Pro Serv Podcast by Collective 54

In this session, we peel back the layers on how a seasoned ERP implementation consulting firm revolutionized its business model, moving from the traditional time and materials approach to a groundbreaking fixed fee structure. Join Collective 54 Member Alan Wyne, CEO at Innovia Consulting, and discover the strategic decisions that led to this bold shift, the challenges overcome along the way, and the significant impact it had on their competitive edge and profit margins. Tune in to witness a story of adaptation, resilience, and success that could redefine the way you think about how you monetize your expertise. http://www.collective54.com

In this session we delve into the fast-paced world of an executive coach in the interior design industry, exploring the methods that she uses when it is time to stop studying and start doing. Our role model, Collective 54 Member Gail Doby, Co-Founder at The Pearl Collective, shares her expert insights on how to deal with a large volume of ideas, how to prioritize them, how to sequence them, and how she includes her executive team to quicken implementation. http://www.collective54.com

In this session, we delve into the science of time management and the art maximizing employee productivity within boutique professional service firms. From strategic time management techniques to fostering a culture of efficiency, we explore actionable strategies to ensure every hour counts. Discover how to optimize resources, streamline processes, and empower employees to thrive, ultimately driving success for both individuals and the organization as a whole. https://www.collective54.com

In this episode, we delve into the remarkable journey of Collective 54 Member, Dave Makerewich, Founder & President at Maven, who transitioned from being a client to establishing a thriving boutique professional service firm. Discover how his firsthand experience as a client shaped his understanding of the industry's needs and fueled his entrepreneurial spirit. Through insightful anecdotes and lessons learned, uncover the unique challenges and triumphs of building a business from a client's perspective. https://www.collective54.com

In this session, Collective 54 Member Tom Zucker, President at EdgePoint Advisors, and Greg Alexander review recent research from over 200 acquirers that suggests the 5 attributes that make a firm an attractive acquisition target, and the 4 attributes that scare acquirers away. The research quantifies how “attractiveness” drives up valuations and how you can increase the worth of your firm. https://www.collective54.com

In this session, Collective 54 Member Andrew Thompson, CEO and Co-Founder at Notch Partners, LLC, together with their Head of Business and Financial Services, Jeff Weathers, will share how it is never too late to get serious about converting a lifestyle firm into a scalable boutique. This session will discuss the use of a dedicated task force to make up for lost time and how it can restart the boutique lifecycle clock. You will learn the who, what, when, where, why, and how to invest in a dedicated task force inside a small service firm to get back on track. https://www.collective54.com

In this session, Collective 54 Member William Lieberman, Managing Partner at The CEO’s Right Hand, and Greg Alexander, simplify the financial jargon surrounding a boutique professional service firm's Profit and Loss (P&L) statement. Join us as we decode revenue, expenses, EBITDA and net income, offering insights applicable to any member, regardless of their financial expertise. Whether you're a consulting firm, marketing agency, systems integrator or another type of small service firm curious about financial matters, this exploration into the world of P&L statements provides valuable insights into understanding and interpreting financial health. https://www.collective54.com

Join Collective 54 Member Michael Ivie, Managing Partner at Phyton Consulting, and learn how his firm got to $3 million per month in revenue before their second birthday, crashed because of a Black Swan event, and executed a world class recovery, emerging stronger than ever. This session will help members identify risk, in all its forms, and develop a risk mitigation strategy to bullet proof their firms. https://www.collective54.com

In this session, Collective 54 Member Tom Zucker, President at EdgePoint Advisors, and Greg Alexander review recent research from over 200 acquirers that suggests the 5 attributes that make a firm an attractive acquisition target, and the 4 attributes that scare acquirers away. The research quantifies how “attractiveness” drives up valuations and how you can increase the worth of your firm. https://www.collective54.com

In this session, Collective 54 Member Jamey Harvey, CEO at Agilian, will share how he addressed one of the biggest risks for small service firms- client concentration. Items discussed will be benchmarks to measure client concentration, an early warning detection system, the impact on strategy client concentration should have on your firm, how long it takes to fix the issue, the most successful risk mitigation strategies, and how to prevent client concentration from destroying your firm. http://www.collective54.com

