The document discusses the rise of robo-advisors and digital investment advisors, and how traditional advisory firms are adapting to compete. It notes that while robo-advisors are more cost effective and convenient, they lack human qualities like personalized discussions and around-the-clock availability. The author argues that advisory firms should integrate technology into their services while still providing personal relationships to clients.
Digital Signals & Access to Finance in Kenya - slidesUN Global Pulse
In emerging markets, eight out of ten small businesses cannot access the loans they need to grow. USAID’s Development Credit Authority (DCA) uses risk-sharing agreements to mobilize local private capital to fill this financing gap. The goal of this collaboration between UN Global Pulse and USAID is to explore how big data could support the work of USAID’s Development Credit Authority.
Kenya has become an established tech leader in Africa in recent years – generating greater volumes of digital data as a result. The goal of this study is to explore what new sources of digital data, and methods for analysis, could be helpful in answering the question: “What barriers to accessing loans do small businesses in Kenya face?”
Accordingly, this presentation paints a picture of the big data landscape in Kenya, shows preliminary findings, and lays the groundwork for further investigation.
Digital CPA - How the Dynamics of the Client/CPA Relationship Changes in the ...Tom Hood, CPA,CITP,CGMA
Tom Hood moderates a panel of CPAs doing client accounting services and CFO advisory in the cloud. Jim Cashin (McGladrey), Steve Gross (Trusted CFO Solutions), and Trevor Smith (Harshman Phillips & Co)
Data is an integral strategic asset for your businesses – but do you know how to monetize your data? Here are three ideas for making money from your data, so you can drive business growth.
Here are a few of the disruptions we have picked up in the finance sector and how you can take your future into your own hands by transforming your company.
http://www.dearmedia.be/digital-transformation/
Netwealth educational webinar - Top 10 learnings from Silicon Valley fintech ...netwealthInvest
Michelle Baltazar, Director of Media at Financial Standard, shared digital trends and insights that are set to impact the financial planning industry, gained first hand from her recent tour of Silicon Valley.
The Financial Times, in partnership with HP, recently held an event in Helsinki to discuss new CIO strategies for the digital age. Topics discussed included customer engagement, consistent delivery of service across all channels, how to deal with unstructured data, and security concerns in an era of BYOD and cloud services. This white paper highlights key discussion points from the event.
Digital Signals & Access to Finance in Kenya - slidesUN Global Pulse
In emerging markets, eight out of ten small businesses cannot access the loans they need to grow. USAID’s Development Credit Authority (DCA) uses risk-sharing agreements to mobilize local private capital to fill this financing gap. The goal of this collaboration between UN Global Pulse and USAID is to explore how big data could support the work of USAID’s Development Credit Authority.
Kenya has become an established tech leader in Africa in recent years – generating greater volumes of digital data as a result. The goal of this study is to explore what new sources of digital data, and methods for analysis, could be helpful in answering the question: “What barriers to accessing loans do small businesses in Kenya face?”
Accordingly, this presentation paints a picture of the big data landscape in Kenya, shows preliminary findings, and lays the groundwork for further investigation.
Digital CPA - How the Dynamics of the Client/CPA Relationship Changes in the ...Tom Hood, CPA,CITP,CGMA
Tom Hood moderates a panel of CPAs doing client accounting services and CFO advisory in the cloud. Jim Cashin (McGladrey), Steve Gross (Trusted CFO Solutions), and Trevor Smith (Harshman Phillips & Co)
Data is an integral strategic asset for your businesses – but do you know how to monetize your data? Here are three ideas for making money from your data, so you can drive business growth.
Here are a few of the disruptions we have picked up in the finance sector and how you can take your future into your own hands by transforming your company.
http://www.dearmedia.be/digital-transformation/
Netwealth educational webinar - Top 10 learnings from Silicon Valley fintech ...netwealthInvest
Michelle Baltazar, Director of Media at Financial Standard, shared digital trends and insights that are set to impact the financial planning industry, gained first hand from her recent tour of Silicon Valley.
