SourceHidden 2Hidden 3Email Header<p>Thank you for taking the time to complete the Advisory Readiness Assessment.</p><p>Your individual report is compiled in the PDF attached.</p>Email Footer<p>Many thanks,</p><p>Steve Darnell</p><p>VFD Pro Ltd.<br><a href="https://www.vfd-pro.com/">www.vfd-pro.com</a></p>MindsetAvailable values for Topic 1Simply count the total number of values someone can possibly achieve. Include all questions from this topic into one score. How do you see your Role in relation to helping clients?*We only want to provide compliance servicesWe are happy to provide Management Reports and review historic performance, but don’t want to get involved in planning or forecasting.We are happy to help with business planning and forecasting, but don't want to become integral to our clients management team.We want to make a real difference to our clients lives and be integral to helping them achieve their goalsThis field is required.CapacityAvailable values for Topic 2Simply count the total number of values someone can possibly achieve. Include all questions from this topic into one score. How do you feel about your current ability to recruit and retain great talent?*Really struggle with this. It’s our biggest issue right now.We are OK right now, but if we lose anyone we will struggleWe are OK on compliance, but lack capacity for ‘Advisory’ workWe consistently attract great people who want to work for our firmThis field is required.CompetenceAvailable values for Topic 3Simply count the total number of values someone can possibly achieve. Include all questions from this topic into one score. Advisory work calls for a specific skill set, how competent is your firm?*We are only competent to do compliance and tax work right nowWe have tried various ‘Advisory’ tools and failed to get traction with clientsOne or two of our team do some ‘Advisory’, but lack clearly defined process or systemsWe clearly defined advisory processes and all Client Managers are confident and competent delivering.This field is required.ConfidenceAvailable values for Topic 4Simply count the total number of values someone can possibly achieve. Include all questions from this topic into one score. How confident are your team in their ability to deliver Advisory services?*Zero confidence, this is totally new to usLargely lacking, we have only just startedGood but could be better100%, Advisory is second nature in everything we doThis field is required.ClarityAvailable values for Topic 5Simply count the total number of values someone can possibly achieve. Include all questions from this topic into one score. Do clients and prospects clearly understand the Advisory support you offer?*No, they only see us as offering tax and complianceSome do, but most don’t know we can help themMost clients are aware we do more than most accountants, but few are clear on howYes, our clients see us first and foremost as offering ‘outsource financial’ managementThis field is required.CommunicationAvailable values for Topic 6Simply count the total number of values someone can possibly achieve. Include all questions from this topic into one score. How often do you communicate with clients and potential new clients?*Once a year when it is time to do the year end accounts, or when they call us.We have some details stored and occasionally email, other than that only at year end.We try to communicate with our clients at least 4 times each year to stay in touchWe are in more or less constant communication with clients and prospects clients because they see us as an integral part of their management teamThis field is required.ConsistencyAvailable values for Topic 7Simply count the total number of values someone can possibly achieve. Include all questions from this topic into one score. How robust are your ‘Advisory’ systems and processes?*The team is responsible and each looks after clients as they see fit.We have systems and processes for other work, but nothing documented or formalised for Advisory.We are aware of the need for, and have started to document processes, but they are not currently applied consistently.We have a clearly defined induction process, new team members learn our documented processes that are consistently delivered across the firm.This field is required.SegmentationHow many people are currently on your team (full time equivalents)?*It’s just meLess than 55 to 2021 to 50100+50 to 100This field is required.How would you describe your approach to Advisory versus Compliance and Tax?*We are happy just doing ComplianceWe have started evaluating optionsWe have started, but are not satisfied with progressWe are making good progress, but keen to see what else is out thereWe have ‘Advisory’ nailed with no room for improvementThis field is required.How would you describe yourself?