According to the US Bureau of Census, 90% of small businesses in America are family-owned and operated. Many Collective 54 members work alongside family members daily. Are you? Should you? There is a different set of management best practices used to grow, scale, and exit a service firm owned and operated by a family. Attend this session to learn from Collective 54 Member Carajane Moore, President, together with her brother Tom Searcy, Founder and CEO, at Hunt Big Sales, on how mixing family and business can be an effective way to fulfill your dreams—personal and professional. https://www.collective54.com

In this session, we delve into the pivotal function management meetings serve during the intricate process of selling a firm. We'll explore how these gatherings can effectively showcase the company's strengths, address potential concerns, and foster a sense of trust and transparency with prospective buyers. Attendees will learn from Collective 54 Member Matt Rosen, Founder & CEO at Allata, how to leverage management meetings to not only impress buyers but also to secure a favorable sale outcome. www.collective54.com

Join Collective 54 Member Andrea Fryrear, CEO and Co-Founder at AgileSherpas, to learn how to make growing revenues easier by implementing content driven inbound marketing. In this session you will learn what real content marketing is- why it works, how it is different than fake content marketing, how to engage an audience, create compelling content, use tech to scale, how content marketing scales a founder’s impact exponentially, ways to convert time wasted creating thought leadership into time well spent generating revenue, and ways to get started. https://www.collective54.com

In this session, discover the inside track on how small service firms can punch above their weight and land lucrative government contracts. Join Collective 54 Member Paul Karch, Founder at Gardant Global, as he guides you through strategic partnerships with large contractors, providing the roadmap to navigate the complexities of government procurement processes. Learn the secrets to leveraging these alliances for growth, stability, and success in the public sector marketplace. www.collective54.com

In this insightful case study, we delve into the remarkable journey of a nimble 10-person professional service firm as they navigate the complexities of selling their business to a 300-strong industry leader. From leveraging their specialized expertise to fostering a culture that resonated with their larger counterpart, Bart Mroz, Engagement Lead at ITX Corp., shares the key steps their small firm has taken to position themselves as an indispensable asset, paving the way for a merger that promises to be a win- win for all parties. www.collective54.com

In this session, join Collective 54 member John Kearney, Founder at The Buyer’s Way, as he discusses how to build compensation plans for the sales function inside a boutique pro serv firm. He will share how the comp plans need to change as a firm migrates from founder-led sales to a part-time sales force to a mature fully function commercial sales team. Learn how to figure out how much to pay, the proper split between salary and commission, the measures to pay commission on, and the costly mistakes to avoid. https://www.collective54.com

Embarking on the journey of selling your firm can be as complex as it is exciting. In this session, join Collective 54 member Jay Smith, Vice President of Sales at Integris IT, as he helps demystify the due diligence process, ensuring you navigate these critical waters with confidence. From legal audits to financial analysis to customer references and employee satisfaction reviews, we delve into the essential steps every seller should undertake to secure a transparent and advantageous deal. https://www.collective54.com

Attend this session as Collective 54 member Tony Amador, Co-Founder & Chief Client Officer at Proxxy, outlines the crucial steps for a small service firm to reposition its value proposition based on actual client needs and desires. This session discusses the importance of listening to client feedback, extracting actionable insights, and then applying them to refine the firm’s strengths and offerings. https://www.collective54.com

Many professional service firms foolishly think the path to scalability is to become a software company. However, founders of service firms make more money than founders of software firms, generate more wealth for themselves at exit, and succeed much more often. Attend this session and learn from Collective 54 member Nathan Kievman, Co-Founder and CEO at Linked Strategies, on how you can avoid making the devasting mistake of trying to become a software company. https://www.collective54.com

Generative AI is transforming the professional services industry, lifting productivity levels to heights thought unobtainable. Interacting with large language models has become a required core competency. This is best done via prompt engineering. Attend this session and learn what prompt engineering is from Collective 54 member, Stephen Straus, Managing Director at KUNGFU.AI, together with their Principal Machine Learning Engineer, Numa Dhamani. https://www.collective54.com