Investment advisor becomes new local business owner
Joshua Dent, after a decade with Merrill Lynch, has joined the ranks of small business owners in Genesee County, becoming an independent investment advisor with an office in the First Choice Travel building at 3080 W. Main Street Road, Batavia.
"A big reason for the move is it changes my role from working for somebody else like I have for 13 years now (he was with Edward Jones before Merrill Lynch) and I'm a small business owner just like a lot of my clients," Dent said.
As his own boss, Dent said he can offer more services to his clients, set his own fee structure and take on clients with smaller investments that larger agencies tend to avoid. He thinks that model, with all the small business people in Batavia, is a much better fit for the local community.
Dent has developed strong community ties since joining Merrill Lynch's branch in Batavia. He worked with his colleagues there organizing the GLOW Corporate Cup and serves on the board of the YMCA.
Eventually, he'll develop a new brand name for his firm, but he'll affiliate with Raymond James, to access that financial services firm's technology and resources; day-to-day operations and decisions will be entirely his own.
"I like having the ability to determine the clients I work with and the pricing of their assets under management," Dent said. "It offers a lot more flexibility. When you're the one who owns the business, you get to make those decisions and price things more appropriately. Sometimes with clients at other firms, you have to have high minimum fees or high minimum account values. Those things kind of go away when I'm calling the shots."
Dent's new office number is (585) 418-4163.