The Financial Times, in partnership with HP, recently held an event in Helsinki to discuss new CIO strategies for the digital age. Topics discussed included customer engagement, consistent delivery of service across all channels, how to deal with unstructured data, and security concerns in an era of BYOD and cloud services. This white paper highlights key discussion points from the event.
Are you ready to launch a digital workplace initiative at your organization? Learn from top thought leaders across HR, IT, and Operations on how to accelerate employee engagement and productivity. Download our full eBook to learn more about the process, technology, and cultural shifts necessary for achieving greater employee productivity and engagement.
Creative destruction versus Creative EvangelisationDinis Guarda
What is our human singularity? What is creativity in a digitalised, nano technology - IoT world?
Creative destruction refers to the incessant product and process innovation mechanism by which new production units replace outdated ones. It was coined by Joseph Schumpeter (1942), who considered it 'the essential fact about capitalism'.
What is Creative Evangelisation?
Preaching of the gospel or the practice of giving information about a particular doctrine or set of beliefs to others with the intention of converting others. Using digital tools and channels!
Presentation by Dinis Guarda, CEO of Ztudium and Founder of Intelligenthq.com
Innovation and digital disruption in professional servicesTapmint
This is a presentation for http://tapmint.com which I gave internally at one of the world's largest professional services firms. It discusses digital disruption in financial services, professional services and accounting services.
Various models of corporate innovation are also highlighted. Case studies of 3 companies are provided - Suncorp Group, Sensis and Carsales. Finally, I provide some thoughts on implementation.
Mark Sherwin & Cory Hughes share the importance of organisations being 'transformational', providing tips and support to help businesses embed their digital strategy into their wider business strategy to deliver results across all business areas.
Using digital technology to your advantage. Should you focus on improving customer experience or new products and services or your core business operations?
This is my latest presentation on digital bank trends, that accompanies the book Digital Bank http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Bank-Chris-Skinner-ebook/dp/B00G1L9MDI/ref=zg_bs_154892011_9
Putting Transformation back to Digital Transformation Enabled
There is a high chance that when somebody says “digital transformation,” they mean something else. But what is it & how can you disrupt others or self-disrupt?
A companion to the blog post on digital transformation here https://goo.gl/UpRC9X
2014 Tech M&A Monthly - 10 Ways to Increase the Value of Your CompanyCorum Group
There’s no easy trick to realizing the value of a technology company, let alone building a valuable tech company to begin with. But there are specific things that owners and executives can do throughout the life of the company to increase valuations when the time comes for an exit. Join Corum’s global team for their perspectives as dealmakers and CEOs themselves--what they’ve seen drive real value in actual transactions, and how companies like yours can put these best practices to use. Plus a look at key deals and valuation metrics in the Internet, Consumer and IT Services sectors, and much more.
For more information visit: https://www.corumgroup.com/
Innovating services for the NEXT wave of micro-business - business innovation...Claro Partners Inc.
A new wave of micro-businesses is emerging. We are going through turbulent times in which interconnectivity and rising socioeconomic complexity make it increasingly difficult for large corporations to adapt and build long-term strategies. Meanwhile, individuals are leveraging networks, crowd-funding, and new platforms to create informal and micro-enterprises that better respond to, and thrive in, our unstable business environment. Microbusiness is not a niche, but often overlooked and definitely underserved. In most countries it represents over 70% of employment, and is the world’s fastest growing sector of the economy as new forms are emerging, like micro-manufacturers and parallel entrepreneurs.
Structure
In this workshop we will provide insights into this new wave of micro-businesses and their unmet needs. Then small groups will work together to create services that solve for their specific challenges in new ways. Together we will answer the question: How can we design better services that meet the real needs of today’s micro-business?
"Rethinking the Customer" - Disruptive Shifts in Financial Services: The Cust...Claro Partners Inc.
The presentation explains how virtually every product and service in the financial services industry will be affected by new business models and the a new set of expectations, behaviours and needs from digital natives.
