It is imperative for any business arrangement to have alignment. LionShare has success in the independent financial service marketplace. We have found through our success and failures that these operational observations, issues, and items.
Operational Proactivity
- Investment funds are competing in an increasingly competitive market — high touch is the success for boutique managers.
- Investors and independent advisors expect more and are asking for more — less trash and trinkets & more practice management content and business building initiatives.
- Managers need to ensure that they have a satisfactory operational infrastructure in order to attract assets.
- Biggest sweeping change in manager/fund assessment is more robust and detailed due diligence — second set of eyes on structure, and players.
- There is a penalty for being different in the marketing cycle — values don't change, the marketing needs to.
Operational Credibility
GIPS® (Global Investment Performance Standards) are a set of standardized, industry-wide ethical principles that provide investment firms with guidance on how to calculate and report their investment results top prospective clients.
GIPS® Verification is the process by which and independent verifier assesses whether the firm has complied with all the composite constructions requirements of the GIPS® standards on a firm-wide basis. The firm’s policies and procedures are designed to calculate and present performance in compliance with the GIPS® standards.
We only want to represent firms which are GIPS® Verified or want to become GIPS® Verified.
Operational Quality
We need to market and represent quality:- Appointment of a capable administrator and reputable auditor.
- Adequate accounting controls: no segregation of duties or problems.
- Robust valuation controls: no front office market securities.
- Appropriate fund structuring (share class).
- Alignment
- Ethics/Compliance
- Profitability
- Fun!
