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New Networking, Mentoring and Best Practice group for IFAs

Since the launch of IFA Life, at the heart of the community has been networking, sharing of best practice and IFAs willingly providing help and support to one another.

Every day on the IFA Life website, IFAs find answers to their questions from peers who freely give their time, experience and expertise.

And whilst IFA Life is an online platform, IFAs and financial planners also obtain huge value from networking face-to-face. Our London networking meetings have been a big success, with more regional events being planned.

Private Networking and Mentoring for IFAs

But from our conversations with IFAs, there is also demand for private networking, where they can meet, discuss and share business issues and act as a sounding board amongst a select group of peers. Privacy and confidentiality is a given.

Even the most successful IFA businesses face problems, issues and opportunities every day - but often they don’t always have access to likeminded individuals who can help them to see the wood for the trees.

Blue Sky is a new group which meets quarterly to share ideas, expertise, experience and knowledge – and most importantly to support and mentor each other within a professional, friendly, comfortable and respectful environment.

The wealth of experience in the group provides members with a private, supportive environment with unparalleled access to expertise to help problem-solve, stimulate new thinking and drive your business forward without the need to resort to expensive outside consultancy.

Each quarterly meeting examines a key IFA business development issue, plus a valuable open session where members share specific opportunities, ask questions, practise skills, discuss problems or highlight initiatives.

To fully benefit from the collective expertise of the group, IFAs and financial planners who typically join will:

Be outstanding listeners who can act as a sounding board, guiding and helping from real experience.
Willingly share skills, expertise and knowledge
Demonstrate positive attitude and act as a role model
Have a desire to and enjoy helping other IFAs
Exhibit enthusiasm in their field
Value ongoing learning and personal growth
Provide fresh perspective on problems and opportunities
Provide guidance and constructive feedback
Be respected by colleagues, other members of the group and within the wider financial advice profession
Set and meet ongoing personal and professional goals
Be non-judgemental and value the opinions and initiatives of others
Motivate others by setting an example
Be authentic and practice what he/she preaches
Be honest and confidential

Your typical quarterly meeting will include:

Welcome and introductions from new members
Business development or technical presentation from an expert speaker or sponsor (Members can be reassured that we will never allow ‘product pushes’. All sponsors and speakers will be clearly briefed on the nature of the group)
Networking lunch
Activity, progress and issues from members over the previous quarter
Goals for the coming quarter

Your investment in your business

For IFAs signing up on or after 1st January 2012, your investment in twelve months membership of Blue Sky is £1,575 plus vat per annum. This will include lunch, refreshments and meeting costs.

When you sign up between 1st September 2011 and 31st December 2011, twelve months membership is discounted to just £275* plus vat! Plus, any IFA signing up before 31st December 2011 may renew in twelve months time at just £497 plus vat.

Note: *limited to just twenty places at this rate.

Join Blue Sky today and benefit from:

Being part of a group of likeminded professionals who are eager to share best practice and support one another
The experience and expertise of your peers
A safe and confidential place to highlight business issues and to ask for ideas
Valuable new contacts within the group and the contacts of the group
Speakers to inspire and challenge you
Ideas and techniques to build your business skills
Creative thinking
A proven sounding board from which to build confidence in taking decisions to advance your business
A private online forum for members to continue discussions between meetings

To be considered to join Blue Sky, please write direct to IFA Life founder Philip Calvert, briefly outlining how you feel that you could benefit from the group - plus what skills, expertise and experience you will bring to the group. We will reply promptly. Email philip@ifalife.com.

A quick word about the location of meetings

Blue Sky is attracting attention from IFAs around the UK, so it's inevitable that the locations of the meetings will not always be ideal for everyone. When we started planning Blue Sky, we wanted to do something that would 'wow' IFAs right from the start, and we're confident that after attending one of the meetings they will be keen and excited about travelling to the meeting every quarter.

So, the meetings will take account of where members are located, and we'll try and make it work for everyone. We may also move the meetings around the UK to make it more convenient.