The Saffron Story

With at least 50 years of combined financial services experience, Directors Bianca and Steve started Saffron in legendary style from the family home in Orewa. Like most new businesses, our goal was to survive until next year. In our case, that meant applying what we knew best – providing the highest possible level of ethical Fire & General Insurance Broking services and advice to a core commercial client base. Amazingly, at the end of two years, we were still here. In our early days, we were pretty excited to get the opportunity to quote on more than one new enquiry a day. In the first couple of months the council decided to dig up our entire street and replace it – we had to shout to be heard by potential clients thanks to the noise of jackhammers coming through our metal garage door and shaking the entire house. Internet was very sketchy.

By 2017, we’d firmly established ourselves as a safe pair of commercial insurance hands for businesses of all kinds throughout the whole of NZ. With a decent client base established, we were able to escape the squeeze of home office life. We sublet some space from friends Ritchie and Sam at Asbestos Environmental Consultants who were kind enough to turn over their reception area for us to use as an office. We started to gain some serious traction, regularly receiving 10 to 30 new business enquiries a day. Some of the highlights of the period were:

• Winning out first $50M Client.
• Welcoming our first team member Vanesa, and then our 2nd, Tammy.
• Establishing direct relationships with our Insurer and Underwriter partners.
• Creating and successfully  implementing a range of new cloud based systems for Bordereaux, Document Management, Backoffice, and CRM.
• Establishing Saxon Premium Funding (which helps our business clients by spreading the cost of their premiums).
• Breaking through (and by now far exceeding) our Neon Milestone 200 commercial clients mark.

Having moved into a larger space in October 2019, Saffron was well-positioned for further growth. We kept providing awesome service to our existing clients, as well as welcoming new clients to the family, and projects that supported that goal included:

• New staff to help support our growth.
• An expanded marketing campaign.
• A new online F&G referral progamme for financial professionals.
• Smashing through through the 1000 commercial clients ceiling.

• Saffron Business Insurance is Granted one of the first transitional licenses under the FMA’s new Regulatory Authority.
• All Broking staff are now fully qualified  to Level 5 or equivalent certification, meaning you have advisers that have demonstrated they 1. Act In the Clients Best interest. 2. Follow a clear, methodical, documented financial planning process to ensure they work to meet client’s financial goals. 3. Subscribe to a professional code of conduct.
• Saffron successfully implements remote working for all staff to fully support our clients during Covid-19 Lockdown. All systems including telephone, quoting, invoicing, contact management, and client data storage systems are functioning seamlessly and securely from the cloud.

• From strength to strength, the Saffron team continues to fend off much larger international competitors, and earn a loyal place in our client’s trust by putting them first, with hard work and determination. Highlights for the past year include:
• A spanking new headquarters for the growing team, sharing the superb, secure, spacious, and modern Tasman building with Auckland Council Council in Orewa.
• A 100% successful AMLCFT Audit (https://www.dia.govt.nz/AML-CFT-Legislation) for our premium funding arm, Saxon Premium Funding Ltd.
• Compliant Transition to the new regulatory regime for Financial Advice now administered by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA)
• Building new skills and qualifications in house through Adviser Level 5 Certification, industry qualification, and ongoing professional development for the team.

 

Another big thank you again for FY 2021, to all our clients past present and future who help us to grow by trusting us to protect their assets. Despite the world coming to a standstill due to Covid in the past year, Saffron kept supporting, serving, and growing, and in environment of  New Zealand financial services being dominated by offshore interests, we also hope its reassuring to know that at least one local family-owned firm is battling to keep it Kiwi!

We’re very pleased to announce that Saffron has been granted a Full License as a Financial Advice Provider (FAP) by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) under the new regulatory framework. We have demonstrated that we now have an even higher standard of Procedures and Documentation in place in order to better help Clients achieve their Financial Goals. Developing tools for supporting our Clients along with appropriate systems and documentation is an ongoing part of our compliance programme, and we welcome any feedback you may have for further improvements or streamlining.

Wow, flip on a stick. If you own a business like many of our Clients, the last couple of years have been taxing, to say the least (and if you are parents too, doubly so). Plague, pestilence, corruption, hail and cyclones, summer MIA, quiet quitting, bankruptcies and redundancies, massive fluctuations in property and other asset markets, astonishing back flips by politicians and regulators…where does it end?! You’d be forgiven for feeling at the very least apprehensive and at worst, burnt out.

If it helps, we understand the struggle. Our job is to help you navigate business risks – sometimes it just requires a listening ear, one that understands, sympathizes, has been there, and can give well thought out recommendations. Don’t be shy – the best way to deal with adversity is to be prepared for it – and talking nearly always helps – as our Client, you always have our ear to bounce your ideas off.