Kim Bendall launches outsourced paraplanning firm

27 October 2020

Kim Bendall has launched her own firm, Go Paraplanning, and is looking to provide tailor-made support services to new and existing clients.

The new firm, a joint enterprise between Kim and partner Ralph Sanders (pictured), is targeting financial planning businesses as well as life and investment companies and software houses, and offers a range of services including paraplanning, due diligence, practice management, administration including help in meeting PROD requirements and completing GABRIEL returns, training and consultancy.

Kim says she will be drawing on her 20 years’ experience in financial services, including 3 years as an IFA and 17 years as a paraplanner (both in-house and outsourced), the last five of which have been as co-director of an outsourced paraplanning firm, to build the business. Ralph was co-owner of a financial planning business, specialising in practice management, corporate admin and compliance.

Kim believes outsourced paraplanning services are a “massively untapped resource” for the industry.

“Outsourced paraplanning services offer a lot more than just paraplanning and administration, including specific project work, due diligence and helping firms improve practice management, processes and efficiencies and the outcomes for their end clients. I don’t think that the breadth of help outsourced paraplanners can give is always realised by financial advice firms and life and investment companies.

“We work with so many firms, products, compliance consultants and investment strategies that we have a real bird’s eye view over the whole industry.”

The firm is based in Kent and operates virtually with clients all over the UK.

“The need for financial services companies to largely work from home during Covid has helped demonstrate that virtual working is both viable and efficient. It has made many firms reconsider their operational set ups. Outsourced services are tried and trusted as virtual operations and they bring the added advantage that firms are only paying for the services they use, which can help reduce their overall costs,” she says.

“Go Paraplanning has hit the ground running. We have a wonderful group of established clients and we are looking to welcome a few more this year. The aim is to work in partnership with a select group of financial planning clients over the long term as well as offering consultancy and project work for life, investment and software companies.

“Over the next couple of years we will build the firm to 4-5 people. I think that’s about the right size given the personalised nature of that we want to deliver to our clients.

“We plan on being a deliberately small and beautiful firm that does things really, really well for our clients over a long period of time. We’re looking to attract great financial planning firms that want an experienced, outsourced partner to work closely alongside them.”

Read more in Professional Paraplanner magazine out tomorrow.

Professional Paraplanner