Our Offices and Location Details
Prague:
Currently our head office and administration centre. The beauty of Prague is legendary. Our office caters for six consultants and has the latest technology available for our consultants. Our printed six weekly Newsletters and fund sheets are part of our back up to all offices. Computer software from leading companies assists in producing the very best in presentations for our clients.
A two bedroom apartment costs around US$500.00 per month. Phil Delaney even achieved this being fully furnished recently. Food ranks amongs't the best and cheapest in Europe and sophistication is very visible.
We provide work permits and visas in all locations wherever needed. In Prague, KMI is a Czech Company (SRO). The expats here are less well paid than other uncivilised locations. Many of their perks such as housing, school fees, cars and travel are only partly subsided. This makes business more difficult and prospecting needs to be detailed. We have up-to-date lists and a good bank of existing clients, having established nearly four years ago. Competition is minimal. Summers are hot, winters quite cold, skiing less than two hours away. This is not the best place for the highest rewards but for a civilised high standard of living it takes some beating. Average salary of our consultants - £45,000 pa. One hour forty minutes by air to London.
Warsaw:
Similar in some ways to Prague, but without the splendour but with more expats. Mostly they are better paid. Accommodation and cost of living is also similar to Prague around 60% of UK costs. Less clients here but more opportunity for higher earnings. Up to date lists provided. More cold calling, but again the competition is noticeable by its absence. Just over two hours from London. Average income of consultants £ 53,000.00 p.a.
Moscow:
The jewel in the crown. Our partner Graham King and consultants have already become our biggest earners, even overtaking those in the Far East, where we have been established some nine years and have many clients.
Opened in early 1999, KMI has immediately become the largest broker permanently in Moscow. The competition mostly left in late 1997 when the economy collapsed. As a result the cost of living has dropped and is now similar to that of the UK. A good two bed apartment costing between US$ 1000.00 and US$ 2000.00 dependant on location. Vladamir, one of our trusty drivers sees that our consultants are met at the airport and ferried daily to appointments. This is just as well because central Moscow is both busy and confusing to the Western European. The supposed criminal element is easily avoidable as it is in the UK, rarely seen except for the occasional dark windowed Mercedes Limo (or was that the new President Putin). We estimate that the average income of a consultant should reach at least £100,000.00 p.a. if hard work is applied. Winters are very cold and summers very hot. Our main Company apartment is in the centre opposite the Grand Marriott Hotel a few hundred yards from the Kremlin, which is a spectacular monument. Moscow is four hours from London and the food is no more than reasonable. TGI Fridays is a popular choice.
Paris and Brussels:
Whilst we have smart offices in both these locations we use them both as bases for our consultants to trip into from other regions. There is great opportunity here with many well paid expats working within the European community. The cost of living in both locations is very high. Apartments may easily cost $2,000.00 per month and food is more expensive than the UK. That said, for the right Partner there is an enormous opportunity.
New Office:
A new location in Eastern Europe is currently being negotiated. Earnings are expected to be similar to Moscow.
New Consultants:
Mark Nierada, BA (Hons), Solicitor (NP)
Senior Investment Consultants
Cassie Curtis
Sylwia Szydlowska-Rathod
Our Website
We have had this site for over two years and have enjoyed considerable success. We would like to say that clients poor in from all locations but sadly they don't. In the offshore industry, just as onshore, we have to go to the clients. Any firm that says differently just isn't telling the truth. However, where the site really helps is in the consolidation of making sales and after sales service. Clients love being able to access the site, see our news and then visit the offshore companies accessed from our site. It is constantly updated and perhaps in the future every office will have a link and clients will buy on the web. Until then the phone is the way.
Our Funds
Many brokers will say they have their own funds. Some may have broker funds, and others, links to investment groups.
In addition to dealing with the main product providers such as Hansard International, KMI have these above funds too. However we also have two other funds:
Optima Fund and Platinum Fund,
see elsewhere on this website for full details of these funds
|
How to Succeed Offshore
All companies will tell you how to succeed, but the experience is, that most new consultants going offshore, fail! The realities rarely match up to the hype and those that profess to know how to make all those overseas dollars are often at home talking about it.
We list below what to expect and what not to:
1. Be adaptable. The climate, the food, the inhabitants, the roads, the rules, will all be different. You may have satellite television but that may be it.
2. Hospital and health care will mostly be good but insurance is essential.
3. The police mostly have a more prominent role in Eastern Europe. That's good, They are there to protect. Your colleagues will advise on the protocol.
4. Don't expect to have clients handed on a plate to you, but serious assistance to find clients will be given and help to visit them will be at hand.
5. Early disappointments are inevitable. Our best ever consultant didn't write a case for three months. He became our top consultant within twelve months earning over US$250,000.00 p.a. Success doesn't come easy but it does come with work. The rewards are very considerable.
Perhaps the single most important difference is that onshore we sell insurance (PIA permitting) and offshore we sell investment. Companies may tell different stories but those that practice the business know this reality.
There is a place for insurance to be sold offshore but this market is small. Be warned. Learn about fund performance or fail.
Best paid and best Qualified:
We believe our ratio of FPC qualified consultants is the best in the offshore industry. Currently running at 70% of advisers. Our commission scales are not set to confuse. Dependant on volume, we pay up to 100% of initial commission and we pay weekly.
5000 Offshore funds monitored:
To back up our above belief we have. Permanently on our computers, performance figures of over 5000 offshore funds enabling our clients to access any of these through personal portfolio's with our major institutions. This business brings in the large single premiums sought after by so many advisers but achieved by so few.
Our Providers and our financial strength:
This speaks for itself. We today trade with the same companies as we did in 1992 and of course many many more. We have never had an agency closed and our resources are considerable. We do not rely on any broker, or bank loans. We have agencies with all the top offshore companies ensuring complete choice for our clients. We have long standing relationships with many international banks ensuring our requests are handled speedily. Our international reputation is known throughout the industry.
The Partnership:
Once new consultants have established themselves with us, both Partnerships and Franchises are available. More than this, we encourage it. KMI believe the only way to build a quality company is to have active ownership.
We have worked towards partners in Singapore, Jakarta, Warsaw and of course Prague. We rarely lose partners or consultants and this is the reason why.
Ensuring we are paid first:
In the world of overseas financial advice there is a need to have a team constantly solving case problems and ensuring cases go live at the earliest possible time. This ensures commission is paid as soon as possible. This the very lifeblood of the offshore advisor. Many companies claim to provide this most essential service. Our KMI team of commission chasers are well known to the life offices (Oh no, not her again!!). What others promise we do. Why ? Because all Partners of KMI still remain our biggest producers. We don't just talk, we do!
Computers and Software:
We recommend notebook computers to our consultants and supply the software. The desktops in our offices are for all to use. These are an essential part of overseas life.
Holidays and incentives:
We have various incentive holidays and offers for our consultants and clients. We expect many to qualify and enjoy the rewards of their work and investments.
Our Newsletter:
Yet another aid for consultants keeping regular communication between KMI and our clients. This short, six weekly, publication is much enjoyed by our clients many of whom have received it for seven years and regard it as the essential link for them in their sometimes remote location. How many times we have been told that company "x" sold them a scheme and was never heard of again.
Finally a promise from the Senior partner of KMI:
Simply put, if a consultant shows by his endeavours that he has done his best to achieve and followed our guidelines. I will personally travel to his/her location and write business, with the consultant's prospects, to the credit of the consultant concerned. |
| 