UK Services Business
From £8m plateau to £12m+ in 24 months; SMT built and owner shifts to growth
The Challenge
Growth stalled around £8m with delivery strain and inconsistent utilisation. The founder was a bottleneck with heavy day-to-day involvement.
The Solution
Clarified ICPs and offers, built a Senior Management Team (SMT), and introduced a weekly leadership cadence with clear KPIs. A structured referrals engine was also created.
Key Results
- Revenue grew from £8m to £12m+ over 24 months (≥ +50%)
- Senior Management Team established, improving accountability
- Owner's role shifted from firefighting to strategic networking
- A culture of expansion and innovation was fostered
The Challenge
The business had hit a ceiling around £8m in revenue. This was coupled with significant delivery strain, inconsistent team utilisation, and a founder who was too involved in daily operations to focus on market-facing growth activities. Leadership gaps and underdeveloped processes meant that valuable referral opportunities were being missed.
Our Solution
Using the AEROPS framework, we first diagnosed the core issues: a lack of strategic focus, no senior management rhythm, and weak delivery KPIs. The plan involved clarifying ideal customer profiles (ICPs), building a proper Senior Management Team (SMT) with clear role scorecards, and introducing a weekly leadership cadence. We also implemented crucial operational tracking for utilisation and project margins, and stood up a formal referrals engine to capitalise on existing relationships.
The Results
Within 24 months, the changes produced significant results. Revenue broke the plateau, growing by at least 50% to over £12m. A fully functional SMT was in place, leading to clearer accountability and faster decision-making. The founder was able to step back from day-to-day firefighting to focus on networking and partnerships. This created a more open culture of expansion and innovation, supported by strategic new hires.
"After years stuck around £8m, mentoring forced us to think and act like a bigger firm. With the right leaders, cleaner ops, and a proper referrals engine, we pushed past £12m—and I finally had the space to win the next wave of clients."
— Founder & CEO, Anonymised Services Business