Monday
After a fun-filled weekend celebrating my youngest son’s birthday, my first job of Monday is the school run, ensuring he and his brother arrive at school on time. After a successful drop-off, I go to the office and work my way through the emails received over the weekend.
I have a couple of emails from clients to advise me of their offers being accepted. Once I have these addressed I catch up with the staff on new business enquiries generated over the weekend. The work day, as all Mondays, is short for me as the school-pick up is also on my agenda.
Tuesday
Four client appointments booked for today: a house move, a product transfer, a remortgage with a transfer of equity and a remortgage with some potential debt consolidation. The house move also involves an overage on the property so part of the day involves calls and emails to lenders and business development managers (BDMs) alike to check on their criteria. A restricted choice certainly demonstrates itself, but after a good conversation with a Colleys' surveyor local to the area in question, I hope to have some options for the client.
Wednesday
The morning is spent in one of my company's regular meetings with our marketing company. With our online presence being a major part of our business, the focus for today is to discuss our Google rankings in addition to our lead generation.
The meeting goes particularly well with positive feedback. Areas of development are discussed, such as new content for our website and areas of potential link-building highlighted. Budgets are also discussed in relation to growth in organic rankings and pay per click. The meeting takes all morning, then it is back to the office in the afternoon.
I catch up with the staff on the day so far and then call clients to report back on my recommendations following Tuesday's appointments. Halifax has come up trumps for the overage and the application is submitted.
Thursday
Today is spent with our adverse-credit lending team. All directors of the company have an active involvement and for this department I aim to ensure all is well with the staff and check all decisions in principle before they are submitted. It is a busy team and a lot of work passes over my desk before the day is up.
Our BDM for Nationwide also visits the office so I take the opportunity to attend the meeting. Up and coming rate switches and the general view on limited company buy-to-lets form part of the agenda.
One of the last things for me today is a quick meeting with another director. With a pending office move for the expanding business we discuss the new stationery and check the proofs, then catch up on a couple of other business matters.
Friday
It is one of my sons' sharing assemblies today and he is making the introduction. I go along to watch him before heading in to the office. When I arrive I catch up with an administration team leader who has been away for just over a week on a CeMap course.
We chat about how this has gone and I get brought up to speed on the admin situation. Next I have new content and articles for our website that need proofreading. A range of current topical items include robo-advisers and the bank of mum and dad. I finish the day by getting myself organised so that when I return on Monday I am again ready for the week ahead.
Carl Shave is a director of Just Mortgage Brokers, based in Suffolk
