Monday
Mondays always come around far too fast, but this particular Monday has arrived in the blink of an eye as I had set aside the weekend to finish preparing for my long-term care qualification exam.
With trepidation I take my seat at the test screen where my mind is cast back over a decade ago to my driving theory test. Answers complete and with the submit button pressed, my fingers and toes are crossed.
As the lady behind the desk hands me the results there is no clue from her face as to how I have done. Only after holding my breath and unfolding the sheet of paper can I see I have made the grade; thank goodness, what a relief.
Tuesday
Tuesday morning harks back to my childhood growing up on a dairy farm as I meet with the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) for breakfast. The meeting starts bright and early at 7.30am so the full English provided is very welcome indeed.
Over eggs, bacon and mugs of tea there is a lot of discussion about Brexit and the anxiety felt by the farming community over the potential effects it will have on their businesses.
Working with people in agriculture is important because pensions often take a back seat as tight margins and other priorities mean that any spare cash is ploughed back into the business.
Talking with the group gives a great opportunity to highlight the importance of good financial planning for the business and the individual.
Wednesday
Wednesday is going to be a hard day. First, my eight-week old had an appointment with the doctor to have her injections.
Second, a tactical error on my part has a meeting in north Wales followed straight after by another north of Manchester.
Following the drama at the doctors, we are home for a quick lunch and then it is time to get acquainted with the A55 and the roadworks on the M62. As luck would have it, the traffic gods were smiling and I had a clear run out to north Wales and back across to Manchester.
As advisers, we spend so much time travelling that I begin to worry about the increasing amount of congestion we have to fight on the UK’s roads as today’s journey feels like a rare event.
Thursday
As a relatively new adviser I work hard at growing my network and so today includes a trip to Liverpool Airport for a networking event organised by the local Chamber of Commerce. I have to say networking does not come naturally to me, but getting out with the chamber has helped my confidence.
The visit is very well attended and it is great to learn about how the airport operates as a business and its steady increase in passenger numbers since the financial crisis.
Back in the office for the afternoon to work on a pensions report. I am not a wordy person by any stretch of the imagination, so producing reports is a pretty slow process for me. Perseverance and plenty of cups of tea see it done and sent off for approval.
Friday
Now a poorly kept secret is that I worked as an engineer in a past life and Friday throws me right back into it as my last appointment of the week is to pay a visit to a client at the Airbus factory in North Wales. Naturally, most of our meeting is spent talking about the state of affairs in the aerospace industry before moving on to their plans for retirement.
Since changing career I’ve found many parallels between the two industries – both involve analytical thinking to overcome complex problems and both require strict compliance with policy and procedure to protect the customer whether they are taking a flight or planning their retirement.
The last meeting brings the week nicely to a close leaving me a short journey home and my favourite part of the day: a smile from the baby as I walk through the door. It does not last long; it seems there is a nappy to change.
Rob Beswick is a financial planner with Old Mutual Wealth Private Client Advisers, based in Chester
