HELLO 2021 & GOODBYE 2020!

By Sanjay Badhan who is managing director, of independent financial and mortgage advisers Future Planning.

As the year starts to turn – how are you feeling about 2021?

Optimistic – if there is an extended lockdown then we should be better placed to deal with it as an economy. If it is not extended, then I think people will be looking to catch up on deferred plans. People working through their finances and getting financial plans in place so they can achieve their goals quicker should be a priority for everyone.

What are your business goals for the coming year? 

Grow the business organically by adding another adviser to our team, helping cope with increased demand for quality advice and planning. Add another administrator to our admin team to help with running the office and assisting advisers. Continue to provide an excellent service to our fantastic clients. Do more as a team once lockdown ends, as we have missed out on social team bonding activities this year.

Will you be looking for any new local suppliers in 2021? 

We offer services, however, regularly review our software providers to ensure they meet client needs and offer good value for money.

Are you looking to invest in yourself as a business owner or company director in 2021 in any way? 

We complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) regularly on an ongoing basis to ensure we remain at the forefront of any changes both technically and in the economy. We all typically try to sit one exam a year, which tend to require a significant investment in studying.

Looking back across 2020 – name three highlights for you and your business?

1) Staying open throughout the year even if working from home and being there when clients really needed us. Being there for the community, staying in touch with many people especially those classed as vulnerable and/or elderly, calling regularly and offering to help with anything they needed such as deliveries or food shops

2) Employing multiple apprentices to help them have a great opportunity with starting their career, especially in times of uncertainty.

3) Helping a record number of clients through their retirement and redundancy needs

Looking back across 2020 – were there any lowlights? 

The market volatility in February/March cannot be ignored, however, we helped all clients navigate through this successfully and their returns are well above average and very healthy now. We achieved this by remaining calm and keeping in close contact, along with very good investment techniques.

Who, in your business community – have been the shining stars of 2020? 

1) Kris Talikowski of The Core – he acted quickly and showed innovation to alter his business model offering deliveries with food parcels to the local community. He also offered free products to key workers and in need children

2) Anit and Manni Madhiani of The Bank – they gifted free lunches to key workers at the hospital for many weeks

3) Cejay Millard of Future Planning – she improved her skill set considerably this year and despite never having worked from home previously, continued to ensure clients were okay, staying in touch with them and helping them with any personal struggles through this tough time especially where vulnerable and shielding so they were unable to meet others.

Any special offers for 2021 you’d like to mention? 

We offer a free review to anyone wanting to look at their finances. Whether going through redundancy, retirement, a divorce, wanting to reduce your tax liabilities as a business or individual, or wishing to discuss any aspect of mortgages, we are very experienced and independent.

And finally: 

Let’s hope 2021 is a better year than 2020!

For more information visit https://futureplanningwm.co.uk