Growth is a discipline

Choose value over volume

I believe growth starts with choices about the work you want, the clients you serve and the commercial value those relationships can create. A busy team and a full pipeline are useful only when they support the business you are trying to build.

That means being willing to turn down work that is poorly matched to your expertise, unprofitable or too demanding for the resources available.

Make the proposition clear

Founders know their own business so well that it can be difficult to see it from a client’s perspective. A growth plan needs a clear answer to who you help, what they need and why you are a credible choice.

Start with the trust you have earned

New clients matter. So do the clients already working with you, those who have drifted away and the people who know your work. A lapsed relationship is worth understanding before writing it off: timing, budgets or a change of personnel may have altered the opportunity.

I look at existing, lapsed and new relationships together, with a practical rhythm for staying relevant and understanding where value can be created.

Build a repeatable way of working

Growth needs a consistent approach to qualification, proposals, delivery and account development. Clear responsibilities, usable information and regular reviews help the team make better decisions.

In my own agency, I changed the structure to combine a core team with selected external experts. The aim was to improve efficiency and productivity while matching expertise to the work.