It can be exciting and stressful if you have recently transitioned from being an employee of a larger financial entity to starting your advisory practice. As an independent financial professional, establishing credibility and trust can be stressful. Every decision, every strategy, and every client interaction holds weight. So, how can you develop a winning formula as an independent financial advisor?
The best solution? Consider collaborating with an Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction (OSJ).
Leveraging the power and expertise of an Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction (OSJ) can be the game-changer that can help you shape the future of your business.
In this blog, we’ll look at ways you can leverage your partnership with an OSJ to help elevate the growth of your business.
Check out our popular Quick Guide, “Why Independent Financial Professionals Are Partnering With An OSJ.”
Advantages of Collaborating with an OSJ
When you collaborate with an OSJ, there are many advantages that you can leverage to expand and elevate your new independent practice.
Thought Leaders
OSJs, with their deep-rooted industry connections, provide unparalleled access to up-to-the-minute industry insights and best practices. By aligning with an OSJ, you position yourself as a knowledgeable thought leader with your clients, leads, and prospects.
Training
Whether it’s a deep dive into a sophisticated financial advising strategy or problem-solving for new clients, these learning sessions can be of great assistance to you in sharpening your advisory and marketing skills. To be competitive in today’s environment, you must continually enhance your knowledge base, credentials, and skills. Standing still is the same as going backward.
Think of it this way. By collaborating with an OSJ, you invest in your professional growth, ensuring you’re always ahead of the curve and ready to offer your clients the latest sophisticated financial advice and services.
Regulatory and Compliance Support
Staying on top of and managing day-to-day compliance-related issues can be a full-time job. One effective way to meet this challenge head-on is by leveraging the regulatory and compliance support offered by your OSJ.
With their deep understanding of the financial industry’s regulatory landscape, an OSJ can guide you through the labyrinth of rules, ensuring you understand them and apply them correctly in your daily operations. This hands-on guidance can save you significant time and resources, which can be better spent focusing on your core competencies, winning new business, and serving current clients.
Their expertise ensures you remain on the right side of the regulatory agencies and instills confidence in your clients, strengthening the trust they place in you to act in their best interests. It’s not merely about avoiding penalties; it’s about upholding a standard of excellence that permeates all aspects of your financial advisory business.
Operational and Administrative Efficiency
As a business owner, you want to ensure that you and your team operate as efficiently as possible. Inconsistency, duplicated work, and outdated operating methods can consume valuable time and cost you money.
One way to ensure a streamlined operation is by leveraging the OSJ’s established, time-tested systems and procedures. This isn’t about cutting corners but rather harnessing an established operational framework that supports your productivity and ensures you are always compliant.
Collaborating with an OSJ to assist in overseeing your operational needs is an opportunity to elevate your practice by capitalizing on established systems, processes, and procedures. The end goal? A more streamlined, efficient, and profitable operation.
Marketing and Business Growth Assistance: The Role of an OSJ
An OSJ isn’t just a supervisory body; it’s a partner in your journey to building a substantial, profitable business.
Here are a few ways an OSJ can assist you in developing and implementing a successful business model:
- Strategic Brand Positioning: OSJs have garnered considerable experience and insight into marketing financial advice and services. Their experience extends to understanding market dynamics and investor behaviors.
- Broadening Your Client Network: Everyone wants to grow their client base. An OSJ, having a wider reach and an established reputation, can open doors to potential clients that might have otherwise been beyond your reach.
- Joint Marketing Initiatives: In today’s digital world, marketing isn’t just about individual sales skills; it’s about personalization, validation, and transparency. By partnering with an OSJ, you’re not on your own, you are part of a bigger organization. You’ll benefit from joint marketing initiatives, pooling resources, and leveraging collective strengths.
Access to Improved Technologies
Another powerful way to leverage your partnership with an OSJ is your access to new, more sophisticated technologies.
For starters, OSJs typically provide you access to state-of-the-art technology solutions for efficient client services. An OSJ may have technology that streamlines tasks, reduces manual work, improves results, and enhances your clients’ experiences. This operational efficiency can be a game changer in a world where clients expect instantaneous responses and personalized services.
Many of the digital tools offered by OSJs can be invaluable for investment research and analysis. These tools often come equipped with the latest market data and trends, allowing advisors to make informed recommendations and decisions backed by real-time data. This, in turn, can foster a more strategic approach to investment management and financial planning.
But it doesn’t end there. Given the importance of clear, frequent communications with your clients, an OSJ can provide platforms that facilitate seamless reporting and informative client communication tools. A major source of current client attrition can be a lack of communication. That won’t happen to you. An OSJ platform ensures your clients are kept in the loop, fostering open communications and trust.
As an independent financial professional, access to state-of-the-art technology platforms is more than an operational advantage. It’s an opportunity to elevate client service standards, make data-driven decisions, and foster stronger client relationships. This could be the differentiator that sets you apart in a competitive industry.
Choosing the Right OSJ for Your Needs
Here are a few considerations when searching for the best OSJ for you:
1. Start by identifying your specific needs. What are the areas in your practice that require the most support and resources? Is it compliance, technology, or perhaps marketing? Identifying these key areas will help you select the OSJ best suited for providing the services that benefit you the most.
2. It’s reasonable to assume some OSJs will better fit your firm than others. The key is knowing the differences and selecting OSJs that match your firm’s requirements.
3. Reputation matters. Do your due-diligence when researching an OSJ’s background. Look for case studies, testimonials, independent reviews, and references you can talk to. An experienced and credible OSJ should be willing to provide full transparency for the information you require to make a selection decision.
4. Beyond the operational facets, it’s paramount that the OSJ you collaborate with mirrors your persona and business values. Shared vision and values are the bedrock of any fruitful, long-term partnership.
Remember, the right partnership can elevate your practice to new heights. Choose wisely.
About Evolution Financial Advisors
We are a boutique Large Enterprise/OSJ in the Osaic network. The size of our firm means every independent financial professional we serve is extremely important to us. At the same time, Evolution is also one of the largest OSJs in the Osaic network of independent financial professionals.
Evolution Financial Advisors’ success has been driven by the productivity of our professionals and by the value we bring to the financial professionals we work with. Not only do we understand what is important to you, but we are a one-stop resource for all of your needs.
Connect with us today to learn more about the unique features that make us the OSJ of choice for so many independent financial professionals.
