Planning and Advice

HR 101: Outsourcing your HR department

(November 2007) Alexandra McLean and Shannon Waller from The Strategic Coach examine your experiences and answer your questions about human resources and people management. Q. We are a small shop but we have decided to delegate our HR duties to a third party. Does it make sense for us to hire someone to handle our […]

By Alexandra McLean, Shannon Waller |November 7, 2007

3 min read

Planning and Advice

How the mini-budget affects you (A timely template letter for clients)

(November 2007) Be proactive with your clients. Show them that you are up to date on current affairs and how changes impact their financial situation. Send out this letter outlining how the recently announced federal “mini-budget” affects them and how they can save money in the future. Dear [Client’s name], On October 30, the federal […]

By Bryan Borzykowski |October 31, 2007

2 min read

Planning and Advice

Walk in the shoes of your best clients

(November 2007) Winston Churchill once stated, “if you mean to profit, learn to please.” It was his secret for a profitable and successful career — as British Prime Minister, orator, and celebrated author. Today it could be considered sage advice for advisors as well. Churchill makes it sound simple. Advisors can spend too much time […]

By Shawn O'Brien |October 29, 2007

5 min read

Planning and Advice

Exit planning: Bidding and final negotiations

(October 2007) You have invested a tremendous amount of time and effort to build your business and, most likely, you’d prefer to sell it to someone who will continue to make it successful. Having the right mindset, and list of appropriate considerations available while you review offers and negotiate, will help you find the right […]

By Cindy Jenner Cowan |October 16, 2007

5 min read

Do you have a brand?

(October 2007) Coca-Cola. Nike. McDonald’s. Even Joe Camel. All are recognizable, identifiable, and very powerful brands. Whether it’s a red can with a white swirl, a swoosh, a set of Golden Arches or a smoking, cartoon camel, each brand is the symbolic embodiment of a product or company. These brands elicit an emotional and sometimes […]

By Shawn O'Brien |October 4, 2007

5 min read

Exit planning: Doing your due diligence

Buying a practice or a book of business isn’t as simple as signing on the dotted line. If you want to make sure you’re getting the right deal, it’s mandatory that you conduct due diligence. But what exactly is due diligence and why does it need to be performed?

5 min read

The case for global dividends

The current catch phrase in the investment community has been to ‘go global’ but what is the best strategy to take your clients’ portfolios abroad? Stephen Way, portfolio manager of AGF Global Dividend Fund, makes the case for dividend-paying companies as well as what to look for in the global marketplace. To read the full […]

By Staff |September 13, 2007

1 min read

HR 101: Money doesn’t always equal happiness

(August 2007)Alexandra McLean and Shannon Waller from The Strategic Coach examine your experiences and answer your questions about human resources and people management. In this article: Talent management advice and non-monetary ways to keep people happy. You asked: What are some of the easiest ways to keep people happy in their jobs? Assuming that we […]

4 min read

Signatures slowing down insurance industry

(August 2007) It’s been said over and over again: The life insurance industry relies too much on paper, and not enough on technology. So what’s the holdup? How about handwritten signatures? Every life insurance policy requires a handful of signatures, which traditionally means grabbing a pen and putting your John Hancock on paper. But Tim […]

3 min read