Strategic Issues Archives

The Maximum Value Zone Of Service For Advisers

by Tony Vidler For many professional services firms delivering value from actively lifting service levels is a means of differentiation, while also creating maximum value for the practice. Improving profitability through service differentiation is good for the practice of course, however it is not a sustainable differentiator in itself which then threatens future profitability. […]

Who are your most valuable clients?

by Tony Vidler It may seem an obvious question however understanding who the most valuable clients are to a firm is not always as simple as it seems. There is often an innate understanding of who they are however it is often not underpinned by any analysis or hard data. Even when it is […]

The 3 Main Considerations In Practice Development

by Tony Vidler When it comes to practice development the owner must consider 3 general areas which drive the growth and value of the business, and each of those has some sub-sections. The 3 areas to consider are: Creating the physical Capacity to ‘grow’ volume Developing Capabilities of the professionals within the firm Creating and […]

2 things to look for when hiring a Virtual Assistant

by Tony Vidler As cost pressures mount and margins decrease for many professional service firms they are increasingly looking to hire “virtual” staff. That is, staff who are not necessarily permanently on the payroll, and definitely not permanently on the premises needing “housing”. India and the Philippines are probably leading the charge in providing […]

10 Reasons why an Advisory Practice just stays “practicing”

by Tony Vidler Why is an Advisory Practice called a “Practice”? I think it is because more often than not the business is mostly practicing to be a business. When a “practice” has actually made it then everyone calls it “a firm”. THE common denominator in a Practice appears to be that the Principle, […]

Not all clients are equal…well, not equal value anyway

by Tony Vidler Let’s talk about one of those elephant in the room things: not all clients are equal for a professional service firm. As human beings they might all be equal, but as clients they are not. Each client relationship has a commercial value….and a commercial cost. Each therefore has varying profitability, and […]

I sell…You sell…We ALL sell. Or should do…

by Tony Vidler I am a professional. I am a salesman. These two things are not contradictory. We all sell stuff. It seems like I’m selling my time these days…sometimes a product….sometimes it is just selling concepts and possibilities. Mostly it is selling behavioural change & fixing other peoples’ problems though. But I sell. […]

The biggest personal productivity killer for Advisers

by Tony Vidler Everyone would like to have better business results for less work, and have more time away from the business. Personal productivity – or business efficiency if you prefer – matters, and there are a host of things that can kill it, but there is one really big killer of productivity. It […]

10 Mistakes That Advice Businesses Keep Making

by Tony Vidler So many advisory firms do not realise their potential, and the top mistakes which hold them back are more often than not nothing to with their ability to be great advisers. They tend to fall into the category of being basic commercial mistakes. So the main mistakes that advice businesses keep […]

High Growth Advisory Firms Do Marketing Differently

by Tony Vidler High growth advisory firms do many things differently, but in marketing they tend to do something VERY different to the norm. We can’t ignore that it takes many differences to achieve outstanding results, not least of which is a difference in attitude and focus. Simply maintaining a relentless focus on being […]

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