We find some of the biggest challenges for Professional Services businesses are identifying the right high margin work, recruiting, creating a productive team and too much reliance on the owner or key team members to allow growth.
Great Team + Niche Services = Professional Services Results
In a knowledge economy Professionals are essential to all types of business
In either a fast growing economy or slowing economy Professional Services have excellent growth opportunities.
Key opportunities for Professionals include developing a niche with less competition, ensuring a highly productive team, recruiting and building a great team environment, developing referrals to reduce advertising costs, automating process and systems to reduce reliance on owners and developing management and leadership across the team.
The Strategize team has worked with a wide range of clients from small to large retailers. Some of these Professionals businesses we have worked with since 2004 include:
- Accountants
- Automotive
- Architects
- Bookkeepers
- Engineers
- Insurance brokers
- Lawyers
- Mechanics
- Property Managers
- Real Estate Agents
- Surveyors
...and many more
Productivity First
A Productivity Plan is essential for business success in a Professional Services environment. We have found many of our clients do not need more team members but that team need to focus on productive activities. Lack of productivity causes:
- Low output per person
- Lost sales of high margin services
- Poor process automation
- Out of date Information Systems
- Lack team retention
- Poor induction and training creating low productivity
- Lack of leadership and management
- Lack of effective process and systems
- Need to implement latest project management methods
Developing the Right Team
A Professional Services Strategic Plan covering Human Resources, Career Planning, Leadership and Management is essential for business success. Our team has seen many issues due to poor planning and people management including:
- Poor recruitment leading to high team turnover
- Lack of training creating a poor performing team
- Lack leadership and management skills
- Lack team engagement reducing sales
- Lack of personal accountability and responsibility
- Need for ongoing performance feedback
- No performance targets and measurement process
- Lack of up date process and systems
Selling Intangible Services
A key area we see missing in Professional Services is both lack of developing existing clients and finding the right clients. A Client Sales Development Plan is essential for business success. The impact of the lack of sales skills includes:
- Lack high margin services
- Too many low margin services
- Over selling clients
- Under selling clients
- Poor client retention
- Competitors taking clients too easily
- Low productivity per person
- Lack sales automation
- Poor marketing and sales collateral
- Out of date Information Systems
- Unable to grow the team
What Our Professionals Clients Say
Our Consultant has grown one professional engineering firm from 3 to 20+ employees with significant in sales and profits within 24 months.
“Initially our Business Assessment showed $118 K extra profit and with a better direction and accountability we were able to improve profits by $200 K annually.”
“We have asked our Business Success Partner to join our board. Automotive Workshop increased sales 100% within 2 years with new manager, bought East Christchurch site, and sales up 40%”
Our Business Services for Professionals
Our core services for Professional Services include:
- Strategizer Tool Business Assessment and Industry Benchmarking
- Professional Services Real Needs Assessment
- Tailored One on One Business Improvement and Growth Programme
- Professional Services Marketing and Sales Growth Programmes
- Professional Services Business Recovery and Turnaround
- Strategic Business Analysis, Strategic Plans and Implementation
- Professional Services Productivity Analysis and Improvement
- Process and Systems Needs Evaluation and Project Implementation
- Process and SystemsBusiness Advisory Boards and Governance
- Personnel Needs Assessment, Recruitment, and Development
- Leadership and Management Development and Training
- Succession Planning and Business Sale Readiness
- Mergers and acquisitions for improving business scale
- Professional Services Licence and Franchise Model Development
Free High Performance Business Assessment Check Valued at $395
We offer complimentary High Performance Business Health Check to Business Owners with our Strategizer Assessment Tool including latest Industry Benchmarking. This is a two hour session covering all areas of your business including Business Planning, Strategy, Structure, Culture, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Operations, Process and Systems. On average we find 11% to over 29% of extra profit from profit leakage or growth opportunities!
Please contact us below to book your session.
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