Every month, we share some highlights of what’s been happening in and around KBA.
This month, congratulations are in order as Laura Jones welcomed her beautiful baby girl into the world on 10 September 2023. Below is an incredibly cute picture of Nancy and both she and her mum are doing well. We can’t wait until Laura finds time to pop into the office to make the introductions…
In other good news, we enjoyed three busy days at the Nantwich Food Festival to promote KBA and the work we do.
Plus, meet our new Financial Planner Laverne Picart, and join us in celebrating Rachel Hatton and Gary Fletcher’s work anniversaries.
We enjoyed 3 great days at the Nantwich Food Festival
The annual Nantwich Food Festival is one of the UK’s largest free-to-enter food festivals. The three-day event combines the best talent and produce from around the country. This year, we went along to promote the great work the KBA The Financial Planning Company does for clients across the region.
Our primary focus was on offering insightful financial guidance and we engaged festivalgoers by answering their inquiries regarding financial planning and savings strategies.
Serving up coffee, cake, and face painting
To make the experience even more enjoyable, we provided complimentary coffee and cake, fostering warm conversations and a welcoming atmosphere. As a special treat, we also offered free face painting, adding an element of delight to the festival.
Our dedicated team members were at the forefront of our festival presence
The KBA stall was expertly managed by our trusted Financial Planners, Philip Robinson, and Hannah Needham, who brought their wealth of knowledge to assist visitors.
Supporting them were our Nantwich Customer Consultant, Melissa Wright, and our Events & Marketing Executive, Emma Bell. Their combined efforts ensured that we provided a professional, warm, and informative experience to everyone who visited our stall.
The genuine and positive interactions we had with the community was heart-warming. Festivalgoers of all ages engaged with enthusiasm, and our team took immense pride in providing valuable financial insights to those who sought them.
Culinary discoveries and refreshments kept us going
You can’t go to a food festival without sampling culinary delights. And one standout favourite was the halloumi gyro from the Greek street food vendor conveniently located next to our stand.
When it came to beverages, our neighbouring friends at Three Wrens Gin made it an easy choice to trade coffee for gin, much to everyone’s delight. We definitely came out ahead in that trade-off!
The weekend was not only an opportunity for us to connect with the community but also to immerse ourselves in a fantastic atmosphere of unity and camaraderie. It was truly a memorable experience, and we can’t wait to do it all over again next year!
We welcomed our new Financial Planner, Laverne Picart, to the KBA family
Laverne Picart joined the KBA team as a Financial Planner in September. She is already busy helping clients accomplish their financial objectives and as well as helping to deliver high-quality financial planning advice to current and prospective clients, Laverne will also be busy generating new business.
We sat down with Laverne for a quick chat over a cup of tea to chat and find out more.
What were you doing before you joined KBA?
Before joining KBA I was a self-employed IFA attached to a directly authorised practice in Swindon.
Although I enjoyed what I did, I mostly worked from home so missed the social interaction with colleagues. As my career in financial services prior to becoming a financial adviser was always office-based for large corporates like banks and insurance companies, it was a stark contrast to how I was used to working.
What attracted you to join KBA?
I was careful about my next move and wanted to join an ambitious organisation with the right culture and environment where I can continue to learn and develop my skills and work with a whole range of clients.
Sarah’s personality, achievements and vision for KBA resonated with me and meeting other members of the team convinced me that this was the right choice.
Can you tell us a bit about your new role?
As a financial planner my role is all about helping people to have better lives. I work to enable them to focus on what is important and how to achieve their financial goals while protecting what they have now and will leave behind for the next generation.
How was your week?
My first few days were spent at our head office in Leigh meeting everyone and having an overview of the systems and processes in place.
Although there was a lot to take in, Sarah has developed a plethora of excellent training videos and documents available on a central platform, which enabled me to revisit in my own time to embed my learning.
I also received a lovely box of chocolates as a welcome gift of my first day, which I though was very sweet, pardon the pun.
