In today’s challenging climate, many financial advice firms find themselves in distress. With more than 16,000 UK financial services companies now classified as being in “significant distress” according to Begbies Traynor’s latest Red Flag Report, it’s clear: even the guardians of financial security are not immune.
At the Academy of Life Planning, we’ve long championed human capital dividend strategies — empowering individuals to rebuild and thrive when facing adversity. Sometimes, though, the tools we use to lift up our clients must be turned inward. As the airline safety announcement reminds us: “Put your own oxygen mask on first.”
If your firm is facing tough times, now is the moment to act — thoughtfully and strategically. Here are some actionable tips to help you rebuild resilience and secure your future:
1. Identify and Value Your Human Capital Assets
Your firm’s greatest strength is not just its balance sheet. It’s your people, knowledge, and relationships:
- Intellectual property and know-how
- Energy, vitality, and personal skills
- Physical location and infrastructure
- Client list, community standing, and professional network
- Your brand and reputation for trust and integrity
Recognising these assets is the first step toward revitalisation.
2. Leverage Entrepreneurial Opportunity
Use your assets creatively to generate sustainable, increasing net profits:
- Implement a Two Hats Strategy: Separate your regulated and non-regulated activities with Chinese walls.
- Launch a Non-Regulated Channel: Deliver generic advice without regulatory constraints. Unlike regulated advice, generic advice know-how can be exchanged for cash instead of your time.
This can include:
- Hosting masterclasses
- Running subscription-based learning channels
- Creating content for YouTube, podcasts, or blogs
By doing so, you create multiple income streams without compromising your core business or compliance.
3. Plan for Gradual Transition
If you’re considering gradual retirement from regulated advice, now is the time to succession plan.
The Two Hats Strategy enables you to:
- Secure a personal encore career in non-regulated, impactful advice
- Prepare your regulated firm for transfer to the next generation of advisers
- Safeguard your clients and your legacy
Don’t know how?
We do. And we are here to help.
As we say at the Academy:
“No planner is as knowledgeable as planners working together.”
Why Act Now?
The warning signs are clear:
- 16,502 financial services firms in significant distress
- Rising tax burdens and employer costs
- Increasing scrutiny and enforcement by HMRC
- Economic uncertainty triggered by geopolitical tensions and trade tariffs
According to Begbies Traynor:
“If current pressures do not ease, a large number of critically distressed businesses could progress towards formal insolvency within the next 12 months.”
This is not the time to delay.
It’s the time to innovate, collaborate, and secure your future.
If you are ready to explore how human capital dividend strategies can transform your business, your livelihood, and your legacy — reach out.
Together, we can rebuild, thrive, and lead by example.
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Academy of Life Planning 
Succession planning is too important to leave until the last minute. As Helen Longland rightly points out, passionate advisers often find it hard to imagine stepping away — but none of us are here forever. If we genuinely care about safeguarding our clients, their families, and the legacy we’ve built, we must start planning early. A five-year runway isn’t just ideal — it’s essential to ensure a smooth, confident handover and preserve the value of the business. Future-proofing starts now, not when the clock runs out.
Johan highlighted that for financial advisory firms to survive and thrive during economic distress, they need key entrepreneurial talents. Core survival traits like Confidence, Determination, Disruptor thinking, Risk-taking, and Independence are essential. These should be supported by Knowledge, Relationship-building, Profitability focus, Selling ability, and Delegation skills.
He proposed a practical BP10 Survival Talent Blueprint — a team assessment tool to identify strengths, spot gaps, and align talent around resilience and innovation. His main message: firms must urgently innovate, build human capital, diversify income streams, and succession plan, because resilience and adaptability are now critical to survival.
Thank you, Johan, for powerfully articulating the entrepreneurial talents needed for firms to not just survive but truly thrive. Confidence, determination, innovation, and adaptability are more critical than ever. Your BP10 Survival Talent Blueprint provides a practical roadmap that perfectly complements the strategies we advocate — rebuilding around human capital, leveraging new income streams, and succession planning.
Resilience and innovation are no longer optional — they are the lifeblood of the next generation of advisory firms. Let’s keep leading this important evolution together.