Summer is here, and many of your clients probably require less attention now that their thoughts have turned to vacation, and away from the vagaries of the market.

That makes the quieter summer season an ideal time to step back and do some planning when it comes to your own practice. After all, many advisers rarely take the time to focus on their practices because they are too busy tending to their clients’ affairs, particularly during tax season and the hectic year-end period.

Yet even established practices cannot afford to remain complacent these days. Consumers have more choices than ever before when it comes to investment advice. Lately, many registered advisers have been grappling with the threat posed by “robo adviser” services — the nascent, low-cost online platforms that automatically select investments based on investors’ temperament and goals.

“The only way to fight competition is to deliver greater value,” says Julie Littlechild, founder