The guidance from a seasoned financial adviser can be invaluable to anyone embarking on a new venture — whether that’s saving for retirement, creating a child’s education fund or developing an investment portfolio.

For business owners, the role of a financial planner is especially critical. Simply put, a financial adviser has the tools and the knowledge necessary to ensure that you’re making financially sound decisions about your business, the business plan you develop is actually a sustainable one, you’re doing what you should to mitigate risk and you have the proper benchmarks in mind to monitor your forward momentum. 

It’s no exaggeration to say that working with a financial advisor can be make-or-break and that a good relationship with your adviser can set you up for future success.

Why work with a financial advisor?

1. Your financial adviser can help lay the right foundation. There are a number of reasons you might work with a financial adviser, starting with the conception of your business plan. Will your projected revenue cover expenses and leave you with a buffer for any fallow seasons? By working with a financial adviser, you can be confident in the basic structures on which your business is built.
2. Financial adviser can help identify red flags. Trained professionals can identify warning signs and recommend corrective action long before issues spiral out of control. You may have some unsound financials that threaten the longevity of your business, and you may not even realize it; your financial advisor can ring the alarm and show you how to avert danger.
3. Working with a financial adviser helps you locate ways to save money. As a business owner, it’s only natural that you might not see your company as objectively as possible. An outside perspective can show you places where you’re needlessly spending money or where some slight reductions to your expenditures could yield big savings over the long run.
4. A financial adviser will help you plan for growth. What’s the best way to develop new business and grow your new company safely — scaling strategically and not risking overreach? A financial adviser can provide you with some parameters, allowing you to develop your business in a way that’s sustainable.
5. Your financial adviser can help you with personal finances, as well. One of the great tragedies of entrepreneurship is that so many business owners focus all their attention on the company, at the expense of their personal savings and retirement planning. When you work with a financial adviser, however, he or she can help you attend to your own financial health, in conjunction with that of your company.

As a business owner, you have to wear a lot of hats; it just comes with the territory. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t seek out external expertise when needed, though. And one of the most valuable ways you can strengthen your business is to seek the wisdom and insight of a seasoned financial adviser. 

About the Author 
Amanda E. Clark is the president and editor-in-chief of Grammar Chic, a full-service professional writing company. She is a published ghostwriter and editor, and she's currently under contract with literary agencies in Malibu, California and Dublin. Since founding Grammar Chic in 2008, Clark, along with her team of skilled professional writers, has offered expertise to clients in the creative, business and academic fields. The company accepts a wide range of projects; often engages in content and social media marketing; and drafts resumes, press releases, web content, marketing materials and ghostwritten creative pieces. Contact Clark at www.grammarchic.net.