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Most firm owners we speak with aren’t struggling. Their firms are profitable. Revenue is healthy. There are plenty of clients.
But underneath the surface, there’s often a familiar pattern:
A recent Renew blog explored this theme. A key point was:
At a certain point, the firm isn’t the problem. The way you’re growing it is.
One of our members, Nicole, summed it up well:
“It’s easy to fall into the trap of offering everything. As an owner, you start thinking the next service will solve your problems. But it rarely works that way.”
Nicole nailed it.
Growth by addition (more clients, more services, more exceptions) often creates complexity. And anything complex? Partners, it lands or your desk, or your manager’s desk. That’s where leverage disappears.
It’s also where burnout begins.
Not just for you. For your team. When you try to be all things to all people, it forces your staff to jump between systems, industries, and processes. They can’t get into a rhythm. They feel like they’re reinventing the wheel every day. And when talented people spend their time doing messy, custom work with no end in sight…they leave.
But let’s be straight; burnout is a business model issue. And it’s fueling the talent pipeline problem across the accounting profession.
This is where two of our Renew business model principles, clarity and alignment, really matter.
Clarity about who your target client is. And alignment between your service mix and your long-term business model, as well as between your partners and team members.
Renew members understand that the goal isn’t to do more. The goal is to build a firm that works for you.
That starts by making the firm your #1 client. Not every client fits your model. Not every service is worth offering. You don’t owe anyone anything just because you’ve “always done it that way.” You’re allowed to change your mind.
Sometimes the most strategic thing you can do is sunset services that no longer fit — services that pull you off-model, consume high-level people’s time, or result in the CLIENT dictating the terms of the relationship.
Sunsetting is about building intentionally. It creates space for:
Before adding something new, ask yourself:
Subtraction can be more powerful than addition.
If this resonates, let’s talk. Schedule a call and we’ll discuss where your firm is, what your pain points are, and how Renew’s approach to strategic growth can help you achieve your goals.
