Consulting services

Macquarie Practice Consulting - practical solutions for your business.

 

Overview

Understanding what you want for your financial planning or mortgage broking business is one thing, but having the time and resources to make your goals a reality is another. This is where it may pay to seek outside help and expertise from a practice management consultant.

Macquarie Practice Consulting is part of Macquarie Adviser Services. This gives us access to Macquarie’s expertise and resources so we can bring best of breed consulting services to your business. We take a broad industry perspective, looking at fresh insights and practical solutions, and assess how these could work for you. We focus not only on strategy but also on implementation – so you are not left with just an ‘idea’. Our consultants have a wealth of experience in financial services which they can use to help you build a better business.

Through our extensive research with financial planners we found that most planning businesses would benefit from expert advice in the areas of:

  • establishing and implementing a clear business strategy
  • developing a consistent and sustainable pricing model
  • developing a clear customer value proposition
  • defining, and efficiently delivering, their offer

In this time of increasing regulation and global economic change, the need for these services has never been more apparent or more appropriate.

Read our Practical solutions for your business flyer.

Our services

Macquarie Practice Consulting provides results-driven consulting services to financial planning and mortgage broking businesses. As experts in our field, we know that not all businesses will require all of our services. To cater for this we have developed a flexible service model which means you can pick and choose which of our services are most relevant to your business and your budget. Broadly speaking our services cover:

  • Business strategy – you want to grow your business and would benefit from external ideas and knowledge (and help with implementing the ideas).
  • Pricing – you want to implement a consistent pricing model across your business and develop a clear proposition to clients. Download the Pricing your services flyer
  • Integration – you have acquired a business or clientbase and want to effectively integrate this into your existing business
  • People – you want to build a high performing service culture, and need assistance with developing job descriptions, key performance indicators and performance plans
  • Back office – you want to reduce the cost of servicing clients without impacting the quality of the delivery
  • Marketing – you need to clearly articulate the value you provide to clients, and want to ensure your marketing and sales material adequately describe what you offer
  • Segment your business – you could benefit from a thorough analysis of your client base to determine the ideal client and to help build your ‘alliance/ referral’ network.
  • Selling your business – you need to get your business in the best shape possible to obtain the highest price

 

Industry Benchmarking

Macquarie Practice Consulting conducts an annual benchmarking survey with financial planning practices. The survey provides practices with insights into the latest business trends and best practice benchmarks. Together with these insights and Macquarie’s expert industry knowledge, the report can help advisers benchmark their business and highlight the areas where there may be scope to improve business performance.

The survey is conducted and results are available in the first quarter of each year. 

2012 Benchmarking Report – financial planning practices

2011 Benchmarking Report – mortgage broking

Our team 

Macquarie Practice Consulting is part of Macquarie Adviser Services.

Macquarie Adviser Services supports your business with a quality range of products and services that drive business efficiency, while helping you grow and protect your clients’ wealth. Our Macquarie Practice Consulting consultants have a wealth of experience working within financial services which they can use to help you build a better business.

Fiona Mackenzie

fiona mackenzieFiona Mackenzie, Senior Practice Consultant, manages the Macquarie Practice Consulting business. Fiona has extensive experience in small business consulting, specialising in financial service and professional firms. She holds a BEc, a post-graduate Change Management Qualification and executive MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), UNSW. Previously Fiona has held several senior management roles, including Head of Marketing and Product Development with Bridges Financial Services and Head of Adviser Marketing with Macquarie.

Fiona has a passion for helping small businesses to clarify their strategy, articulate their value, refine their pricing and develop enduring client loyalty. Her mission is to empower practices to grow effectively by providing industry insights, fresh ideas and practical solutions.

Libby Beeching

libby beechingLibby Beeching is a Practice Consultant with Macquarie Practice Consulting. Libby has more than 12 years experience in financial services gained in various roles within Australia and the UK, including the development of a start-up wrap business, key account management, business development and paraplanning roles. Libby holds a BEc and a Diploma of Financial Services.

