When I was 26, I co-owned a $3M engineering consultancy. 

9 years later - it was worth $30M. 

We didn’t get lucky, we got strategic. 

Here are the 3 key strategies that 10X’d our revenue in under a decade: 

1) Mergers & Acquisitions 

Organic growth is hard. 

It's slow, unpredictable and takes forever.  

But acquiring another business? 

That can add $1M - $5M of revenue in a single deal. 

With clients, team and systems already in place. 

We learnt to look for good cultural fit and alignment.  

As well as complementary services and strong delivery teams we could back. 

One merge or acquisition alone can change the game. 

We did several. 

2) Cross-Selling of Services 

After merging with other firms - we didn’t just stop there.  

We unlocked serious growth by cross-selling services across the group. 

Town planners introducing engineers. 

Engineers teaming up with architects. 

Enviros partnering with engineers...

Planning your business exit is one of the most important decisions you’ll make, even if it feels far away. 

Many consultancy owners delay this critical step, thinking it’s something to worry about “later”. 

Or to tackle when the time feels right. 

But that’s a mistake. 

The truth is, without proper planning, you risk being caught off guard when it’s time to sell or transition. 

A business that hasn’t been set up properly for sale or founder exit won’t attract the right buyers. 

And worse, you might not be able to extract maximum value. 

Which would be a huge waste given how much effort you’re putting in to grow your business.  

Setting your business up correctly for a successful exit takes time and foresight. 

From having the right financial systems in place, to ensuring your business is not overly reliant on you. 

By planning early, you position your consultancy for a smoother transition. 

Whether that’s selling, passing it on, or transition...

Over 9 years, we grew from a $3M engineering consultancy with one office.  

To a $30M engineering, town planning, surveying and architecture consultancy with multiple offices up the east coast of Aus. 

Here's how we did it: 

STEP 1 

Surrounded ourselves with the right people. 

With the right people in your corner, anything is possible. 

STEP 2 

Upgraded our mindset to what was possible. 

Small thinking keeps you small. 

Expand your thinking and the sky is the limit. 

STEP 3 

Delegate and elevate. 

You can't (and shouldn't) do everything. 

Get help from great people around you. 

And elevate your role to keep focusing on the bigger picture. 

STEP 4 

Buy or merge with other likeminded businesses. 

Organic growth is great, but you'll never build a big business in this lifetime through organic. 

M&A is the path to outsized growth. 

And we repeated this process over and over until we hit $30M.  

PS - what's...

Far too often consultancy businesses chase revenue growth at the expense of profit. 

I get it - revenue growth is exciting.  

You're watching the numbers climb - both $'s and team.  

But here's why focusing on profit is essential for your consultancy: 

1) Revenue Growth Can Be Deceptive 

Many business owners chase revenue for the thrill, accolades and sense of achievement it brings. 

But revenue without profit is unsustainable and can lead to burnout and financial stress. 

2) Profit Equals Business Health 

High profit margins represent efficient systems, effective team operations and well-structured processes. 

Profitability ensures your business isn’t just growing but thriving sustainably. 

3) Long-term Success and Valuation 

Profit is a core indicator of your business's value. 

Higher profit margins attract potential buyers, facilitate succession planning and enable strategic growth through reinvestment. 

I want you to ask yourself:...

My client just hit $6M, with 30% net profit margins. 

Here's how they did it: 

— They focused on their niche — 

They know what they're good at. 

They know what kind of clients they want to work with.  

And they're happy to say no to clients and projects that don't fit. 

No distractions, no wasted effort. 

Their energy stayed focused and their quality stayed high. 

Their clients and the market noticed. 

And the revenue followed. 

— They hired an Ops Manager — 

Operations used to hold the Directors back. 

Not anymore. 

They hired an Ops Manager to free the Directors up to focus on high-value tasks. 

The tasks that make the biggest difference in the business. 

No more getting stuck in the day-to-day. 

And the business has grown as a result.  