Future of funds: How Technology and Social Media are Disrupting and Opening n...Dinis Guarda
FUTURE OF FUNDS:
How Technology and Social Media are Disrupting and Opening new Opportunities for the Fund Industry.
Perhaps the biggest change that online trading technology has brought about is to democratise access to the markets, allowing individuals to make their own trades without the costs and time lag that were associated with the old way of doing this.
By Dinis Guarda, CEO and Founder HedgeThink.com
IntelligentHQ.com
Blockchain. What is it & why is it importantGerrie Smits
Why non-techies need to get up to speed with Blockchain. Because Blockchain is more than Bitcoin. It can have an impact on transactions, value systems and organisational structures.
This talk was given at Zeronaut meet-up.
White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space.
Are you ready to launch a digital workplace initiative at your organization? Learn from top thought leaders across HR, IT, and Operations on how to accelerate employee engagement and productivity. Download our full eBook to learn more about the process, technology, and cultural shifts necessary for achieving greater employee productivity and engagement.
Creative destruction versus Creative EvangelisationDinis Guarda
What is our human singularity? What is creativity in a digitalised, nano technology - IoT world?
Creative destruction refers to the incessant product and process innovation mechanism by which new production units replace outdated ones. It was coined by Joseph Schumpeter (1942), who considered it 'the essential fact about capitalism'.
What is Creative Evangelisation?
Preaching of the gospel or the practice of giving information about a particular doctrine or set of beliefs to others with the intention of converting others. Using digital tools and channels!
Presentation by Dinis Guarda, CEO of Ztudium and Founder of Intelligenthq.com
Innovation and digital disruption in professional servicesTapmint
This is a presentation for http://tapmint.com which I gave internally at one of the world's largest professional services firms. It discusses digital disruption in financial services, professional services and accounting services.
Various models of corporate innovation are also highlighted. Case studies of 3 companies are provided - Suncorp Group, Sensis and Carsales. Finally, I provide some thoughts on implementation.
Mark Sherwin & Cory Hughes share the importance of organisations being 'transformational', providing tips and support to help businesses embed their digital strategy into their wider business strategy to deliver results across all business areas.
Using digital technology to your advantage. Should you focus on improving customer experience or new products and services or your core business operations?
This is my latest presentation on digital bank trends, that accompanies the book Digital Bank http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Bank-Chris-Skinner-ebook/dp/B00G1L9MDI/ref=zg_bs_154892011_9
Putting Transformation back to Digital Transformation Enabled
There is a high chance that when somebody says “digital transformation,” they mean something else. But what is it & how can you disrupt others or self-disrupt?
A companion to the blog post on digital transformation here https://goo.gl/UpRC9X
2014 Tech M&A Monthly - 10 Ways to Increase the Value of Your CompanyCorum Group
There’s no easy trick to realizing the value of a technology company, let alone building a valuable tech company to begin with. But there are specific things that owners and executives can do throughout the life of the company to increase valuations when the time comes for an exit. Join Corum’s global team for their perspectives as dealmakers and CEOs themselves--what they’ve seen drive real value in actual transactions, and how companies like yours can put these best practices to use. Plus a look at key deals and valuation metrics in the Internet, Consumer and IT Services sectors, and much more.
For more information visit: https://www.corumgroup.com/
Innovating services for the NEXT wave of micro-business - business innovation...Claro Partners Inc.
A new wave of micro-businesses is emerging. We are going through turbulent times in which interconnectivity and rising socioeconomic complexity make it increasingly difficult for large corporations to adapt and build long-term strategies. Meanwhile, individuals are leveraging networks, crowd-funding, and new platforms to create informal and micro-enterprises that better respond to, and thrive in, our unstable business environment. Microbusiness is not a niche, but often overlooked and definitely underserved. In most countries it represents over 70% of employment, and is the world’s fastest growing sector of the economy as new forms are emerging, like micro-manufacturers and parallel entrepreneurs.
