The Forex market was always in the limelight for its enormous profit potential. In the past few years, we witnessed a drastic increase in the number of traders entering the currency market. That resulted in a spike in the business opportunities for forex brokerage service providers. This makes the current era the best for all aspiring entrepreneurs who dream about establishing their own forex brokerage. However, many beginners hesitate to enter the forex world as brand-new brokers due to the huge capital requirement and complex processes involved.
But you will be delighted to discover a feasible alternative to overcome the challenges that are stopping you from stepping into the forex brokerage industry. This cost-effective alternative, called forex white label solution, has served as a steppingstone to success for many new brokers. This blog will enlighten you about all the key aspects of launching a forex brokerage and the simple steps you can follow for a swift entry to the market.
How Does a Forex Brokerage Work?
Being a forex trader is about bridging the gap between traders and the forex market. You will be responsible for providing all trade-related services, including technological infrastructure, market access with sufficient liquidity, trading tools, executing orders, offering leverage and acting as a support system for clients. You will earn profits by charging spreads and commissions for the services provided.
Setting up a Forex Business From Scratch
Starting a new business requires a solid plan that helps you to move in the right direction without any confusion. When it comes to launching a new forex brokerage, your business plan should be finalized after deciding on the following aspects.
- Target Audience and the jurisdiction where you want to operate
- Technology infrastructure and teaming up with liquidity providers
- Capital requirement to meet the initial setup cost and ongoing costs
- Branding, marketing, and promotional plans
Now, let’s get into the details of all these aspects and see how you can simplify things by opting for a white-label solution.
Deciding About the Target Audience and Their Requirements
Being a forex broker, you will have a large potential client base as the currency market operates on a global level. All the trading activities happen online, removing the boundaries of location and time constraints. However, you still need to choose your target audience and the services you should offer to get their attention. For instance, you can choose to promote your brokerage as a scalper-friendly platform or promote diversification by offering different types of accounts. You can also choose to function as an Islamic forex broker by offering a swap-free account to Muslim clients. Widening your target audience by providing a wide range of options based on their requirements can greatly increase your profit potential.
Deciding location and Jurisdiction
Starting your forex brokerage with a virtual office setup is possible, but you still need to choose a location and jurisdiction for operations. This might be the same location where you reside, or you can consider spreading your business to broader locations or jurisdictions. You can either choose an A-list jurisdiction or go for an E-list jurisdiction which is mainly offshore and has a less strict regulatory framework. You may not even need a license to operate in offshore jurisdictions.
But when you choose an A-list one, you will have to comply with the standards of top-tier regulatory authorities to operate as a forex broker within the legal boundaries. This will also impact your financial needs. But being a regulated broker is a better option, and operating in the A-list jurisdiction gives you a better reputation and an international presence. Winning the trust of potential clients will be a lot easier when you are registered with top-tier regulatory authorities like CySEC, FCA or ASIC based on your jurisdiction.
Funding and Other Resources
The funds you need to launch your brokerage firm should also be calculated in advance to avoid any issues arising from a lack of funds or other resources. You should also make an estimate about the costs of hiring staff. In short, you must be ready to meet all the ongoing costs after the initial setup. You should also be aware of the fact that it will take some time to start making profits as a new broker. Hence, you must have enough funds to survive the initial phase without significant profits. Not to forget about the marketing and promotional expenses that will come later.
Partnership With Technology Providers
Technology will be a critical aspect in launching your forex brokerage. First, you will need to look at a trading platform like MT4 or MT5. These platforms are the first choice of both traders and top-tier brokers due to their user-friendliness, security and superior trading experience. Integrating a popular trading software into your brokerage website is fundamental to start offering trading services. This can be a complex and costly process for a beginner with less funds and limited knowledge about technology.
Your business website will function as your place of operation as a forex broker. A fully functional website is a prerequisite for the success of a forex brokerage. For this, you will have to connect with expert developers or programmers who specialize in forex website services. However, it will still be time-consuming as you need to do a lot of test runs before the final launch. Apart from this, you will also have to look for efficient Forex CRM systems for managing your relationship with the clients in the best possible manner.
- Teaming up with Liquidity Providers
Being a forex broker, you will be in charge of providing solid trading conditions to your clients. Your success and profitability as a new broker will greatly depend upon the satisfaction of clients. So, you have to meet their expectations by providing the same trading conditions that a top broker offers. For this, you will have to team up with top-tier liquidity providers, as having sufficient liquidity is the primary requirement of traders who choose your platform. Traders will also be looking for ways to minimize the trading cost with thin spreads, and you will have to pay attention to the liquidity levels for operating as a cost-effective broker.
- Connecting a Payment Processor
You should also make arrangements for secure payment processing gateways, as all the funding and withdrawals of your clients need to be carried out in an efficient manner. It needs to be fast and convenient for clients, and they should also get many options for deposits and withdrawals. You should also make arrangements for where you will keep these funds, as most clients look for segregation of funds while choosing a broker for security reasons.
Embarking on Your Forex Brokerage Venture
The first step to kickstart your journey into the realm of forex trading as a new broker is finding reliable technology providers and working with them to build a business website. This website needs to integrate with top trading platforms, payment processors, and CRM systems to interact with the potential client base. These processes, along with the legal formalities, can take a lot of time and delay your market entry. Not to forget about the large amount of funds that will be required to complete each and every stage. You may also be lacking in knowledge and experience, which adds up to the risk. Hence, the traditional route for establishing a forex brokerage may not be suitable for all beginners.
Understanding the Scope of Forex White Label Solution
Like I mentioned before, all of the issues you face while entering the market as a new broker can be solved with the help of a Forex white-label solution. By collaborating with a reliable white-label provider, you gain access to a professional, ready-made solution that expedites the launch of your brokerage within a matter of weeks, sparing you from many of the challenges associated with starting a brokerage from the ground up.
The initial setup cost of white-label solutions is much lower than what you spend while starting out as an independent broker. They will be in charge of helping you with legal formalities and teaming up with liquidity providers and will also be responsible for all the technological processes from website development to initial setup, platform launch, and maintenance. You will also get a competitive edge while operating under the umbrella of a top-tier broker with enough experience and expertise. But at the same time, you get a lot of options for branding and customization, which allows you to fully focus on building your brand name and growing your client base. So, a white-label solution presents you with a great opportunity to have your own business; if you think you’re ready, act now!
