Summit Business Media's AdvisorOne and ActiFi Launch Breakthrough Advisor Practice Management Research

NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AdvisorOne/Summit Business Media, one of the leading media and information companies serving financial advisors of all kinds, and ActiFi, Inc., the leading software and solutions firm devoted to helping financial advisors and institutions build exceptional businesses, today announced the launch of a breakthrough research study devoted to advisor practice management. The comprehensive, first-of-its-kind research project intends to define the current state of practice management, identify best practices, and discover key unmet needs and future challenges and opportunities. The study is geared towards helping broker/dealers, custodians, manufacturers and service providers develop and offer better solutions so that advisors can build and grow more profitable businesses.

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"The trend is clear—advisors can no longer base their growth solely on the effectiveness of referrals, market performance and good sales techniques," said Jamie Green, Investment Advisory Group Editorial Director at Summit Business Media and editor of AdvisorOne.  "Rather, to build more profitable practices they need to operate effective and 'smart' small businesses. Our study's aim is to define what works and doesn't in practice management and demonstrate its importance to advisors and their partners in creating more profitable and valuable businesses that benefit end clients, advisors and institutions."

Many firms in the financial services industry already have or are developing practice management programs and specific product and solution offerings to meet the business needs of advisors.  However, there is a lack of consistency and clarity around what the term "practice management" even means, much less what are the most effective solutions.

"Tens-of-millions of dollars are spent each year by enterprise firms on practice management solutions with the goal of helping advisors grow and improve their businesses," said Spenser Segal, CEO of ActiFi, Inc. "Yet there is no definitive report that states what the real needs are, what solutions really work, and where the industry is headed so both advisors and enterprises can effectively plan and prioritize."

The AdvisorOne/ActiFi research study will also, for the first time, look across the actual offerings of the various providers in the financial services space and compare them to the expressed needs of advisors. For example, what a broker/dealer offers versus what a custodian offers versus what a wholesaler offers their advisor clients today varies widely. This objective research will attempt to shine a light on what advisors actually want and need versus what is delivered by their service provider.

"This study will look broadly across all areas of practice management from sales to human resources, from marketing to business coaching," added Green. "Firms that use the study results will make business decisions based on fact, where today it is often based on a 'gut feel' of what people think advisors need."

The study will consist of surveys and interviews with hundreds of financial advisors and the top leaders and influencers at financial enterprises. Surveys and interviews have already started, and it's anticipated that the research study will be available in early 2012. AdvisorOne and ActiFi will develop a comprehensive final report, study data, and an online portal where both advisors and firms can access the information and search for specific answers to questions that their organizations might have related to practice management.

"Summit Business Media has conducted hundreds of relied-upon advisor and enterprise surveys and for the past two years, ActiFi has partnered with the Financial Planning Association to create the preeminent reports related to advisor technology," added Segal. "Summit's studies and our reports are used each day by advisors and firms looking to take the guesswork out of purchase decisions. We expect that the Practice Management Research Study will be used in the same manner by firms and individuals looking for objective information prior to making important investments in their businesses, whether that's advisors looking for the right solutions or enterprises looking for direction on new product and service offerings designed to help their advisor clients grow."

To be included for consideration in the survey and/or interview process, please contact ActiFi at actifi.com or call 763.550.0223.

About ActiFi

ActiFi™ is a software and solutions company focused on delivering scalable business execution and sales management programs to the financial services industry. By implementing ActiFi's proven people, process, and technology solutions based on research, best-practices, diagnostics, and industry benchmarks, ActiFi clients run more effective and profitable businesses. For more information, please visit actifi.com.

About Summit Business Media

AdvisorOne.com is a Summit Business Media property. Summit Business Media is the leading B2B media and information company serving the insurance, financial, legal and investment advisory markets.  Summit strives to be "The Next Generation of Business Information" for executives and practitioners by providing breaking news and analysis, in-depth practice management strategies, business-building techniques and actionable data.  Summit services the information needs of its customers through numerous channels, including digital, print, and live events.  For more information, please visit summitbusinessmedia.com.

SOURCE Summit Business Media