Structure
In this workshop we will provide insights into this new wave of micro-businesses and their unmet needs. Then small groups will work together to create services that solve for their specific challenges in new ways. Together we will answer the question: How can we design better services that meet the real needs of today’s micro-business?
"Rethinking the Customer" - Disruptive Shifts in Financial Services: The Cust...Claro Partners Inc.
The presentation explains how virtually every product and service in the financial services industry will be affected by new business models and the a new set of expectations, behaviours and needs from digital natives.
Future of funds: How Technology and Social Media are Disrupting and Opening n...Dinis Guarda
FUTURE OF FUNDS:
How Technology and Social Media are Disrupting and Opening new Opportunities for the Fund Industry.
Perhaps the biggest change that online trading technology has brought about is to democratise access to the markets, allowing individuals to make their own trades without the costs and time lag that were associated with the old way of doing this.
By Dinis Guarda, CEO and Founder HedgeThink.com
IntelligentHQ.com
Blockchain. What is it & why is it importantGerrie Smits
Why non-techies need to get up to speed with Blockchain. Because Blockchain is more than Bitcoin. It can have an impact on transactions, value systems and organisational structures.
This talk was given at Zeronaut meet-up.
White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space. White space.
A Guide to IT Consulting- Business.comBusiness.com
IT consulting is an umbrella term for a variety of interrelated activities. This whitepaper breaks down those activities while introducing the benefits and drawbacks of offshoring IT. Oh, and be sure to follow the three steps to choosing the perfect IT consultant.
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Borrowing money in today’s mortgage environment sucks for both banks and consumers. The costs to originate a mortgage have skyrocketed from $600 in 2003 to nearly $6,000 today. Consumers gained slightly better protection at the cost of crippling regulation that turns a simple mortgage application into a month-long migraine. We’re creating the first mobile app that gets you a home loan by only asking for three things: Name, social, submit. Our software reduces origination costs by 75% and underwriting costs by 50%, while enabling us to earn recurring servicing revenue. We do this in a frictionless process that saves the borrower 90% of their application time. Loanatik’s mission is to make the process of getting a mortgage quick, easy, and smooth while saving the consumer money, time, and future hand cramps from signing so much paperwork.
In September 2013, Steven Van Belleghem and Peter Hinssen organized an inspiration journey to the West Coast of the US. Together with 20 top executives, we visted a large group of companies. In this paper, we wrote down our conclusions of this very inspiring tour.
We learned the power of combining a customer first mentality with a networked organization and a purpose driven culture. Check out our paper to understand all details.
How To Identify The Data Opportunities For Every Business?Bernard Marr
Today, what differentiates a market-leading company from an also-ran is often the way that it is using data. Data is often referred to as “the oil of the information age” as it powers revolutionary concepts such as artificial intelligence (AI) and the
If you think Managed Services are an unrealistic option for your business, you're not alone. It's not uncommon for business owners to share that same belief. But, a common belief is not always a good one.
Here, we're taking on the most common Managed Services myths and letting you know what you can expect when you partner with Marco.
How to Select a Clearing Firm 2020: A Guide for RoboadvisorsBrian Cedeno
Instead of waiting on the sidelines as the disruption happens around them, advisors are seizing the opportunity to expand their geographic reach and attract next-generation investors.
These forward-looking advisors are now implementing robo-advisory services firmly underpinned by the human expertise that they have spent their career building – expertise that many novice investors will likely consider valuable as their needs become more complex.
The decision to launch a robo is undoubtedly an exciting one yet it represents just the first hurdle in a series of vital choices.
And, of the subsequent decisions you must make, selecting the right clearing firm for your clients’ assets is arguably among the most important.
Corporate Presentation - Intuic | The Social Media Agency
OCTOBERFINAL 9
1. OCTOBER 2015 Southwest Florida BUSINESS TODAY Page 9
IN BUSINESS SINCE
1986
Selling your business is our business
SAND DOLLAR REAL ESTATE
BUSINESS DEPOT
Buyers are looking for profitable businesses to purchase
Call now for a private discussion about the marketability
of your business and how we can help.