Libby enjoys developing strong relationships with advisers and gaining an in-depth knowledge of their business. She is determined to find a solution for every problem and her project management skills ensure that deadlines are managed and met. Libby believes in the value of financial advice and is focused on helping advisers take this message to clients.

Linda Oliver

Linda Oliver holds dual roles within Macquarie Group, Practice Consultant with Macquarie Practice Consulting and Business Development Manager with Macquarie Mortgages.  Linda’s two roles are complimentary as she combines her work pairing her clients with lending solutions, whilst being fortunate enough to work with clients on a broader scale.  Linda has more than 20 years experience in financial services, she has held various roles within Australia and USA including Business Development Roles in mortgages and investment lending.  Linda holds a Cert IV in Mortgage Broking and a Diploma of Financial Services (FP) (SMSF).

Linda enjoys working with advisers and mortgage brokers to help them achieve their business goals and ensure their clients’ needs are met.  She is solution driven and receives an immense amount of satisfaction from seeing her clients business's grow and develop.

 

Alison Garland

alison garlandAlison is a Senior Associate at Macquarie and provides administration and support services to Macquarie Practice Consulting. Alison has been with Macquarie for three years and has a background in Guest Relations. Alison is always one step ahead and prides herself on her organisation skills. Her willingness to help and her proactive approach make her a valuable asset to the Macquarie Practice Consulting team.

 

Testimonials

  • "We were considering the options of expansion and had prepared a business plan for future growth. We did, however, have issues with regards to establishing corporate authorized relationships, not disenfranchising current advisers within the business and obtaining a clear direction for everyone. Fiona Mackenzie was able to provide us with a clear vision for future growth. Her professionalism, experience and guidance was invaluable in addressing our issues, mapping a clear path for our business and achieving the optimal result. I would strongly urge any financial business to engage Macquarie Practice Consulting because in my opinion every business needs an external perspective." Fraser Kahler, Gamma Wealth Management
  • “We engaged Macquarie Practice Consulting to help us identify and agree on our real choices for moving our business forward. They facilitated a group discussion and expertly encouraged us all to participate, contribute and debate the issues. This enabled us to get clarity on our strategy and agree a series of steps to move us forward. The MPC team then followed up with us, to encourage us to take action and implement. As a result we have made some significant changes to our business which has freed up resources and opens up new opportunities for us to grow.” Tony Dunn, Financial Force
  • “Having experienced several years of strong growth, we started to hit capacity constraints and needed to look afresh at our business model and pricing structure. We engaged Macquarie Practice Consulting to help us analyse the issues and give us an external perspective. As a result we reset our pricing model, refined our value proposition and created a logical order for appropriate change in our business. Throughout the process we found the MPC team knowledgeable, helpful and committed to our success.” Andrew Price, Lambourne Partners
  • “Having always operated on a fee for advice basis the overall thrust of the new FoFA regime facing the financial services industry has not caused me too much angst about how my business would cope with the new environment. However, I did want independent verification that the pricing structure I use will be appropriate going forward. Fiona was able to provide me with the professional input I was seeking and also added some further value in terms of other aspects of my business. The overall experience has proved thoroughly worthwhile at a reasonable cost.”
  • "I wanted to expand my business and needed guidance. Macquarie Practice Consulting took me on a guided tour of my business as it was, and tailored a comprehensive and practical business plan to take it to where I want .. They were professional, creative and energising throughout and understood what I wanted to achieve. The business plan has been the platform for instant results and I now feel excited and in control of the future of the business.””Macquarie Practice Consulting are the go-to people for any business in need of change or development." Corinne Gepp - Financial Planner
  • "Macquarie's practice management program has been of great benefit to us in the establishment of our new business. Their professionalism, expertise and management skills helped keep us on track and achieve our goals on time. Very friendly group and a pleasure to work with" Chris Limberg, Limberg Financial Planning
  • "Practical approach with meaningful relevant suggestions directly appropriate to my business."
  • "Attitude, enthusiasm and bring "big business practices, process & accountability" to our small business."

 

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Contact us

Fiona Mackenzie

Overseas: +61 2 8237 6022

Fax: 1800 550 140

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