Creating a business plan gives you a blueprint to follow as you grow your advisory practice. You may need to tweak your plan as time goes by and your business evolves. For simplicity’s sake, you might opt for a one-page business plan that you can easily adjust. An example template can make it easier to develop a business plan for your advisory firm.
Ready to grow your client base? SmartAsset AMP helps you connect with leads.
Why Write a Financial Advisor Business Plan
Creating a business plan isn’t a requirement for starting an advisory firm. There are, however, some good reasons to consider developing one. Your plan can allow you to:
- Clarify your goals and outline the specific action steps required to achieve them.
- Develop a realistic budget that reflects your firm’s anticipated expenses and revenue growth.
- Flesh out your ideal client profile and what you bring to the table in serving your clients.
- Identify your biggest competitors and what they’re doing to achieve success.
- Create a marketing plan that aligns with your business’s vision and goals.
A business plan may be necessary if you’re seeking financing in the form of small business loans or private funding from investors. In that instance, you’ll need a more detailed plan vs. a one-page business plan.
Remember that financial advisor business plans don’t need to be set in stone. The shape your plan takes on day 1,000 of running your business may look quite different from the plan you started with on day one.
What to Include in a Financial Advisor Business Plan
There are plenty of guides on how to write a financial advisor business plan and most offer the same thing, in terms of what you’ll need to include. What the checklist covers will depend on whether you’re writing a one-page business plan or a full business plan.
A one-page business plan is exactly what it sounds like: a business plan that fits onto a single page. A full or formal business plan is more in-depth.
Here are the key points to cover in a one-page financial advisor business plan:
- Your vision
- Who you serve
- How you help your clients and what makes you unique
- Marketing strategies
- One-year goals
- Metrics for tracking your goals
- SWOT analysis (strengths/weaknesses)
- Most important projects/focus
If you’re writing a formal financial advisor business plan, there’s a little more to cover. Here, you’ll include:
- Executive summary
- Company description
- Market analysis
- Organization and management
- Services/products
- Marketing/sales
- Financial projections
- Appendix
You may write a longer business plan when starting your business and update it annually while having a one-page plan as a “cheat sheet” that you monitor monthly or quarterly.
One Page Business Plan Financial Advisor Template
Formal business plans can sometimes read like a book or instruction manual, with pages and pages of detail. A one-page business plan is meant to be concise and compact, outlining the most important strategies and objectives for growing your firm.
Templates can streamline the planning process. You can use the following example as a guide for creating a one-page business plan for your firm.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to Create a Business Plan as a Financial Advisor?
Creating a financial advisor business plan begins with identifying your business objectives and who your services are designed for. Using a template can make creating your plan less confusing, as you’ll be able to see what information needs to go where. You may also hire a small business consultant to help you draft a business plan if you have a more complex business structure.
How Do You Write a One-Page Business Plan?
Writing a one-page business plan as a financial advisor means drilling down to what’s most important for your firm over the next one to five years. You can include some of the same elements that you’d add to a regular business plan, such as a description of your ideal clients and how you serve them, and how you intend to market your services. The goal is to pick out the most relevant details to include so that your plan fits neatly onto a single page.
Do Financial Advisors Need a Business Plan?
You don’t need to have a business plan and many advisors run their firms without one. However, you could be putting your business at a disadvantage if you’re not taking the time to make one. A business plan can give you clarity and direction on which paths to follow for success. Even a one-page business plan can provide a helpful snapshot of the steps you should be taking toward your goals.
Bottom Line
Taking the time to write a business plan can help you determine where to focus your time, energy and budget as your firm grows. Financial advisor business plan templates like the one provided here make the task easier, without tying up hours of your busy day.
Tips for Growing Your Advisory Business
- Marketing is an integral element of your business plan; without it, you may find it difficult to gain traction and grow your client base. If you need a hand with promoting your business to the right audience, an automated marketing platform can help. SmartAsset AMP can help you connect with leads and provide you with the tools you need to follow up. Schedule a demo today to learn more about how it works.
- Business planning isn’t the only way that you can put templates to work. You might create a financial planning template to use when working with your clients as well. Having a template that you can easily customize to the needs of individual clients can save a little time, versus having to create a brand-new plan each time from scratch.
Photo credit: ©iStock.com/andresr, ©iStock.com/Rebecca Lake, CEPF®, ©iStock.com/kate_sept2004