The next instalment of our 'A Day in the Life of' series sees Liz Beavis walk us through a typical day as FMB's Managing Director...

"I usually arrive at the office by 8.30 am and make a start sorting through my many emails. Even though I keep tabs on them from home, I often find it easier to respond from my desk. As the day goes on, I probably get a bit too caught up with checking them but I find it difficult not to respond as quickly as I can.

Quite a lot of my time is spent problem-solving. I can receive multiple queries throughout the day regarding various areas of the business with issues or opportunities arising that need to be solved at Director level. Some queries might require a discussion between the four of us.

We hold regular meetings to discuss the company strategy and where we are up to in achieving our business goals for the year. We also monitor the monthly accounts to assess our income, costs and cash flow to ensure that we keep on track. We use this information to make decisions about the future of the business and help determine areas that we need to focus on.

I also spend a significant amount of time working on my client bank and, although I only have a small number of clients, most have rather complex portfolios. Phoebe does an excellent job of assisting with this and keeps me updated on the progress of the work we have on the go. I particularly enjoy putting together cash flow forecasts for my clients as I think this is where we can give a lot of value to their lives going forward.

Roger and I oversee the Training and Competence of the Financial Planners. We have regular update meetings with our Planners and also sit in on accompanied calls and the more formal appraisals twice a year.

We have to keep our knowledge up to date, so as well as attending CPD (Continuing Professional Development) events, such as fund manager and technical updates, I also attend various training sessions designed for Supervisors. I am also a member of an ‘Action Learning’ group which comprises of several business owners from across the North West that come together to share best practice and support each other in their businesses. We meet every six weeks and what I've learned within my time with the group has been invaluable in my role.

This year I have spent a lot of time on our new advice process and reviewing our investment and client proposition. This needs reviewing regularly to ensure that it remains up-to-date and in keeping with the current climate so that we are providing the best service possible to clients.

So, as you can see, my day can be extremely varied and is usually a combination of the above with a few other jobs thrown in the mix (like changing the toilet seat!)."