Jeremy Stanley: Define and Understand Your Niche

How one financial advisor tailored his services to run a thriving business

"We specialize in working with certified registered nurse anesthetists, and I know that’s a mouthful. CRNAs are the ones in the operating room who put you to sleep. And most importantly, wake you up after surgery, they breathe for you. They are the cream of the crop of the nursing industry,” says Jeremy Stanley, president and CEO of CRNA Financial Planning.

Stanley is so knowledgeable about his clients, that many of them think he is a CRNA. “They don’t know that I’m not, but my wife is,” he says.

Stanley developed his niche market over a number of years. Throughout that time, he’s learned the importance of tailoring his core services to his market, including financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, and tax planning. “A lot of CRNAs are independent contractors, much like we are on the financial planning side, so they need help setting everything up.”

Advice for creating and developing your niche

If you’re looking to create a niche for your own financial business, Stanley offers this advice:

• First and foremost, make sure that your personality and their personality are cohesive.
• Make sure it's always about them, their industry, what is specific to their industry, what differentiates them.
• Differentiate yourself by understanding your market implicitly, including the terminology and what they do.
• Give back to your market constantly.

In this video, Stanley shares how he puts his advice into action, gives back to the community he serves, and the focus of his weekly podcast.

It’s always about the client

Through working with CRNAs over the years, Stanley has learned the relationship is give and take, but ultimately that it’s always about them. He says, “I tell clients all the time, I can tell you all day long what the most financially astute way is to plan for your future. But that doesn't mean it's going to work for you. We've got to really get to know the client. How do we design this plan to work for you and take care of you and your family for the rest of your lives? It's a huge responsibility that's extremely rewarding.”

A financial advisor for more than 20 years, Stanley has been with LPL Financial since 2004. He’s seen LPL evolve to become even more about advisors. “I think LPL is the right home for our business. Throughout the years, LPL has been able to step up and we're seeing that constantly right now. They’ve really evolved to the place of, how do we service our advisors so they can service their clients? What makes the advisor's job easier? LPL’s really done a great job supporting us in our endeavors.”

The views and opinions expressed by the LPL Financial Advisor may not be representative of the views of other Financial Advisors and are not indicative of future performance or success. Neither LPL Financial nor the LPL Financial Advisor can be held responsible for any direct or incidental loss incurred by applying any of the information offered. Securities offered through LPL Financial. Member FINRA/SIPC.

Investment advice offered through Private Advisor Group, a registered investment advisor.

CRNA Financial Planning and Private Advisor Group are separate entities from LPL Financial. LPL Financial serves as a custodian for CRNA Financial Planning.

Tracking # 1-05306519