2017 has got off to a busy start with lots of varied client projects and involvement.
A number of clients have seen the benefit of regular monthly meetings in order to review and keep business plans on track and I don’t recall ever having had a diary booked so far in advance. Monthly performance reviews are an important discipline and a lot of my clients have seen huge benefits from both the process and the outcomes.
Compliance training courses continue to be well attended and my original Consumer Protection and Money Laundering Regulations course set for 22nd February in London has sold out and so an additional afternoon programme has been arranged.
With the 4th Money Laundering Directive due for implementation in June, no business can afford to fall behind in terms of knowledge and business processes.
Many businesses are also booking me to provide compliance and other training programmes exclusively for their teams. In the last few weeks I have run courses for businesses in Hatfield, Cambridge and Battersea and have visits to Leicester and Northwood planned in February too.
As well as compliance training, I also undertake management development and mentoring programmes and work with a number of clients and their managers and “up and coming” staff to help them understand and maximise the performance of the team and business units under their control.
I am also working with long term Integra client ARPM who provide outsourced lettings and management solutions to agents. Two free to attend seminars are planned in February and March at Gatwick and Guildford where I will be making presentations on creating a business plan and on Money Laundering compliance.
During 2017 I plan to widen Integra's range of training programmes as well as offering a “Lettings Health Check” which will involve a visit a lettings business and the undertaking of a thorough audit of processes and systems followed by a report to the business owner on the strengths and weaknesses of the operation and the opportunities and threats that they face. This will then enable a business owner to put in place a clear action plan to ensure a compliant and commercially productive business.
Since the turn of the year I have completed copy for two new agency websites and continue to handle the web content and social media for around fifteen agencies.
At a basic level, my own business plan requires me to secure two new clients a month. I’m pleased to say that in January I secured thirteen. A positive start based on a clear set of objectives and a plan of action to achieve them.