Planner: Budgeting seminar

Need to connect the planning dots about education savings options when you’re in front of clients? Plan an event for client and prospects that will give you an opportunity to get your point across.

Here’s what you need to prepare for and run a great event.

Before the event

• Determine your ideal number of participants.
  • Eight-to-12 students is manageable for hands on work if you’re working alone.
  • If an associate is joining, you can safely add a few more.
• Determine whether students will work in teams of two, three or four.
  • This will help you set your minimum and maximum number of participants.
• Be clear with your clients on the minimum and maximum number of participants.
• Depending on your compensation structure, client type, and asset base, consider whether charging for the session is appropriate.
  • If you do decide to charge, potentially offer a discount for clients who want to bring friends.
• Set a clear No Refunds and No Cancellations policy.
• If you get more responses than you have room for, set up a waiting list for the next session.
• Sketch out the agenda timing for the session.
  • 10 minutes of overview.
  • 10 minutes for a horror story.
  • 20 minutes to explain the budget process.
  • 10 minutes to explain the form and what each line item covers.
  • 1 hour to fill out the form with advisor and associate present for questions and to give guidance.
  • Remaining time for review and discussion.
• Scout a location for the event.
  • Ideally you have meeting space on site that you can use at no cost.
  • Local libraries or community centres also are good options.

What the session should achieve

• Increase awareness of the costs for post-secondary education.
• Help attendees:
  • Develop a list of costs to research.
  • Make a list questions to ask parents, and friends or siblings who currently are in university.
  • Learn to build a budget from scratch.
  • Develop a process forecasting expenses and managing money.
  • Identify income gaps and develop strategies to offset them.
• Deliver strategies for sticking to budget and managing surprise costs.

After the event

• Send an email survey to collect feedback from participants.
• Based on feedback, determine the frequency of future planning sessions.
  • Once a year.
  • Twice a year (fall and spring).
  • Quarterly (if demand is very high).
• Adjust the agenda content and timing based on feedback, and your experience as a presenter.
• If you have people on your waiting list, circle back and tell them when the next session will take place.