For this tenant spotlight, we sat down with Adam Surtees of Affinity Advice.
Affinity Advice are financial advisors with a range of services which include home insurance, private medical insurance and wills. Adam is quick to tell us that he doesn’t intend the list to end there: “We are going to start and do mortgages. So, we are expanding in terms of our services as well.”
Adam’s story is an inspiring one for anyone who dreams about running their own business. “I have always been inspired to start a company on my own and have tried to do a couple of businesses before when I was younger”, he tells us.
However, he only made the jump with Affinity Advice after feeling unfulfilled working for other businesses. “I never wanted to do accountancy, I have worked in big firms and switched careers in different finance roles but nothing struck me. I’m more passionate about dealing with people and meeting people as a financial advisor.”
Relative newcomers to the field of financial advice, Adam says that he started Affinity Advice working on his own in 2022, having previously worked in insurance and protection. Starting with just himself, there are now four advisors with plans to expand the team further.
When Adam was starting out, he found that an office wasn’t actually a priority. He explains that, during the pandemic, “we mainly went over to the clients’ houses to meet them in person, so we did not need an office for a long time. We also provide training for roles like admin, which could be done at home”. This would change after starting to build a team. “We found that it was better to have an office to sort of get that team collaborative experience, especially after Covid-19.”
Fortuitously, upon enquiring Adam found that there was space available at St Peter’s Gate, which he describes as “perfect timing”. He says: “We loved the whole look of Hope Street Xchange but when we came over to St Peter’s Gate it was lovely, and it has a great view and look to it. We can have a great walk at the seafront. We just got a very nice feel about it.”
Adam feels that having an office at St Peter’s Gate gives him the flexibility his business needs. “I’m not always at the office”, he says, “but I’m moving about, going and meeting people in person. We all truly believe in the product and service, and we have great job satisfaction and believe in ourselves.”
One final piece of advice about building a base at St Peter’s Gate, in Adam’s words? “Save yourself the hassle of looking around for an office and go for it!”