So far, what do you enjoy most about working here?
The team camaraderie.
What are you looking forward to in the coming months?
Successfully bringing lots of new clients on board and gaining referrals because of the outstanding services KBA Financial provide.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Given my background in accounting, investments and corporate banking, I’d particularly like to speak with more business owners. As a group, they tend to focus purely on running their business at the expense of long-term financial planning to protect themselves and their business should life take an unexpected turn of events or they want to sell.
Proper financial planning throughout the journey of running a successful business can provide a structured retirement plan, minimise tax, ensure a well thought out succession plan is in place, and provide a tax-efficient legacy for the next generation.
Gary Fletcher celebrated his 1-year work anniversary
Our wonderful Financial Planner, Gary Fletcher, has been with KBA for a year already. Joining our Southport Yorkshire Building Society agency in September 2022, he continues to delight customers and is a brilliant member of our ever-growing team.
We grabbed five minutes in Gary’s busy day for a quick catch up.
What were you doing before you joined KBA?
I have previously worked at a global bank providing financial advice and a smaller independent firm. I joined KBA in September 2022, after enjoying some time off with my family particularly during memorable holidays to Menorca and Brac in Croatia.
What do you remember about your first week on the team?
The first week I spent time at the head office in Leigh and met colleagues at the Southport Agency, where I head up the financial planning.
I noticed immediately how fast-paced and driven the company was and how everyone helped each other in different roles. Everyone made me feel welcome and it started to feel this was going to be a fantastic place to work.
Best part of a regular day at the office?
I enjoy client meetings – finding out about their lives and what’s important for them now and in the future. Financial planning is much more about the numbers and talking about the stock market.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started working here?
I would have practiced my cocktail making skills. We had a team building day at Food Sorcery in Manchester and more alcohol ending up on the floor than in the glass.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of joining KBA?
You must be a team player; everyone works hard and respects each other’s roles. It’s fast paced and most importantly we have fun. Financial services is a fantastic profession to work in and you can meet lots of interesting people, put plans in place for their future, and progress in your career.
Rachel Hatton celebrated 2 years with KBA
Last month, we wished Rachel, one of our excellent client support team members, happy work anniversary.
Rachel joined our KBA family in September 2021 at our Leigh financial planning office. From day one, Rachel has gone above and beyond to ensure our clients receive the highest level of care and attention.
Rachel’s tireless dedication to providing exceptional service is truly inspiring, and it’s no surprise that they’ve earned the admiration and gratitude of countless clients and our team. We caught up with Rachel over a celebratory cuppa and cake to find out more…
What were you doing before you joined KBA?
I worked in a local GP’s practice throughout the Covid pandemic. Before this I also worked in another NHS role in a hospital, so coming to work at KBA was a complete change to what I had previously been doing.
What do you remember about your first week on the team?
I felt a bit like a lost sheep, like I was in way over my head. There was so much new terminology and different procedures to learn, and I had a long road ahead of me.
Getting to know the new staff I would be working with was a bit frightening at first as you never know if you will get on with new people, but after a few days I felt like I was right at home.
Best part of a regular day at the office?
Being able to get on with and work well with my colleagues. One day is never the same as the next and there’s always something different to learn or overcome each day.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started working here?
How important it is to start your pension savings early. I worked on and off from a young age doing small jobs that didn’t pay a lot, but I really should have at least started to think about the future sooner so that I have a sufficient pension for the future.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of joining KBA?
It will depend on if that person has previous financial experience or not. If they were like me with no background in the financial industry, I would say: “Although it might seem very different and a bit scary now, but you will pick things up along the way and we also have each other’s back and here to help if anyone needs anything”.
Special bonus question: Favourite KBA fancy dress outfit so far?
Has to be the Elf. I love anything and everything to do with Christmas. It’s such a wonderful time of year and it’s all about family and togetherness. Everyone you meet always seems to be in a much happier mood.
The Elf costume was in honour of an annual charity event where people across the UK dress up as elves to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer’s Society.