— They brought on Next-Generation Shareholders — 

They didn’t go it alone. 

They invited fresh talent into leadership and next-generation shareholders stepped up. 

The hidden trap holding back your growth (and happiness) 

I had a massive shift this week - and I think it can help you too 

I was working with my mindset coach 

(yes, coaches have coaches – I have two in fact) 

Lately, I’d been feeling like nothing was ever enough 

That no achievement or success measured up 

And it was creating a heap of stress and frustration in me 

I found myself getting angry when things didn’t go as planned 

I wasn’t a fun person to be around (just ask my wife!) 

Then my coach helped me see something that changed everything 

I'd been comparing myself to others 

Their success, wealth, how they lived their life 

And no matter what I did, or achieved 

I was never going to be enough to those I was comparing myself against 

But what I didn't realise (that my coach helped me see) 

Is that these people I was comparing myself against 

Have wildly different VALUES to me 

Their values are not wrong 

The...

It’s a new year, and if you’re serious about growing your consultancy, there are 10 unbreakable rules you really need to know. 

I just ran a special edition podcast series breaking down The 10 Commandments of Successful Consultancy Business Owners—covering the mindset, strategy, and habits of top-performing consultancy owners. 

Here’s a glimpse at some of the key takeaways: 

- Simple scales, complex fails – Simplify in order to grow sustainably. 

- Ditch the hustle & grind – Strategies to work smarter, not harder.  

- Only A-grade clients – Focus on top-tier clients to unlock profit. 

- Charge your worth – Better clients, improved margins, and freeing up time. 

If you missed the series or want a refresh to kick off the year strong, check out the full series here >> https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkA1ptWmIP5p71R1b1fUp6YR08olXCmbP&feature=shared 

Hit reply and let me know— which commandment do you need to focus on most this year? 

Josh ‘Business Growth’ S...

Most business owners get into business because they want more freedom and flexibility. 

They want to be the master of their own destinies, call the shots, take time off whenever they want and enjoy the fruits of their labour. 

But when you first start your business - it often demands more time of you than a day job. 

And you end up sacrificing the very things and the very reasons why you started your business in the first place. 

Now as your business grows and you hire more people, I see business owners carry the same mentality through with them from when they first started out, which is… 

“I have to do everything” 

“Everything needs to come through me” 

“I need to know where everything is up to” 

This may have served you when you first started (because you did have to do everything). 

But it certainly won’t serve you now as you grow. 

If you want to build a business that allows you way more free time, allows you to spend more time with your fami...

I bet you’re running your business for a bunch of reasons. 

More money - you want a bigger slice of the pie and to set yourself (and your loved ones) up for financial success. 

More freedom - you want to design your work around the life you want to live, and not the other way around… 

More meaning - you want to make more of an impact doing the work you’re passionate about. 

But here’s the deal, there are 5 things they didn’t tell you about running your business. 

1) It’s hard. Like really hard.  

Things will go wrong. Clients will leave. Staff will leave. Team won’t follow processes. Rework will be required. You’ll need to do big hours. The things you thought you would be able to get someone else to do, often boomerang back to you, etc.  

2) You’ll second guess yourself. 

If you think of yourself as self-confident - business will quickly put that to the test. You’ll be tested in more ways than one and you’ll find yourself overthinking simple problems because y...

A large part of what we do for our clients is expand their thinking. 

To show them what’s possible for their lives and their business outside of their current viewpoint or thought structure. 

To push them a little to help them see and uncover what they really want in life. 

Most of the time, you start your own business for one or all of these reasons - money, meaning and freedom. 

You'd like to make more money than you could working for someone else. 

And if you dig deep enough, you would like to create intergenerational wealth and really set yourself and your family up for financial freedom & success. 

You'd like to have a greater impact on the lives of those around you. 

Deliver exceptional projects for your clients and help the community and the public who benefit from these projects. 

You'd like to build a great team where everyone is motivated and inspired to do great work and you'd like to show your friends and family what’s possible if you pursue ...