Weston Small Business Spotlight: Blue Keel Financial Planning, LLC

WESTON, CT-- Our Small Business Spotlight shines a light on local businesses we may not know that well.

• Business: Blue Keel Financial Planning, LLC
• Owner: Charlie Shipman
• Website: www.bluekeelfinancial.com
• Address: Weston, home-based

We are a financial planning and investment management for Gen Xers and Millennials, using the latest technology and innovation to help my clients stay on course and reach their goals.

I named it Blue Keel because I wanted a name that evoked an image of strength and thought that the keel, which is the foundational structure of a sailboat, was perfect. One's financial life is built around their plan, much like the sailboat gets its structure (and strength) from its keel. As for blue, well that's just my favorite color.

I started Blue Keel where I live (Weston) because I saw a need for providing relevant financial planning and investment management advice to Gen Xers and Millennials. As a virtual advisor, I deliver web-based solutions so I can help my clients no matter where they are located geographically. When I worked on Wall Street, most of the big firms were busy chasing high net worth clients and essentially ignoring the younger generations and their financial issues. Our generations don't need to focus on retirement planning as much as the baby boomers do. We need help with making a plan, buying a home, putting our kids through college, budgeting, and paying off student loans - while also trying to put something away for our own retirement. It's not about pushing products at Blue Keel, it's about building a plan and providing support to ensure that plan's success.

The biggest challenge I face as a small business owner has been figuring out how to wear all the hats in my one-man firm. I have to manage the operations as well as the planning and portfolio management side of the business. The operational duties include updating the website, writing blog posts and newsletters, maintaining a strong social media presence, marketing myself and the firm, compliance, billing, and many other time-consuming tasks. Thankfully, it all gets done and I'm able to provide my services at reasonable rates because I don't need the back office support that larger firms require (the cost of which is passed on to the client in the form of higher fees).

My proudest achievement since starting Blue Keel is being present for my family. My family is the most important part of my life, and I was missing that while commuting close to five hours a day. As a planner, I try to share what I've learned with my clients to help them identify and go after what's important to them.

I serve my local community by volunteering my time and leveraging my experience in several Weston organizations. I am the assistant treasurer at both Emmanuel Episcopal Church and the Friends of the Weston Library, and I am a member of the Gen X subcommittee on the Town of Weston's Strategic Planning Committee. All of these organizations share one common goal: to make Weston a great community now and in the future.

Would you like to see your business featured? Email wendy.mitchell@patch.com.