As an independent broker we are very proud of our ability to shine a light on some of the businesses we work for, some of the partners who refer to us and some of the forums from which we receive referrals.
Being a boutique means we know our clients in a different way to some of the 'factory firms' in our sector.
It is worth asking yourself 'how can an FX company with thousands of clients reasonably give back to their partners?'.
In our experience they cannot, and this is where we think we have an edge.
It is fair to say that currency exchange is somewhat niche.
Although a huge number of businesses engage in the exchange of currency and, particularly in London, a large number of individuals send, receive, hold and exchange currency, but, because competition for column inches is so fierce you don't tend to see independent companies advertise across mainstream channels.
In the context of Prime Cap, being an independent broker means that we are wholly privately owned. At least that is what we consider to be the important part of being independent.
The mark up we apply to rates of exchange does not serve to support dividends to share holders and because we have a boutique structure we do not have to worry about any margin we make being used to compensate stakeholders in the sales process.
So, by this we mean that we do not have purely business development managers or extraneous support staff who have a claim on any proportion of the margin we make.
Our brokers are our sales team. They are our customer service team. They are our research team and our consultancy team.
Each of our brokers has a personal relationship with her or his clients.
She might have a strong relationship with the referrer of a private client.
She might also have a relationship with someone working at one of the businesses we transact for.
The bottom line is that the focussed way we work with our clients and our partners means that we can do a little more to give back and our collaborations are not just based on pounds and pence, but rather the value our clients will get from those we promote.
Being a niche business means we get on well with other niche businesses.
One such business is called Dingo Recruitment.
Dingo Recruitment was the brain child of David Field.
As well as linking qualified and diligent Australians and New Zealanders arriving in the UK with both temporary and permanent jobs, Dingo puts itself out there as a useful settling in service...providing its candidates with information and introductions for things like bank accounts, accommodation and initial tax advice.
As you can imagine, sending and receiving money can have a part to play in the movements of someone coming to the UK...so we are very pleased to be considered their go to provider for payment services.
More than that though, we consider ourselves a platform from which our clients and contacts can draw first hand personal recommendations.
David went through many of the same experiences as his candidate base, so he knows what they expect and the common concerns or obstacles they face.
Likewise, Prime Cap was incorporated precisely because we knew what our clients were asking for and they simply couldn't find it elsewhere.
In one sense our referencing Dingo Recruitment is simply an endorsement of a trusted partner and peer, but, in another it is a chance for us to directly reference how we work with the relocation sector.
Yes, the work of David and his team is predicated on placing Australian and New Zealand nationals in work in London, that is how they make their money, but, their outlook and values with regards to welcoming their candidates to the UK and the deepening trust placed in them by their clients reflects the sort of business we want to be perceived as.
Another cord Dingo hits on for us is the assumption by many that a currency broker only deals with the movement and exchange of large sums of money.
Someone moving to the UK with plans to stay for the longer term (anything over a year) might well look to self fund from savings they have back home.
Initially their expenses won't be much, just rent, travel etc.
This type of payment activity won't excite the interest of large foreign exchange firms many of whom have a minimum margin their need to make on a transaction.
However, for Prime Cap this is precisely the type of payments activity we relish.
Our online platform allows individuals to send their Australian or New Zealand dollars to us as that currency.
They can then chose when to convert their money in to sterling and pay directly to their UK bank account. One of the more interesting things to note is that they do not need to speak with us to exchange this money.
Yes, we want to answer questions and we are the first port of call for gathering information when it comes to registering a new client, but, customers can simply login in to the system and be assured of a good rate of exchange whenever they do.
The process doesn't have to be drawn out of convoluted.
It is much like using an online banking system but you have the benefit of an improved rate and knowing precisely when you're money will arrive where you want it.
If you would like to talk through our work with the likes of Dingo, or you would like us to make an introduction directly to David and his team either for you as a candidate or as a client looking to hire, then please do just let us know. It would be our pleasure to connect you.