The home office visit is an important part of the recruiting process for both the advisor and the firm. This week's episode of "The Financial Advisor's Advisor" launches a special two-part series on the topic. Part one discusses the home office visit from the advisor's point of view; part two will cover the firm's point of view. In both parts of the series Elite Consulting Partners Founder and CEO Frank LaRosa analyzes the home office visit and discusses the essential ways to make the most out of the visit.

Real estate, in particular office space, has a big business impact from its financial implications on a company's P&L, to its influence on overall operations and the image a firm projects. In this episode of the "Financial Advisor's Advisor", Elite Consulting Partners CEO Frank LaRosa guides financial professionals step-by-step through making the right decisions in regards to real estate, including a discussion on rent versus own and other important factors to consider in order to maximize revenue per square foot.

There are many reasons why advisors choose to go independent with their practices. From greater autonomy over business operations to branding control and, in most cases, a definitive financial upside - the attractiveness of the independent model is undeniable. Going independent; however, is not a 'one size fits all' solution and many advisors fail to ask themselves the tough questions that let them know if independence is right for them. In this episode of "The Financial Advisor's Advisor", Elite Consulting Partners CEO Frank LaRosa discusses the importance of understanding who you are and what you want for your business as key drivers in choosing independence and provides case studies of current advisors and teams he is working with to illustrate the analysis points every advisor or team should go through in making the decision to go independent.

The importance of being strategic and forward-thinking about your business is paramount to success. Getting down to fundamentals, there are few decisions a business owner will make more important to setting the stage for growth long-term than choosing their company name. In this episode of "The Financial Advisor's Advisor", Elite Consulting Partners CEO Frank LaRosa breaks down the essentials of a successful business naming process, outlining the five most common mistakes business owners make when deciding on the their company name and offering up strategic guidance on creating a business name which will foster future growth.

It's a subject being bantered about by many in the financial services industry - will Merrill Lynch leave protocol? The rumors have certainly intensified as Merrill's strategic moves - among them no longer recruiting experienced advisors and focusing on a salaried compensation program - certainly seem to indicate a change in direction. In this special 'Hot Mic' Episode of "The Financial Advisor's Advisor", Elite Consulting Partners CEO Frank LaRosa lends his expertise and insight to the subject, offering up his opinion and providing focused guidance as to what advisors at Merrill should be considering during these more turbulent times at the firm.

Preparation is the key to most every successful endeavor and this certainly holds true when strategizing for your business and its future. It doesn't matter whether you are in financial services or another industry, understanding where your firm is now and where you want it to go provides the solid foundation upon which you will be able to achieve your long-term business goals. In this Episode of ‘The Financial Advisor's Advisor’ podcast, Elite Consulting Partners CEO Frank LaRosa challenges his listeners to 'act as if' and guides them through the strategic thinking and mindset practices which will position their business now for optimal growth later.

Online presence, in particular your website, is more important than many advisors give it credit for. In fact, it is the lens through which your peers and clients will view and form opinions about your business and your brand. In the case of firms who are actively recruiting or looking to acquire practices, websites can have an even greater impact, in particular to the bottom line as it is usually the first point of reference a potential firm or advisor partner will use to conduct their research. In this episode of the 'Financial Advisor's Advisor' Elite Consulting Partners CEO Frank LaRosa leads a discussion on the ways your website can impact your business and the do's and don'ts of creating a successful website in the financial services industry.

Compliance for advisors gets trickier and trickier every day. No advisor is a compliance expert and many - unwittingly so - will find themselves in sticky situations which ultimately result in termination. The top priority for the firms when in comes to compliance issues with an advisor is protecting themselves, even when the advisor is unaware that they committed any transgressions. In this episode of the 'Financial Advisor's Advisor', Part 2 of two-part series, Elite Consulting Partners CEO Frank LaRosa puts the advisor first and gives practical advice on compliance-related termination, breaking down the top ten situations advisors find themselves in that will most often result in termination so an advisor can protect themselves from making any pitfalls.

You may think it will never happen to you, but as more and more advisors are discovering, being terminated by your firm is becoming an unpleasant reality for many. In a time when advisors have become more outspoken about both their practices and their client needs, larger firms are retaliating with termination as a 'keep the status quo' strategy. Alternatively, increased FINRA scrutiny has resulted in firms becoming more vigilant in their business practices and ultimately led to an increase in advisor terminations. In this episode of the 'Financial Advisor's Advisor', which is Part 1 of a special two-part series, Elite Consulting Partners CEO Frank LaRosa outlines the 5 practical - and immediate strategies - an advisor needs to take if they are faced with the unfortunate situation of being terminated.

Regardless of the size of your advisory practice, defining your core values as an individual, professional, and a business can be a game changer. By understanding your core values, you essentially gift yourself  with a road map that gives structure to your practice, provides the guideposts for how you service your clients, and lends the framework to achieve personal long-term growth.  In this episode of the 'Financial Advisor's Advisor' Elite Consulting Partners CEO Frank LaRosa takes you through the practical exercises and insightful processes which will guide you in defining your core values, thereby redefining your business for optimal performance at every level.