I work from home for an hour preparing for a team meeting and miss most of the rush hour to arrive at the office for 9:30am. My company has nearly doubled the number of active clients in the past two years and this has presented many challenges. I am lucky though to have a fantastic and committed group of individuals supporting me and we have all worked unbelievably hard to drive the business forward.
Our meeting starts with a review of our individual key performance indicators, a look at outstanding work and creating a plan for the week ahead. We have designed a new annual review pack and the roll-out commences this week.
I leave the office at 3pm and head to client appointments at 4pm and 6pm. I eventually get home at 9pm and spend an hour checking emails and writing up my meeting notes.
Tuesday
We have just recruited an intern for 12 months to help across the business. I am keen for her to gain as much industry knowledge as possible, so together we attend a seminar covering a wide range of topics.
The content is excellent and I see the intern’s face light up with genuine excitement at some of the more interesting subjects. I head back to the office in the afternoon to catch up on paperwork, with two client leads to follow up in the evening. I log off at 7.30pm to prepare dinner.
Wednesday
I miss the gym today because I am getting an early train to London. I am part of a quarterly business leaders forum (BLF). This consists of a small group of like-minded business leaders who work together to discuss relevant topics.
It is great to see the benefits we bring to each other with our individual knowledge and experience and I am excited to learn I will be chairing the next meeting, in April. I get home late feeling reassured that the most recent changes to the business have commonality with other members of the group.
Thursday
I go back to the gym today. Later in the morning I meet a finance director. The time is spent reviewing her personal arrangements and completing a lifetime cash flow model. The rest of the day is focused on completing two suitability reports and getting the paperwork together for a file check. I receive a few emails from clients impressed by our new review packs and I feel relief that the hard work continues to pay off. I hit the ground running for the next BLF meeting and confirm two speakers.
Friday
I head to Horsham following the sad passing of one of my company's long-standing clients. The beneficiaries of the estate met me earlier in the month to discuss the situation and agreed to become clients.
I am pleased to receive an email confirming my attendance next week at a local school to talk to a large group of year eight students about the role of financial planners. I am excited by this development because for some time I have been interested in helping local schools with financial education.
When I get home, my dog looks at me in a way that says it is time for her walk. I am ready for the weekend, but cannot help feeling that the laptop will be out a few times at least.
Justin Wade is a director of Hampshire-based Regis Bentley
