Deepali Sen, Founder Partner, Srujan Financial Planners LLP
Before venturing on my own, I worked for many fund houses where I was in constant touch with investors. I discovered that people were clueless about managing their finances and there was a dearth of advisors who could guide them. This prompted me to float my business.
The main motivation behind turning to advisory profession was to get the satisfaction of changing people’s financial lives. My aim is to create money-life balance in my clients’ lives. My journey till now has been very satisfying because the primary reason I started this firm was to transform people’s financial lives and help them feel at peace with their money.
Some of the key things that helped me excel are:
- Perseverance - not giving up on clients who were not willing to follow my advice
- Working smart
- Commitment to my work and not getting distracted by regulatory changes or any competition
- Continuous learning and adapting to changes
Advice for budding women advisers
Go for it only if you are convinced that you want to invest your time and commitment in this business. Don’t jump if your friend is doing it or someone else has recommended it to you and assured you that you will be successful. This business requires a lot of hard work and you will be able to succeed only if you are fully convinced and not dependent on someone else’s conviction.
Sangeeta Jhaveri, Founder, Prescient Financial Solutions
Though I worked for a financial services firm, I was completely clueless about the mutual fund industry. I quit that organisation because it was going through a crisis.
My family members are businessmen where we follow a legacy of starting completely different lines of businesses. I too was determined to start my firm.
I believe my firm is different from others because of its ‘Simplicity’. The transparent and simple procedures with which we work has established a level of trust in our clients. Also, my team majorly focuses on hiring women employees because I have immense faith in the sincerity and loyalty that women naturally possess.
Some of the key things that helped me excel are:
- Being client centric and working according to client expectations
- Emphasizing on liquidity
- Following a dynamic asset allocation strategy
- Transparency in communication. Never exaggerate the prospects of an investment nor understate its risks.
Advice for budding women advisers
I don’t think new advisers need to do something differently. They just need to follow the basics, which is focus on client’s goals and be honest with them. Educate them about different investment options according to their financial goals and let them decide what is suitable for them. This helps you to understand them better.