The Advisor’s Summer Checklist
Summer is just around the corner and it’s the right time to start crossing projects off your to-do list. We thought a checklist would be a great headstart for making it the most productive summer yet. With clients out of town, take advantage of the time you would have spent in meetings and use it to invest in your goals, your office, and yourself. Look, you can already cross “Create a Checklist” off your list!
Make a Client Vacation Calendar
Filling out this information usually requires a phone call, which can be a great opportunity to re-connect with clients. Mark the dates on your calendar and then reach out again when they return to see how it went. Use that last conversation to schedule a meeting when they’re refreshed. Talk about goals, plan their next adventure, and re-evaluate their investments.
Digitize Your Records Once and for All
The days of file cabinets are over. A big project like digitizing client files and getting rid of the paper records is daunting. But once it’s finished, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. Short on time? Well, let’s take a look at the next item on the checklist…
Create an Intern To-Do List
Interns and summer associates are perfect for major projects. If your time is too valuable, delegate tasks so you can get more done. Your workflow gets simplified and you provide relevant experience (hint: everybody wins).
Upgrade Your Fintech
Technology upgrades are difficult when you’re busy. Wish your CRM integrated with your risk alignment software? Wish you could rebalance client portfolios without pen and paper? Use the summer downtime to check your fintech needs and do the upgrades you’ve been putting off. Not sure if your tech stack is making the grade? Check out our list of common advisor tech problems and how to solve them.
Get a Head Start on Printed Collateral
Summer is the perfect time to get printed collateral finished for the year. “Holiday cards in July?!” you might ask. Believe it or not, this is a slow time for the printing business, too. Instead of scrambling for client holiday cards at peak season, have it done in the summer. Don’t forget business cards, brochures, business stationery, etc.
Streamline Subscriptions and Memberships
A lot can happen in a year: subscriptions renew, prices increase, and trial periods expire. Worse, you may be paying for services that were once a “free trial” and you don’t even know it. Check all the services you’re paying for or subscribed to and start simplifying. Subscribed to a newspaper you never read? See about getting a digital-only version for less cost. Want to sign a longer-term contract to protect your price for the subscriptions you know and love? Summer is the time to make those calls and save some money.
Plan Ahead for Conference and Event Travel
Fall is a great time get involved with industry events. Affiliated with a broker-dealer? There’s a good chance they’ve got something lined up for you. Custodians are known for their large-scale trade shows, as well. Are you signed up for the Fearless Investing Summit this October? We have amazing breakout sessions, great entertainment, and 1:1 training with Riskalyze coaches. We’d love for you to join us!
Spruce Up Your Office Space
Get inspired and make office updates to reflect your new, uncluttered outlook. With fewer clients in the office, it’s the perfect time to change up the space. Move furniture or upgrade anything that’s damaged or worn. By fall, you’ll want to have even more clients coming through your doors to show off your HGTV skills. Want a cool poster on us? Let us know at riskalyze.com/poster.
Boost Your Online Presence
Update photos, add connections, and clean up outdated information on social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, etc). Respond to reviews about your services on sites like Yelp or Google. Make sure your name, contact info, and website display correctly on search engines and fill in any gaps. Turn your website into a lead generation machine by adding questionnaires for visitors and consider a website re-design to attract more prospects. We created a list of Best Financial Advisor Websites and noted the three things every website needs to be successful.
This is the perfect time of year to tackle big projects, make small improvements, and set yourself up for a great rest of the year. We hope this gives some inspiration, and if you need a little more motivation, take a vacation yourself! You’ve earned it.