Mortgage and protection advisers came together for a day of learning and networking at our latest London Peer Group event.

The packed agenda included sessions on where and how leads can be generated, how to support customers with later life lending and opportunities for creating additional income streams through referral platforms.

Product and criteria updates were presented by key lenders and firms in the mortgage sector including HSBC Life, Santander and Air Sourcing.

Advisers also enjoyed interactive sessions about influencing skills, and heard from a clinical psychologist on the significance of non-verbal communication, including how to understand cues from different parts of the body and being aware of what we’re saying through our own body language.

Regular regional peer groups are a staple of our offering, because taking on the burden of compliance is one thing, but a network should be so much more than that.

The feedback from attendees shows that brokers agree, and see the value in such events. For example, brokers described it as a “useful day” with a “rounded overview of body language and how that can be useful within a business environment”, while others suggested there were “plenty of little gems to take” from it.

Another attendee noted that while it is always difficult to leave client-facing work for a day, “it’s a really important part of staying in touch with the industry and continuing to learn”.

This is a great insight into the challenges that brokers face in finding a balance between supporting their existing clientbase with their needs, but also pursuing opportunities to learn and develop which can boost the future prospects of the individual broker.

Understanding what members need
In my view, a central function of networks is actively helping businesses to grow. Things like maintaining compliance, providing training and qualification opportunities and generating leads are the minimum anyone should expect from a network.

We take an active interest in every adviser who joins the Rosemount family, both from a business point of view and on a personal level. We find out exactly what their goals and aspirations are so we know what needs to be done to get them there.

Being self-employed can be a lonely business and it’s so easy to get bogged down, working case-to-case, day-by-day. You might know what the short-term pipeline looks like, but where are you headed? Where do you want to be in two years, five years? What’s the end goal?

Even if you do have a vision, you might not know how to get there. Business growth often demands a whole host of skills – marketing, planning, accountancy, recruitment, HR – and a great deal of time. This is where the support of a good network is invaluable.

A strategic plan for next level growth
Even when client cases are pouring in, growth can plateau without a clear strategic plan for taking it to the next level. A good place to start is to determine how much business you want to write, and work back from there. At Rosemount, for example, we sit with advisers to create that business plan, while our support team takes on the administrative burden of putting it into practice.

We are then better placed to help advisers achieve their goals by assisting in areas such as branding, social media, marketing and paraplanning.

It’s important for networks to ensure that help is also there when the time comes to recruit, whether that’s additional qualified advisers or administrative staff. One of the ways we do that is by assisting with the creation of job adverts, conduct interviews and provide HR and contractual support.

The same goes for brokers looking to acquire other firms, which is another common avenue for growth.

Many of our advisers have grown their businesses since joining Rosemount, often scaling from a one-person enterprise to bigger teams with several members of staff. That is only possible if those businesses have sufficient support around them, a network that is built with the understanding of what appointed representatives need in order to succeed.

We know from experience that it’s an approach that our advisers welcome, as they have seen first hand the difference it can make to their business.

A good network should be totally focused on providing ambitious advisers with all the tools they need to build their businesses, from business planning to body language. If your network isn’t doing that, then it may be time to consider the alternatives.

Ahmed Bawa is CEO of Rosemount Financial Solutions (IFA) Ltd