*Accountant in PracticeAccountant in IndustryBusiness AdvisorBookkeeperOtherThis field is required.Other (please specify):Final Details*One final step before we email you through your PDF report which includes: Your score... Your key areas of improvement Quick suggestions to improve each key areaYour personalised report will be emailed to you along with relevant tips supporting your score. View our Privacy Policy * Last * * Mobile * This field is required.Identify the lowest topic numberDo not edit me. Showing the {N} lowest Key Areas of Improvement LOWEST(N) ~> LOWEST(2) HIGHEST(N) ~> HIGHEST(2) AND Check to is Total number of Highest / Lowest keys wanted to show on Appearance tab OR: use MIN / MAX and check to is Identify the lowest topic number on Appearance tab Topic 1 GapDo not edit me. Topic 2 GapDo not edit me.Topic 3 GapDo not edit me. Topic 4 GapDo not edit me. Topic 5 GapDo not edit me. Topic 6 GapDo not edit me.Topic 7 GapDo not edit me.Topic 1 Yes Most ImportantDo not edit me Topic 2 Yes Most ImportantDo not edit me.Topic 3 Yes Most ImportantDo not edit me Topic 4 Yes Most ImportantDo not edit me Topic 5 Yes Most ImportantDo not edit me Topic 6 Yes Most ImportantDo not edit me.Topic 7 Yes Most ImportantDo not edit me.General Feedback text for Overall score of 0-33%<p>From your score, it appears you are struggling or frustrated with most areas, and could really use some help. </p><p>To fully take advantage of the benefits of moving to an advisory-led service and becoming less reliant on compliance, we recommend focusing on training and education for your team to embrace the advisory mindset. </p><p>Additionally, prioritise efforts in recruiting and retaining talent with the necessary skills for advisory work. Clear communication about your advisory support to clients is crucial, along with establishing standardised processes and continuous improvement in delivering advisory services. </p><p>With dedicated effort in these areas, your firm can make significant progress in enhancing its readiness for an advisory-led approach.</p>General Feedback text for Overall score of 34-66%<p>From your score, it appears you are doing OK in most areas, but could still do with some improvement. To further elevate your firm's readiness for an advisory-led service, consider investing in training and development for your team members to enhance their competence and confidence in delivering advisory services. </p><p>Strengthen communication efforts to ensure clients clearly understand the advisory support you offer. Standardise and document your advisory processes for consistency and efficiency. </p><p>Additionally, focus on initiatives to attract and retain great talent to build a robust team capable of delivering excellent advisory services. With these refinements, your firm can advance towards a higher level of advisory readiness.</p>General Feedback text for Overall score of 67-100%<p>From your score, it appears you are doing really well in the majority of areas. Well done. </p><p>To maintain and further enhance your firm's success in an advisory-led service, continue prioritising your client-centric mindset and excellence in communication. </p><p>Emphasise ongoing training and development to keep your team confident and competent in delivering advisory services. As you consistently deliver well-documented and standardised processes, remember to celebrate successes and continuously seek ways to improve.</p><p> By remaining committed to excellence, your firm can solidify its position as a trusted advisor and stay ahead in the advisory landscape.</p>Topic 1 Key Area of Improvement<p class="topic-title"><strong>Mindset</strong></p><p>To fully embrace the benefits of moving to an advisory-led service and be less reliant on pure compliance, it's crucial to cultivate a client-centric mindset that aligns with the firm's vision and values. While your firm may currently have a preference for compliance services, consider the following steps to transition towards a more advisory-focused approach: </p><p>1. Training and Education: Invest in training programs for your team members to understand the value of advisory services and how they can positively impact clients' businesses. Create awareness of the benefits and opportunities that come with offering comprehensive advisory support.</p><p> 2. Client Engagement: Initiate conversations with clients about their long-term goals and aspirations. Show them how your advisory services can contribute to achieving those goals and build a stronger client-advisor relationship.</p><p> 3. Pilot Projects: Start by offering advisory services on a trial basis to a select group of clients. This allows you to demonstrate the value and gain confidence in your firm's ability to deliver effective advisory support.</p><p> 4. Measure Success: Track the impact of your advisory services on clients' businesses and share success stories within the firm. This will motivate your team and reinforce the importance of adopting an advisory mindset.</p>Topic 2 Key Area of Improvement<p class="topic-title"><strong>Capacity</strong></p><p>Building a capable team is vital for successfully providing advisory services. If your firm is struggling with recruiting and retaining talent, consider implementing the following strategies to address the capacity challenges:</p><p>1. Employer Branding: Enhance your firm's reputation as a great place to work by highlighting the opportunities for growth, work-life balance, and the meaningful impact team members can have on clients' businesses.