Blue Sky - Professional Networking and Mentoring for IFAs and Financial Planners

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.

A key focus for the group is on the following core business areas:

• Business Development
• Business Management
• Financials
• People
• Technology
• Technical
• Clients

In addition to the support that individual members give to one another within the group, IFA Life and Michelle Hoskin of the Adviser Partnership will also be providing a range of valuable services directly to members of the group.

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 to Blue Sky on or after 1st January 2012, please contact us for details of pricing for the year.

Email: bluesky@ifalife.com

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
  
  
  Plus - services from IFA Life and Michelle Hoskin of The Adviser Partnership:
  
  
  
  
• Access to the Blue Sky members only forum on LinkedIn
  
• Free advertising on IFA Life Jobs
  
  
• Free registration and access to questions/leads on Ask IFA Life (wef mid Feb 2012)
  
• Complimentary Business Systems Review
  
• Complimentary access to the TAP Business Toolkit with discounts on services
  
• Discounted ISO 22222 certification services from Standards International (initial only)
  
• Complimentary access to the TAP HR Toolkit
  
• Complimentary HR Advice Line access
  
• Discounted TAP recruitment and HR services and attendance at training workshops
  
• Discounted (and some free) attendance at selected IFA Life training workshops and seminars
  
• Personalised ‘friendly’ domain name on IFA Life. E.g.
  www.ifalife.com/members/profile.asp?UserID=10015 becomes www.ifalife.com/PhilipCalvert or your choice
  
• Repeated highlighting of your profile in Featured Member section on home page
  Premium members will be highly visible to consumers searching for a local IFA
  
• Priority access to media and journalist enquiries to raise your profile
  We will notify Premium members first when journalists post requests for comment from IFAs
  
• Listing on IFA life Foursquare branded page
  Consumers searching for local information on Foursquare will find short tips about your business. More
  
  
• Complimentary eBook Successful Seminar Selling
  How to plan, promote and present successful client seminars

PLUS:

The first 100 members of Blue Sky will receive complimentary participation in the BS 8577 Certification Scheme (initial only) when it is launched in Q2 2012. BS 8577 – Framework for the provision of financial advice and planning services is the new British Standard for financial planning and advisory firms which is currently under draft for public consultation until 9th March 2012.

How to join Blue Sky

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.

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