Networking groups for financial planners and accountants

[Americo]

Dear all,

I'm looking to establish a regular networking group (e.g monthly or every two months) for financial planners and/or accountants who currently offer or wish to offer financial planning advice. I would welcome any suggestions as to how you wish for these to operate. For example, these could be run formally, informally, used to generate reciprocal business or simply as a means for mentoring purposes. If you are interested, could you kindly email me with a brief overview of your business (namely size, staff numbers and location etc) to enable me to match people with other similar sized businesses. We can then discuss this in more detail.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Americo Donato
americo.donato@biteonline.com.au
www.biteonline.com.au

[fairlynewbie]

Hi Americo,

I am fairly new to the industry. I have been in FP for 6 years now mainly in operational roles and have been planning now for 6 months. The clients I have been servicing all live remotely and I have created my relationships with them over the phone.

I have been considering doing some freelance paraplanning on the side of what I am doing now.

I am located in central west NSW and would be interested in networking online.

cheers,
fairlynewbie

[Phalanx]

Hi Americo,

I am interested in joining your networking group. Could you please let me know more about this group?

Regards

Manoj

[Ishan]

Hi Americo,

I am currently a stockbroker for a broking firm in Melbourne who deals in equity, derivatives and self managed super. Im looking to develop strategic alliances with financial planning / accounting groups to create business through referrals that is mutually beneficial.

As such I am very much interested in joining your networking group, please let me know more details - idan@psl.com.au.

Cheers
Ishan

[Americo]

Dear all,

Thanks for your interest in the networking groups. As requested by a number of people, I have now established a networking group via linked in. You are all welcome to join or alternatively, if you have any specific questions or need help with a specific issue I'll try to help via these forums.

To join the group, you just need to be registered on linked in, search for my name and request to be added to the group.

Kind regards

[Americo]

I've also just realised that it's now possible to create groups on flying solo which I don't think was available previously. If this is of interest, I could set up a group for us to network online. Appreciate your feedback and any suggestions.

[FS Concierge]

Hi Americo

Actually, we've had the group function for some time, and there is an existing accountants and bookkeepers group. Perhaps it's an idea to post there and ask them if they'd mind some financial planners joining in too?

http://www.flyingsolo.com.au/forums/...ers-group.html

All the best,
Jayne

[Americo]

Thanks Jayne much appreciated!

[The Profit Frog]

Hi Americo,

I like the idea - wonder if there is room for a very newbie?
I am still studying my Dip Fin Serv in Financial Planning, and while I don't know if I want to devote an aspect of my business to delivering general financial advice, I will be certified to do so (when I finally get my Diploma!)

Your suggestions for what to base the meets on are all valid, ie reciprocal business, mentoring, general catch up on issues or challenges affecting the industry and how each FP is dealing with it - and there would be advantages to this because we each might know a great legal person or another contact who knows the minefield well and could be a guest speaker (I do know someone, for example... not sure about his interest in speaking... but could ask...)

So, guest speakers could be great too.
Are you thinking of charging some kind of membership fee or making it more informal...?

Thanks
Terri Mitchell
The Profit Frog
www.theprofitfrog.com

[Americo]

Hi Terri,

Thanks for your message and welcome aboard. The group is very informal and there are no plans to charge a fee. Essentially, it's just another avenue to help each other and over time I hope we can build a valuable forum of information. For this reason, I have set up a group called 'Practice Management' on the flying solo forums that way we can discuss specific items relating to the financial planning and accounting industries. I also have a group set up on linked in if that suits as a number of my industry colleagues prefer that forum. If you need a hand with anything happy to help.