Faster and Lower Risk Scaling for Professional Service Firm Leaders, Owners & Investors
Leaders, owners and investors in professional service firms often face uncertainty as they scale their businesses or before / after M&A transactions – particularly regarding identifying risks and prioritising growth investments.
Our Growth Drivers Framework helps PSF owners, leaders and investors to scale their firms efficiently through an evidence-based method supported by deep hands-on experience and rich intellectual property.
Our approach has been built by true experts in professional services: Richard Goold (former Managing Partner of Moorhouse and Board Advisor), Mark Palmer (ex-CEO of Gobeyond and OEE Consulting) and Prof. Joe O’Mahoney (Professor of Consulting and Board Advisor to PSFs).
Growth Drivers Framework
Our growth drivers framework evolved from a combined eighty years of experience leading, advising, researching, and selling boutique professional service firms. It is supported by comprehensive data benchmarks and over 250 IP assets, which help leaders maximise their firm’s growth and value.
The Growth Drivers Framework
Professional service firms are risky. They often have intangible assets, key person dependencies, revenue volatility, and low pipeline visibility. Being an investor or owner, generating a deep understanding of the firm’s strengths, weaknesses and primary growth levers is often complex and time-consuming.
Our Growth Drivers Method bridges these gaps. Combining decades of hands-on consulting and M&A experience with twenty-years of world-class research our method delivers actionable insights, clear priorities, and the tools to achieve measurable outcomes – whether you’re preparing for an exit or investing in growth.
Key Differentiators
Depth of expertise:
The Growth Drivers Method is a combination of research insights and practical, hands-on growth experience. Prof. Joe O’Mahoney has studied and helped the boutique PSF industry for 22 years and Richard Goold not only successfully scaled and sold Moorhouse but has also advised dozens of PSFs on growth and exit.
Huge IP Library:
Our depth of expertise is evidenced through over 250 assets to help professional service firms accelerate inflight priorities, leverage best practice and focus on the areas that will have a demonstrable impact on growth, value and future success.
Expert Associate Network:
We have a powerful network of experienced colleagues who have successfully scaled or sold their firms, as well as subject matter experts on topics ranging from CRM implementation to pricing analysis.
Boutique Leaders Club:
Owners of consulting firms can engage with other owners who have used the Growth Drivers Method through our Boutique Leaders Club. It combines peer mentoring and monthly webinars with specialist sub-groups and guest speakers.
Proven Framework:
The Growth Drivers Model has been used in over 30 firms and improved with every iteration. It now codifies over 380 considerations across 10 critical growth levers, providing unparalleled depth and clarity for scaling consulting businesses.
Maximise Growth and Value. Minimise Risk.
Comprehensive Understanding of Growth Drivers
The Growth Drivers Method provides a deep, data-driven analysis of a firm’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities with a specific focus on the areas that are proven to support consistent and scalable growth. This clarity enables owners and investors to identify actionable levers for growth and maximise returns with confidence.
Enhanced Business Valuation
By addressing critical value drivers—such as recurring revenue, client diversification, and operational scalability—firms become more attractive to investors, command higher valuations, and minimise transaction risks.
Risk Mitigation and Stability
Through rigorous maturity assessments and data collection, the method uncovers "unknown unknowns," such as governance gaps, financial risks, and operational inefficiencies, reducing vulnerabilities during due diligence and ensuring long-term business stability.
Tailored Growth Roadmap
A clear roadmap, underpinned by a prioritised and costed action plan, ensures owners and investors focus on initiatives that deliver measurable results. This includes optimising margins, enhancing client retention, and scaling operations sustainably.
Accelerated Value Creation
Leveraging our extensive IP library of 250 assets and expert network, we provide tools, templates, and real-world expertise that can be an accelerator to implementing recommendations efficiently and delivering faster, tangible results.
Improved Operational Efficiency
Our method streamlines processes, reduces inefficiencies, and enhances delivery quality. These improvements lead to higher profitability and a stronger foundation for scalable growth.
Strategic Alignment of Leadership and Culture
Coaching and evaluation of leadership teams ensure cultural alignment with growth objectives, creating a motivated and capable team to drive the firm forward as it grows and for those on a growth-to-sale trajectory, post-investment or pre-exit.
Market Positioning and Differentiation
Strengthened branding, enhanced competitive differentiation, and improved thought leadership attract high-value clients and improve both market perception and revenue streams.
Smarter Investment Decisions
For investors, the method offers benchmarked data, maturity scoring, and a framework for evaluating ROI potential. It ensures informed decision-making, faster due diligence, and reduced risks in acquisitions.
Seamless Post-Acquisition Support
The Growth Drivers Method equips firms with clear governance frameworks and scalable processes, ensuring a smooth transition post-acquisition while maintaining operational continuity and growth momentum.
Proven Expertise You Can Trust
Led by industry leaders Mark Palmer, Richard Goold, and Prof. Joe O'Mahoney, the method combines fifty years of hands-on consulting, M&A experience, and 20 years of world-class research. With a track record of advising over 200 firms and guiding 22 successful exits, our insights and support deliver measurable impact for owners and investors alike.
How It Works
1. Defining Success
We work closely with owners, leaders, and investors to establish a clear, agreed vision of success. This includes defining key metrics such as financial targets, organisational structure, service development, and talent strategy.
2. Data-Driven Insights
Our analysis is grounded in robust data collection tailored to each firm’s focus area. Insights are derived from:
- Benchmarking maturity across 10 growth drivers
- One-on-one interviews with senior leaders, stakeholders, and key clients
- Quantitative analysis of financial, operational, and sales data
- Review of critical documents to assess strategic alignment
Using our Growth Drivers Framework, we integrate these insights to identify:
- The firm’s growth gaps and key levers for success
- A prioritized investment plan
- Potential risks and constraints
- A realistic forecast of growth potential
3. Actionable & Measurable Execution
We translate insights into a costed and prioritized action plan that addresses the firm’s most pressing challenges. This plan includes:
- Clear timelines and resource allocation
- Practical implementation steps aligned with strategic objectives
- Hands-on support leveraging our extensive IP library and expertise in scaling boutique professional service firms
Our commitment doesn’t stop at strategy—we work alongside leadership teams to execute and refine plans, ensuring tangible and measurable results.
About Us
With decades of experience advising over 300 professional services firms, our team brings a proven, data-driven approach to unlocking growth. We combine deep industry insight with hands-on expertise to help firms prioritise the right levers, overcome barriers, and scale sustainably. Whether refining strategy, optimising operations, or enhancing commercial performance, we work as trusted partners, delivering practical, high-impact solutions that create measurable value for owners, leaders, and investors.
Prof. O’Mahoney
Mark Palmer
