The best of both worlds
Mark spent most of his career in banking before moving into the advice industry. He’s now a successful mortgage broker based in Colchester. And he’s also part of the Openwork network.
“I’d worked at Lloyds Bank for nearly 19 years, managing financial advisers and mortgage advisers. And I thought, why not do that myself?”
So how has it worked out? “Well, I’m glad I did it,” says Mark. “Having my own firm and also being part of Openwork is really interesting.”
This situation gives Mark the best of both worlds: he’s an entrepreneur running his own business, but he’s also plugged into a huge support network.
“A lot of the time it feels like it's not just me and it's not just my firm,” he says. “I've got other people around me, so the support from Openwork’s business development manager, for example, is great – I almost feel like they're part of my team.”
This support helps Mark to focus his energies on what he does best: helping his clients to make some of their most important decisions in the best way possible.
Long-term gains
Mark’s big on fitness. So he knows that you’ve got to stay focused on the long-term gains right from the start of the process. That’s what matters when you’re helping clients through the various stages of buying a home. But those end-results are well worth all that early effort.
“When you're guiding that first-time buyer through the process and they eventually get their first home, there's nothing better than them sending you that picture of them in front of their house and then putting it all over Instagram. That's very rewarding.”
Keeping training on track
But as Mark helps more people to buy their dream homes, he’s having to bring more people on board to keep his business growing. And that’s another area where Openwork has helped him, allowing him to get new hires up to speed without compromising his commitment to his clients.
“Having training available to us via Openwork has been really useful for us,” he says. “I think probably the biggest example of that is where we've brought a new adviser on board.”
A new hire has to get to grips with all the different aspects of the advice business. That includes not only the financial aspects of the job but also the soft skills that are needed to help clients and grow the confidence required to flourish in the industry. Openwork has helped Mark to mentor new employees in many different ways.
“All that training, especially in the Business School modules and topics, was invaluable, really.”
And as someone who’s bringing fresh blood into the industry, Mark is enthusiastic about the prospects of those who are just starting out in their careers.
“The benefit of a young person becoming a financial adviser is that they can really make a massive difference to people's lives,” he says.
What Openwork can offer you
If you’re looking to hone your skills, accelerate your career and expand your business, Openwork is here to help.
We are passionate about developing the talents and careers of the people who work with us, and we’re committed to equipping them with the skills and support that they need to thrive. That’s why we offer a full suite of training, services and support to the members of our network.
If you want to find out more about how we can help your firm grow, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.