Advisers have been urged to avoid "sleepwalking" into old business practices and placing digitalisation in a "back seat" once a return to the office is made next year.
Whilst the country may have been plunged into a fresh wave of uncertainty surrounding the return to normality next year, the advice industry is being urged to heed lessons learnt from the pandemic when it eventually steps through its office doors once again.
Colin Dyer, client director at 1825, said a significant proportion of the advice firm's work would continue online even when remote working ends.
He said: "Digital transformation shouldn’t take a back seat in 2021.
"We shouldn’t sleep walk back to operating the way we did in 2019, we must seize the positives and learns that have come out from such a challenging year.
"As a key example, virtual meetings allow clients to fit a call with their adviser around their work and family life, getting the advice they need but not at the expense of their free time."
Research carried out by FTAdviser earlier this year found a quarter of advisers were set to use remote contact with clients for a significant number of meetings even when life returned to a semblance of normal following the pandemic.
More than half of the 179 advisers polled by this publication said at least a quarter of their meetings would shift to remote working even after lockdown measures are fully lifted.
Mr Dyer said: "For 1825, 2020 was the year that we went virtual on a scale we’d never thought possible and this happened almost overnight. We’ve learnt a lot of lessons.
"Conversations with our clients over the past nine months have taught us the method of delivery is much less important than the relationship and the advice itself.
"As long as our clients are able to get hold of us, and access advice as and when they need it, a high majority of them aren’t phased by how it is shared."
Last year saw 1825 make two high profile acquisitions with the purchase of BDO Northern Ireland’s wealth management and Grant Thornton’s £1.7bn wealth advisory business.
And Mr Dyer said there was "much to be proud of" moving into next year.
He added: "I’m so proud of how all our people have coped with this massively challenging year.
"Huge challenges, uncertainty, constant change, but the teams pulled together and made sure we were in best position possible to look after our clients and give them clarity and confidence while navigating stormy seas.
"And our clients have invariably shown composure and a real concern for how our people were coping."
rachel.mortimer@ft.com
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