LARRY STEINBORN, Broker
BizDepot@aol.com
6309 Corporate Ct. #205, Fort Myers, FL 33919
(239) 433-1343
1949
THE POWER
OF MORE THAN
65 YEARS OF
PRACTICING LAW
IN SOUTHWEST
FLORIDA.
Fort Myers: 239.334.2195 • Cape Coral:239.542.3148
www.PaveseLaw.com
2005
The growth of technology in the financial services
industry has led to the rise of “robo-advisors,” other-
wise known as digital investment advisors. A robo-ad-
visor is essentially a software program that records your
personal financial information, processes it and creates
your investment portfolio. Just as technology can im-
pact how we shop, how we plan for a vacation, and who
we date, it can now impact how we invest. Firms that
are unable to create a strong online presence will be at
risk to Internet-based firms when their older client base
declines and the millennial investors swell in numbers.
Investment firms in Southwest Florida are booming
with activity due to the demographic makeup of the re-
gion, but once that changes, it’s very possible that there
will be a transition to online firms. It’s important to note
that while technology appears more efficient and less
expensive, it should not be considered as a substitute
for an in-person advisory firm, nor the single source of
financial advice.Acombination of high-touch and high-
tech interface is much more powerful.
Boutique advisory firms with a human-based advi-
sory staff face two challenges: (1) how to stand out in
the online world, and (2) how to convince the public
that their firm offers more value than an impersonal
robot that only understands numbers and algorithms.
What are the benefits to using a digital based advi-
sory firm such as Acorns or Blooom? It’s cost effec-
tive for clients with modest-sized portfolios, there’s
little hassle involved, and you ultimately make your
own investment decisions – with a little help from
your robo-advisor. And, for those clients who travel
back and forth between Florida and a home up north,
their “advisor” is always with them.
Here is what you should
not expect if you decide to
use a digital-based advisory
firm vs. an advisory firm
staffed by humans with a
fiduciary responsibility.
Don’t expect the robo-ad-
visor to work in your best
interest. Don’t expect to
spend two hours discussing
your portfolio options with
it at your behest. Don’t ex-
pect to be able to call it at
10 p.m. because you are in
a panic and need to make
a transfer to your bank ac-
count the next day.
When investors trade
comfort for convenience, they’re giving up a lot more
than that 10-minute drive to meet with their advisor.
Robo-advisors aren’t 100 percent accurate either.
Many financial software programs assume that the
future is similar to the past, which could mean a vital
mistake or decline in a client’s investment portfolio if
the trend isn’t similar. Furthermore, digital advisors
tend not to select individual equity and bond holdings,
thus missing out on unique opportunities. Therefore,
it is apparent that intangibles such as human qualities
and a fiduciary duty provide more value to investors
who want to know they can talk to a real person who
understand their concerns and who has their best in-
terests at heart.
So how impactful has the robo-advisor been on the
industry and our firm in particular? Our firm strives
to stay current with the ever-evolving state of tech-
nology and has had positive results. Our associates
are all accessible by email at any time of the day or
night. Our website is regularly updated with presen-
tations and information about the industry. Our firm
provides educational resources, such as presentations
and checklists for new Florida residents and indus-
try articles available on our LinkedIn page. Between
our technology and the combined experience of our
team, we can manage clients of all financial classes
and make each of them a personal priority. Our firm
also understands the field of behavioral finance, and
works with clients to try to help them avoid making
an irrational financial decision, such as selling stocks
at the bottom of a bear market.
The important thing in any industry is to evolve
with technology. We can’t become lazy and let tech-
nology live our lives for us. We believe firmly in
keeping up with our fellow competitors, but we will
never lose the personal touch that makes our invest-
ment firm so unique.
As long as investment companies keep up with
industry standards and use technology as a tool, not
a crutch, then we will not be made obsolete by a soft-
ware program that remembers your finances – but not
your family.
Noelle Matthews joined Andrew Hill Investment
Advisors in May 2015 as investment associate. She is
responsible for supporting the firm’s client relations,
marketing and event management, and is currently
working on obtaining her series 65 license.
