a good time to do this, so after making a cup of tea I sit down and work my way through them. I had resisted the temptation to check my emails on Sunday night, but immediately regretted it. I had a new client coming in to see me this afternoon and she had emailed on Saturday night to cancel. I have only recently returned to being a financial planner after an eight-year break, so this was a bit of a blow and I was keen to find out why my potential new client had had a change of heart.
Tuesday
Old Mill has five offices, and one is in Exeter, which is closer to my home. I like to spend one day a week in the Exeter office and this morning I had a review meeting for a local client.
It was a great meeting, re-engaging with a client I had before I took an eight-year break to have children. This was something I had not anticipated. Meeting people after an eight-year break is wonderful, and today was no exception. It is also a great way to start a meeting, catching up on everything that has happened since we last met – from holidays, weddings and grandchildren to home improvements. For the meeting, I had prepared a cash flow forecast and it was very rewarding to see how it was received.
Wednesday
This morning my sister and mother had the boys, so I left for Yeovil at 8:30am. When I arrived I made a cup of tea before meeting with a colleague from our tax department. We spent an hour identifying potential clients and agreeing on the best strategy to deal with them. Re-engaging with colleagues is as important as re-engaging with clients, and working part time it is doubly important I have a prominence in the office.
I ate lunch, then left the office for a review meeting with a client who has just been transferred to me. I was slightly apprehensive, as the client had shown some reluctance to change advisers, but I enjoy a challenge. I had not realised this would entail finding the farmhouse, which was tucked away down a farm track. The first 10 minutes reminded me why I have come back to this job. The meeting covered all aspects of financial planning. It was particularly rewarding, as the file showed that this client had been quite guarded.
Thursday
I do not work Thursdays and Fridays, but these days are just as busy. Following on from yesterday’s successful meeting, I emailed a colleague in the Melksham office who has SOLLA (Society of Later Life Advisers) accreditation and put him in touch with my client to address his mother’s care needs.
Friday: Having been out all week, I was conscious I should be at home today – if anything, to keep an eye on the builders.
A friend and her two boys came over for the day. I trained her when I qualified in 1996 and we have been firm friends ever since. Parenthood has taken her a slightly different route to me, dealing with back-office systems and advice fees for a local IFA firm.
Carolyn Matravers is a financial planner at Old Mill Financial Planning based in Yeovil
