strategic thinking Archives - Page 2 of 3

5 Points Of Competitive Difference In Choosing Product Suppliers

by Tony Vidler Often it seems there is little difference between product suppliers in financial services, with one fund manager looking similar to other fund managers, and one life insurer offering essentially the same products as other life insurers…how do you decide which product supplier is right to work more closely with? When it […]

The Strategic Evolution Of Advice Firms

by Tony Vidler The evolution of advice firms into different service and revenue models is happening already of course, but the majority of financial advisory firms appear to still be trying to figure out what the next evolutionary step might be. There’s a classic cartoon that shows the way forward for those advice firms when […]

Do you actually have a Strategy?

by Tony Vidler Nearly every financial services firm says they have a strategy. Which is remarkable really, as creating a competitive strategy is actually difficult usually. Especially if you don’t know what “strategy” is to begin with. Many practices have a plan, and that plan is usually full of tactical decisions and thinking. […]

Handling Regulatory Uncertainty

by Tony Vidler The regulatory uncertainty level amongst advisers is just about at an all time high. It’s not just new rules that create the uncertainty; it is the shift to principes-based or outcome-focussed regulation that doesn’t have the definitive and prescribed series of “thou shalts” and “thou shalt nots” which creates the most uncertainty. […]

Balancing Adviser Needs and Clients Wants

by Tony Vidler The professional Financial Advisers’ needs matter as much as the Clients’ wants. Consumer groups & regulators will probably disagree of course, but the ideal practice is one which surely achieves this balance isn’t it? After all, practitioners are trying to earn a living and meet the wants and needs of their own […]

The Cyborg Practice: Blending Robos With Advice

by Tony Vidler Future advice practices will be cyborgs; blending robos with advice. Robotic product and solution delivery together with humans managing relationships and working on strategy will be the single commercial “organism”. You see, I am convinced that robo-advice models will succeed and prosper. I am also convinced that human advisers will […]

Where will the greatest disruption to your practice come from?

by Tony Vidler Disruption has long been a feature of financial services distribution. Disruption constantly occurs with new market entrants, product innovation, shifting strategic focus on the part of suppliers in relation to control or autonomy of distributors….but disruption has typically come from within the industry itself. Some years ago I read a piece […]

What is YOUR Risk Tolerance as an Adviser?

by Tony Vidler It seems to me that it is worth advisers asking themselves what their risk tolerance is as business owners given all the market and regulatory changes that have occurred in a reasonably short period of time. When contemplating what changes should be made in response to more regulatory reform or fundamental industry […]

Using Practice Technology As A Competitive Advantage

by Tony Vidler Everyone is looking for a competitive advantage, an edge over the firms offering similar services. Often those competitors are offering essentially the same services, with the same processes, and the same infrastructure…but…how one implements and uses practice technology is an area that often has untapped potential to provide business advantages. […]

Getting Strategic Clarity Follows The Same Process As Giving Advice

by Tony Vidler The most important business-building step is having a well-defined strategy, yet strategy is one of the most misunderstood concepts in professional services. It is an area that many advisory firms struggle with, and frequently find themselves without any clearly defined strategy for how they will achieve their business objectives. That is […]

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