Between holidays, client events, and all those loose ends to tie up, the end of the year can be a whirlwind. As supervisor of the team that manages Commonwealth’s website-building program, EasySite, I often see an increase in the number of advisors making changes to their firm’s website during this time. But updating your site doesn’t have to be a year-end chore. By regularly reviewing key aspects of your site, you can keep it looking fresh all year without too much effort.

When this post was first published back in 2013, the idea of displaying your computer screen on your TV was relatively new. Since then, there's been a proliferation of digital and wireless technologies that allow you to easily take your office and conference room setup to the next level. So, I decided to revisit this topic to bring you the latest information on the technology available to you.  

In Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, Michael Lewis describes how the Oakland Athletics used analytics to build a competitive team on a fraction of the budget of league leaders like the New York Yankees. It’s an interesting read, and I think you’ll find the lessons apply to one area of your business in particular: your website.

As a kid, I played a lot of console games. As I positioned myself in front of the TV, I had Nintendo on my left, Sega Genesis on my right, and an original PlayStation in front of me. Four power cords, three AV cords, six controller cables, and numerous other wires turned my little play area into a death trap for my poor mother. Mom’s daily battle cry was, “Clean up this mess!”

Turns out, we all should have listened to my mom.

As a technology consultant at Commonwealth Financial Network^®, I frequently talk about technology with the firm’s affiliated financial advisors. Given the pace at which new products come to market, the questions I receive typically revolve around whether advisors should invest in top-of-the-line hardware and systems and how often they should upgrade. It can be tempting to chase the latest trends, but do you really need and i7 processor when an i5 will do? With that in mind, let’s look at what you really need to run an efficient practice, and how to determine when it’s time to invest in your office technology.