What are you investing in to ensure future business success?

This article appears in the February 2020 issue of Advisor’s Edge magazine. Subscribe to the print edition or read the articles online.

Sue Derlago Vice-president and senior financial planner, Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management, Calgary, Alta.

We’ve significantly invested in our digital presence. Enhancing our website and search engine optimization (SEO) tools, including working with an external partner to ensure high SEO rankings, has led to a consistent inflow of clients and referrals from high-net-worth individuals.

Additionally, we’ve invested in specific areas of expertise within our team so we can provide a higher level of co-ordinated advice. A few years ago, our clients’ needs shifted to include more risk management and estate planning, so we hired a tax and estate practitioner. Making the decision to hire and strengthen our own specialties has contributed to our growth.

Serena Cheng Director of wealth management and investment advisor, Richardson GMP, Toronto, Ont.

I’m investing in communication: carefully considering clients’ needs and communicating those needs on our website. We boil down complex investing concepts to make them understandable to anyone. For example, we talk about intergenerational wealth and wealth transfer. No matter what stage of life you’re in, we want to make sure there’s something you can relate to or find value in. That way, anyone who doesn’t know my team or the depth of our work can understand what we do.

We regularly speak at events and talk to millennials and women who work in capital markets. We also do podcasts on an ad-hoc basis, and post regularly to LinkedIn and Instagram.

Gardy Frost Financial advisor, Arbutus Financial Services, Vancouver, B.C.

I’m investing in people, because the team is the most important ingredient to success. When you find people who share your values, the work is easier and more fun, which makes us more successful. We do this by getting to know people before bringing them on. For example, we have a rigorous onboarding process that includes third-party interviewers. Also, trusting your gut is crucial when you meet someone.

Maddie Johnson

Maddie is a freelance writer and editor who has been reporting for Advisor.ca since 2019.