A survival and sales growth framework for independent financial advisers

Abstract

Independent financial advisers have to address different problems as they pro¬gress through the life cycle stages of their businesses. A number of researchers, however, are of the opinion that small business owners do not have the ability to manage the growth-related transitions effectively. It appears that additional guidance is needed to assist independent financial advisers with the survival and growth of their small businesses. Until now, only a small amount of research has been conducted in this area and no formal research study has proposed a marketing mix framework for these advisers, portraying the various factors threatening their survival and growth in their organisational life cycle, as well as the various marketing mix strategies that can be implemented to proactively manage the problems and help generate sales growth. The objective of this study was to propose such a framework to offer additional assistance for business survival and sales growth. This study was exploratory in nature and commenced with a comprehensive lit¬erature investigation to gain the necessary background to support the empirical part of the study. Different opinions and studies were presented and evaluated, which led to the identification of a general business life cycle model as well as a number of problems and marketing mix solutions that could potentially occur in each life cycle stage. These literature findings were then further investigated among independent financial advisers by means of telephone and personal interviews. Following the empirical findings, the recommended framework suggests that independent financial advisers may experience three types of problems in their businesses: critical problems, important problems and problems that only need consideration. Independent financial advisers can use four groups of recom¬mended marketing mix strategies to address these problems. There are also four groups of recommended marketing mix strategies that can assist these advisers to grow their sales (commission). These advisers would, however, need to ensure that they are aware of and understand the various environmental factors that can hinder the successful implementation of the marketing mix strategies. They also need to be able to use the recommended counterstrategies to address the environmental factors. Ultimately, the successful implementation of the recommended marketing mix strategies could then help independent financial advisers to grow their businesses and progress to a more advanced life cycle stage.