Welcome to
Back Office Hero
Our “Why”
At Back Office Hero, it’s where we begin. Why does one practice owner thrive, while most barely survive and a few fail?
We’ve seen financial planning practices boom and bust from every angle and we know what it takes to succeed. As practice owners, we stumble or fall because we’ve been taught to follow, not to lead. Education today is designed to churn out workers.
It’s too slow, too scared – and too far from our business lives. Our why stems from the belief that, through personalised learning and experiential mentoring, we can inspire and guide today’s financial planners to lead and realise a better tomorrow.
Our Strategy
Experience and Expertise
We impart experience and know-how, not untested theories or unfounded trends. We share best practices from our most successful ventures and lessons learned from the failures we’ve revived. Additionally, we provide all the essential knowledge you need as a business manager of your own practice. We succeed when you achieve serenity and impact. We prevail when you attain autonomy and wealth.
Embrace Failure
We believe our current education systems condition us to fear failure. We believe that embracing and learning from failure is crucial for professional and personal growth. As practice owners, we succeed by risking failure and being resilient enough to try again when things go wrong. We help practice owners rewrite and integrate perceived failures into realised wisdom, growth, and success.
Blended Approach
Whilst we have proven systems and processes for growth and success, every practice owner is different. We know that transitioning from a practice owner to a business manager means understanding how to:
- Develop and execute a vision and strategy
- Build, execute, and optimise measurable systems
- Clean and refresh business data continuously
- Scale your business with internal systems
- Outsource repetitive tasks
- Embrace and learn from failure
- Stand out and thrive in business
We transfer our knowledge and experience through a unique and personalised blend of coaching, learning, mentoring, and consulting. With our coaching, you focus. With our learning, you advance. With our mentoring, you understand. And with our consulting, you execute.
Our Vision
It’s time for an inspired vision – At Back Office Hero, we transform people into leaders, practice owners into business managers, and small financial planning practices into thriving businesses. We do this by inspiring change to the status quo.
We’re inspiring creativity—because it turns our roadblocks into runways. We’re inspiring knowledge—because it turns our fears into freedoms. We’re inspiring experience—because it turns our burnout into backbone. And we’re inspiring insight—because it turns our stress into success.
We work to bring you success, we publish to bring you advantage, and we curate to bring you community.
We’re Back Office Hero.
We’re Inspiring Financial Minds.
Mark Lewin
Hi, Mark here, the founder of Back Office Hero. I believe there are two key aspects to being a successful financial planner: providing strategic financial advice to clients and running an efficient small business. Over 40 years ago, our industry began with a focus on sales skills and commissions, but this distorted the principle of acting in the client’s best interest. Consequently, a complex compliance regime was imposed on the industry.
Today, financial planners must manage both client relationships and business operations to stay profitable and compliant. However, there’s a lack of formal training in running an efficient small business.
I have worked in broking, insurance, and merchant banking, but it wasn’t until I became a financial planner that I faced the challenges of decision-making as a small business owner. I loved client engagement, but the global financial crisis exposed gaps in my business management skills, highlighting the need for a structured approach to running a successful and compliant practice.
I stumbled and went down many rabbit warrens but kept searching for effective strategies to streamline my business operations. Through persistence and learning from mistakes, peers, and coaches, I discovered the key elements needed to balance client engagement with efficient business management.
I believe lessons from setbacks are the most valuable for professional and personal growth. I now want to share the wisdom I’ve gained with other practice owners and office managers who aspire for more, enabling them as leaders and saving them valuable time.
Back Office Hero understands what it takes to transition from a practice owner to an astute business manager, balancing profitability with exceptional client service. By creating a Business System with repeatable processes, we help financial planners achieve operational efficiency, allowing them to focus on delivering outstanding service to their clients.
Every practice owner and office manager can scale their operations, take control of their back-office systems, and build a thriving business. It just takes courage and guidance from a trusted mentor.
Chris Morris
Chris is an expert in Data and Financial Planning software, with particular proficiency in Xplan and AdviserLogic financial planning systems. With over 19 years of experience in the Financial Planning industry, Chris has accumulated a wide range of valuable skills that can be leveraged to further develop financial planning businesses.
He brings to Back Office Hero extensive analytical expertise, supporting business acquisitions and transitions, project management, and strategic business initiatives.
In these roles, he has specialised in developing and enhancing management information systems, business models, calculators, and management dashboards to guide decision-making.
Chris is passionate about utilising his unique skills to help financial planning businesses realize their full potential.
Qualification:
- Bachelor of Commerce 2003 (Macquarie University)
George Riley
I’m a passionate student currently pursuing a double degree in Commerce and Arts at Macquarie University, with majors in International Business and Politics.
My journey so far has been diverse and enriching. I’ve spent several years in retail, where I honed my customer service and time-management skills, and in sports coaching, where I developed strong communication and leadership abilities.
In October 2023, I joined Back Office Hero and have had the pleasure of working closely with both Mark and Chris. Their unique perspectives and backgrounds have been incredibly educational and inspiring. My role involves key responsibilities in lead generation, overseeing our consultancy program, and contributing to the development of our online course.
Through my experience at Back Office Hero and our interactions with clients, I’ve learned that running an efficient financial planning practice is no easy task. However, with organisation and a clear plan, it becomes much more manageable. Back Office Hero provides essential tools, checklists, templates, and processes that streamline everyday back-office functions.
I’ve also noticed that many of our clients struggle with being under-resourced or understaffed. At Back Office Hero, we advocate for outsourcing as a cost-effective alternative to hiring an office manager locally. Having someone dedicated to this role can transform your practice, making them your true Back Office Hero.
Kind Words From Past Clients
Are You Ready To Achieve Results?
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