Staying ahead of the digital advisory firm
BY NOELLE
MATTHEWS
Guest Columnist
Editor’s note: Part 1 of 2
If an entrepreneur’s greatest asset is a com-
bination of hard work and ingenuity, I’d argue
software is a close second. When I first started
Atilus alongside my friend and business partner,
Harry Casimir, the web and software landscape
was VERY different then it is today. Back then,
“high speed” Internet was a basic cable connec-
tion or DSL (at 1MB down!). Now fiber, gigabit,
and 20 times that on a mobile device is common.
My cell phone is literally 10 times more powerful
than the computer I had when we started.
And just as Internet speed and the tech land-
scape has rapidly progressed, so too has business
software – notably inexpensive, cloud-based
solutions that can help you build your business,
organize your team, and handle the day-to-day
monotony of running your company.
In the second part of this column (to appear
in the November issue), I’ll list the top five tools
I feel every entrepreneur should be looking at to
assist their business. But first I’d like to quickly
talk about cloud software, also known as “soft-
ware as a service” or SAAS.
When you’re considering a tool for your busi-
ness, it’s important to know whether or not it
stores any data “in the cloud” or is a SAAS tool.
Both basically mean that some (or all) data is
stored somewhere else – not on your computer –
but on a number of computers on the web. There
are pros and cons, and they’re important to un-
derstand these before you make a decision. For
the purposes of this column, all of the software
I’ll be mentioning is SAAS or cloud-based.
Pros:
• Generally can be
used from anywhere.
• Backups are (usu-
ally) inherent in the tools’
use.
• Updates are auto-
matic.
• Lower upfront costs.
• Easier to setup on a
new machine if your, or
your employee’s, com-
puter goes down.
Cons:
• May not be available
if you don’t have an Inter-
net connection.
• The lifetime cost may be more than a com-
parable non-cloud/downloaded and installed so-
lution.
• Updates are automatic (you’re at the mercy
of the development company’s direction and de-
sires).
• Your data may not be encrypted (people can
look at your data on insecure connections, or if
the software is hacked, they may be able to see
your company’s private information).
Zach Katkin is the co-founder & CEO of the
Bonita Springs-based web development and In-
ternet marketing firm Atilus. He is a certified
Google professional, author and lover of tech-
nology. He helps Atilus stay out ahead of online
marketing trends and loves driving results for its
clients.
Entrepreneurs should look to cloud
BY ZACH KATKIN
Guest Columnist
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the
National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders
(NAGGL) recently announced the release of the Business
Smart Toolkit, a ready-to-use workshop toolkit that helps new
and aspiring entrepreneurs launch and build businesses that
are credit ready.
“Wecan’twaitforaspiringentrepreneurstocometous;we
need to reach out to them where they are,” said SBAAdmin-
istrator Maria Contreras-Sweet. “The Business Smart Toolkit
allows us to work more effectively alongside local partners in
underserved communities to ensure that all Americans have
access to the government and private resources available to
support their entrepreneurial dreams. Minority firms are a fast
growing segment of the U.S. economy, generating $1 trillion
in economic output, yet they typically encounter higher bor-
rowing costs, receive smaller loans and face more rejections.
I applaud NAGGL for joining the SBA to focus on expand-
ing lending to underserved communities to ensure that all key
drivers of the U.S. economy are able to contribute at their full
potential.”
The toolkit is designed to “train the trainer,” such as trusted
community leaders who have the ability and the desire to edu-
cate new and potential business owners through a series of
workshops in collaboration with the SBA’s field offices and
NAGGL members. The toolkit is intended to educate and en-
able small business owners – from those looking to open their
first small business to established business owners hoping to
expand and grow. It contains a variety of small business and
financial literacy topics that include business start-up basics,
the essentials of becoming credit-ready, and resources for
small business education and support.
Download the toolkit at sba.gov/offices/headquarters/oed/
resources/1475961.
SBA, NAGGL launch toolkit
for underserved communities