</p><p>2. Training and Development: Offer continuous training and development programs to help your team acquire the necessary skills for advisory work. Encourage professional growth and provide opportunities for career advancement. </p><p>3. Employee Recognition: Recognize and reward high-performing employees to boost morale and increase retention rates. An engaged team is more likely to stay committed to the firm's long-term goals.</p><p>4. Collaboration and Flexibility: Foster a collaborative and supportive work environment where team members can share knowledge and ideas. Consider flexible work arrangements to attract a diverse talent pool.</p>Topic 3 Key Area of Improvement<p class="topic-title"><strong>Competence</strong></p><p>To excel in advisory work, your firm needs to develop the necessary expertise and confidence. If your firm is currently lacking competence in advisory services, consider the following steps to improve:</p><p>1. Training and Skill Development: Provide comprehensive training on advisory methodologies, tools, and best practices. Encourage team members to enhance their expertise through workshops, certifications, and industry events. </p><p>2. Pilot Projects: Start with small advisory projects to gain experience and build confidence. Use feedback from these projects to refine and improve your firm's advisory offerings. </p><p>3. Clear Process and Guidance: Establish clearly defined advisory processes and systems, including standardized templates and documentation. This will help ensure consistency and effectiveness in delivering advisory services. </p><p>4. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Foster collaboration among team members with different expertise. This enables a multidisciplinary approach to solving clients' challenges and delivers more holistic advisory services.</p>Topic 4 Key Area of Improvement<p class="topic-title"><strong>Confidence</strong></p><p>Confidence in delivering advisory services is crucial for success. If your team lacks confidence in this area, consider the following actions to boost their self-assurance: </p><p>1. Training and Support: Offer ongoing training and support to team members to enhance their skills and knowledge related to advisory work. Organize workshops, mentorship programs, and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. </p><p>2. Practice and Feedback: Encourage role-playing scenarios and practice sessions to simulate real-world advisory situations. Provide constructive feedback to help team members improve their approach and communication. </p><p>3. Celebrate Successes: Recognize and celebrate successful advisory engagements. Positive reinforcement builds confidence and encourages the team to take on more challenging projects. </p><p>4. Continuous Improvement: Emphasize the importance of continuous learning and improvement. Encourage team members to learn from their experiences and seek ways to enhance their advisory capabilities.</p>Topic 5 Key Area of Improvement<p class="topic-title"><strong>Clarity</strong></p><p>Clear communication about your firm's advisory support is essential for clients and prospects to understand the value you offer. If clients are unaware of your advisory services, consider the following steps to improve clarity: </p><p>1. Marketing and Branding: Update your marketing materials and website to highlight the range of advisory services you provide. Use case studies and client testimonials to demonstrate the impact of your advisory support. </p><p>2. Client Meetings: Proactively discuss your advisory services during client meetings, emphasizing how they can benefit from the insights and strategic guidance you offer. </p><p>3. Client Education: Host workshops or webinars to educate clients about the importance of advisory services and how they can leverage them to achieve their business goals. </p><p>4. Clear Service Descriptions: Provide clear and concise descriptions of your advisory offerings in client communication, engagement letters, and proposals. Avoid jargon and use language that clients can easily understand.</p>Topic 6 Key Area of Improvement<p class="topic-title"><strong>Communication</strong></p><p>Regular and effective communication with clients is essential to establish your firm as a trusted advisor. If your firm's communication is limited, consider implementing the following strategies: </p><p>1. Communication Plan: Develop a communication plan that outlines the frequency and methods of reaching out to clients. Incorporate regular touchpoints to provide updates, insights, and proactive advice. </p><p>2. Personalized Communication: Tailor your messages to address individual client needs and interests. Avoid one-size-fits-all communication and show that you understand their unique challenges. </p><p>3. Technology Adoption: Utilize client relationship management (CRM) tools and other communication platforms to automate and streamline your communication processes. This ensures timely and consistent outreach. </p><p>4. Thought Leadership: Position your firm as a thought leader in the industry by creating valuable content, such as blog posts, whitepapers, and newsletters, that showcase your expertise and insights.