Journey 01 · Employed or restricted adviser
You want to move — and run it as your own business.
You've built the client relationships. Now you want the economics, the freedom and the asset value that come with running your own firm — without gambling your income or your clients on the wrong home.
Who this is for
Advisers leaving an employed or restricted seat to go self-employed, appoint under a network or principal, or set up directly authorised.
What we hear most
- —Restrictive covenants and what you can realistically take with you
- —Working out what your book is actually worth under different payout models
- —Choosing between an AR route and going directly authorised
- —Which advice firms will actually flex on splits, joining support and equity
- —Getting an application taken seriously without a credible business plan
The process
A guided route, not a search box.
We deliberately don't leave you to work this out alone. Each stage has a defined output, and you decide whether to go on to the next one.
01
Position audit
A confidential 45-minute session on your book, your covenants, your timescales and your non-negotiables. No firm names pushed at you.
02
Shortlist build
We take our published research and narrow it to three or four realistic homes — with the numbers modelled against your actual recurring income.
03
Business plan
A plan written to the standard the firm's onboarding committee expects. This is the single biggest lever on the terms you're offered.
04
Introductions & negotiation
We open the door to the decision-maker, not the recruitment inbox, and coach you through what each firm can genuinely flex on.
05
Landing well
Transition planning, client communications and the first ninety days — where most moves quietly lose value.
What you walk away with
Payout modelling
Side-by-side take-home comparison across your shortlist, including platform, PI and central costs.
Business plan
Firm-grade document covering proposition, client bank, growth, compliance and financials.
Warm introductions
Direct lines to the people who set terms — heads of proposition, recruitment directors, regional MDs.
Negotiation support
What to ask for, what's been agreed elsewhere, and what to walk away from.
How to read this information
Everything published here is compiled from publicly available sources — firm websites and disclosure documents, FCA registers and published notices, Companies House filings, published accounts, trade press reporting, and publicly posted reviews on platforms such as Trustpilot, Glassdoor and Google. Quotes are reproduced as published by their authors.
None of it is Fortis Connect's personal opinion of a firm, and nothing here is a recommendation, endorsement, criticism or regulated financial advice. Terms, charges, propositions and ownership change frequently — always confirm the current position directly with the firm before making a decision. If you are a firm and believe something is out of date or inaccurate, email enquiries@fortisconnect.co.uk and we will review it and correct the record where the evidence supports it.