#FPW2011 has started a financial revolution let’s keep the message going

I love this quote “be the difference you wish to see in the world”.  

When I started this campaign last week I had no idea that it would gain the following it has, but one thing I would say is that I am passionate about this and if we can make a difference then let’s go for it.

I loved the analogy used by Martin Bamford (twitter @martinbamford) that said RDR demolition was needed to rebuild the industry. For the industry this is important but outside RDR means nothing to many people, so although it will be good for the industry we need to get a different message out there that builds from these changes. I believe this is a massage built around financial management, financial planning and investing.     

For the final blog of the week there are some things I want to reflect on. 

Firstly most of you are old hands on twitter with hundreds of followers, you all have a voice to your followers and I don’t want to take this away from you. What would be good is if we could combine all these followers under one roof and get this message out to a wider audience? You have access to journalists, trade bodies, regulatory bodies, other IFAs and consumers and these are the people we want to talk to, and get feedback from. So please if you can encourage them to follow this campaign that would be fantastic. 

Secondly some of the feedback I have had is very positive, and I would like this to become a central place where people can share what they are doing. If someone is doing a good job in Cornwall or Scotland lets share this across the country. 

This week I met someone who was trying to say at the centre of any good financial adviser business is profit, I fundamentally disagree with this. At the centre of any good business is the customer and the service proposition, growth and profit stems from that. 

What I have seen from the people following this blog are businesses focused on bringing financial planning to people in innovative ways whether through workshops, videos, twitter or a combination of ways. Now this is exciting and follows the theme of educating.  So let’s encourage people to focus on the customer and service proposition. 

And the end goal well it is clear we have a generation who are not saving, or not saving enough.  If we can change this then we will have achieved something i.e. we can be the difference we want to see in the world. 

I don’t want to bombard people with blogs so I will focus on three areas (and in this order):

1. Financial Management
2. Financial Planning
3. Investing

If you disagree with anything I say or think of better ways of doing what I suggest then join in. I may pick up on ideas you have been tweeting about but hopefully enough will be said between the followers. If this grows enough, then we can start to knock on the doors of schools, colleges and universities and make that long term change. 

And finally thank you to IFP (@IFP_UK) and all those who got involved with #fpw2011 what a great campaign, as well as all of you who have followed me, commented and retweeted. 

This is just the beginning, it is is in our hands do we drive this forward to greater things, let’s continue to use the hashtag #fpw2011 and make that difference. 

Have a great weekend. 

Signing off, the Dandy Highwayman

P.S. Follow me on Twitter so please spread the word and lets change the world.