</p>Topic 7 Key Area of Improvement<p class="topic-title"><strong>Consistency</strong></p><p>Consistent and well-documented advisory systems and processes are crucial for delivering reliable and high-quality services. If your firm's advisory processes lack consistency, consider the following actions: </p><p>1. Standardization: Create standardized procedures and templates for delivering advisory services. Ensure that all team members follow these processes to maintain consistency. </p><p>2. Training and Onboarding: Incorporate advisory processes into your firm's onboarding and training programs. New team members should be familiarized with the firm's approach to advisory services from the start. </p><p>3. Quality Control: Implement regular quality control checks to ensure that advisory engagements meet the firm's standards. Use client feedback to identify areas for improvement and refine your processes. </p><p>4. Continuous Monitoring: Continuously review and update your advisory processes as needed. Monitor industry best practices and integrate feedback from team members to enhance your firm's approach to advisory services.</p>Call to Action - Book a Call<p>If you’re serious about wanting to deliver high-value‘ Advisory Services’ for clients - Attracting high-quality talent and keeping the skilled staff you already have… </p><p>I invite you to book a quick call to discover how you can use VFD Framework, technology and related CPD to support and allow your team to reach their full potential, at the same time as helping clients achieve theirs. </p><p>The call will last approximately 45 minutes, ideally via Zoom with Steve Darnell, Director and Co-Founder. <a href="https://www.vfd.academy/book-with-steve/" />Click here</a> to book your place right now.</p>Topic 1 Detailed Text for 0-33%<p>d</p>Topic 1 Detailed Text for 34-66%<p>d</p>Topic 1 Detailed Text for 67-100%<p>d</p>Topic 2 Detailed Text for 0-33%Topic 2 Detailed Text for 34-66%Topic 2 Detailed Text for 67-100%Topic 3 Detailed Text for 0-33%<p>d</p>Topic 3 Detailed Text for 34-66%<p>d</p>Topic 3 Detailed Text for 67-100%<p>d</p>Topic 4 Detailed Text for 0-33%<p>d</p>Topic 4 Detailed Text for 34-66%<p>d</p>Topic 4 Detailed Text for 67-100%<p>d</p>Topic 5 Detailed Text for 0-33%<p>d</p>Topic 5 Detailed Text for 34-66%<p>d</p>Topic 5 Detailed Text for 67-100%<p>d</p>Topic 6 Detailed Text for 0-33%Topic 6 Detailed Text for 34-66%Topic 6 Detailed Text for 67-100%Topic 7 Detailed Text for 0-33%Topic 7 Detailed Text for 34-66%Topic 7 Detailed Text for 67-100%Topic 1 %Please only change (edit, add remove) the + part, with the XXX referring to each of the field IDs in the questions in this topic. Topic 2 %Please only change (edit, add remove) the + part, with the XXX referring to each of the field IDs in the questions in this topic.Topic 3 %Please only change (edit, add remove) the + part, with the XXX referring to each of the field IDs in the questions in this topic. Topic 4 %Please only change (edit, add remove) the + part, with the XXX referring to each of the field IDs in the questions in this topic. Topic 5 %Please only change (edit, add remove) the + part, with the XXX referring to each of the field IDs in the questions in this topic. Topic 6 %Please only change (edit, add remove) the + part, with the XXX referring to each of the field IDs in the questions in this topic.Topic 7 %Please only change (edit, add remove) the + part, with the XXX referring to each of the field IDs in the questions in this topic.TestimonialsTestimonial 1<p><i>We've tried many other 'reporting' Apps over the years but nothing has come close the details of insights that the VFD provides. In fact it's less a reporting tool than a business roadmap, with relatively little input from the accountant or business owner the suite of reports and forecasts a laser-like focus on the issues and opportunities facing a business.</i></p><p><i>If you've tried the rest, give the best a go. You won't be disappointed.</i></p><p>- Seal Farnell | Burgis & Bullock</p>Testimonial 2<p><i>I have looked at so many advisory tools, some I've used with clients, but not found anything that really hits the sweet spot. </i></p><p><i>Until now, VFD is exactly what i've been looking for and makes the process of helping clients grow their business so much easier to deliver value.</i></p><p><i>I highly recommend it</i></p><p>- Joe Sole | Sole Associates</p>Overall Total NumberAdd in ALL questions below. This will simply add up all questions and give a total number of points for all. Overall Current PercentageCreation note: Change "40" to the number of total points available in this quiz. E.g. Total of 6 questions is 4x6 = "24". Total of 8 questions is 4x8 = "32". etc All topics have 100% scored - MessageDont change Label Final score is LowDo not edit me. Final score is MediumDo not edit me. Final score is HighDo not edit me. Key Area(s) of Improvement Title