If you want to lift profitability fast...

Don’t start with pricing.

Start with scope control.

Because in most consultancies - that’s where the profit leaks out.

Vague proposals. Undefined deliverables. Endless variations and client demands.

You end up doing 150% of the job… for 100% of the fee.

Here’s how to fix it:

- Get Ruthless With Clarity -

Your proposal should read like a contract. Spell out exactly what’s included. And what’s not.

- Train Your Team on Scope Boundaries -

They need to know when a “quick favour” turns into free work. And how to have the right conversations early.

- Track It Like You Track Time -

Scope creep is invisible - unless you measure it.

Start tracking where and why projects go over.

Pricing gets the attention.

But scope is what protects your margin.

Nail your scope control - and your profit margin will jump.

To your success,

Josh

PS: If you’re interested, here are 4 ways I can help you right now: 

You’ve got more work coming in. 

You’re hiring to keep up. 

But things aren’t getting easier… 
  

They’re getting messier. 

Your calendar’s still packed. 

Deadlines are tighter. 

Team stress is rising. 

And even though headcount’s up — you’re still the one holding it all together. 

Here’s the truth most owners miss: 

Hiring more people won’t fix a business that depends on you. 

In fact, it often makes the cracks bigger. 

In this week’s episode of the podcast, I share what I’ve seen inside consultancies doing $2M, $5M, even $10M+… 

The ones who scale smoothly — and the ones that stall. 

You’ll learn: 

- Why most owners don’t really lead… they just manage chaos 

- The 4 signs you’ve become the bottleneck (even with a full team) 

- The mindset shift that turns busy managers into strategic leaders 

- How to build a team that performs without everything flowing through you 

And I’ll share what it ac...

One of my clients just had an absolute monster of a month. 

$640K in new work secured. 

$332K in revenue — at a 55% net profit margin. 

That’s not a typo. 

(Read it again if you need to.) 

This didn’t happen by chance. It came from doing the hard work on the right things. 

Here’s what we focused on: 

— Winning work with a smarter strategy — 

We got clear on the growth plan. 

Tightened the positioning. 

And went after the right kind of work — profit-rich and strategically aligned. 

— Hiring high performers who could actually deliver — 

No more overloading the directors. 

We built a team who could take ownership, maintain quality, and move fast. 

— Bringing in the next generation of shareholders — 

To share the load. 

Drive accountability. 

And create buy-in for the future of the business. 

The result? 

"ANOTHER great month for financials, targets beaten both Rev and Net Profit!" 

They’ve built a business tha...

Early on in our growth, we landed a major client. 

High-profile. High revenue. 

We thought we’d made it. 

So we bent over backwards. 

Discounted fees. Scope creep. Free extras. 

Sound familiar?  

Over 9 months, we did $400K of work… 

For about $150K in fees. 

It looked good on paper. But it nearly killed our cash flow. 

And we learnt a tough lesson: 

Revenue is not the same as profit. 

These days, I coach firms to spot those red flags early: 

— Clients who haggle on price 

— Projects with unclear scope 

— Teams stretched too thin to “keep the client happy” 

You don’t need more work. 

You need the right work — with clear scope, fair margins, and solid delivery. 

That one client taught us the true cost of saying yes too easily. 

Never again. 

And if you’re a “yes” kind of person – I hope this has helped reset your thinking.  

To your success,  

Josh 

PS: If you’re interested, here are 4 ways I can help you rig...

There’s a ceiling I see a lot of consultancies hit. 

Around the $2–3M mark. 

You’ve got a decent team. You’ve built a solid reputation. You’re winning good work. 

But things feel heavy. 

Margins are inconsistent. 

You’re still across too many decisions. 

And growth beyond this point feels harder than it should. 

Here’s why: 

The structure that got you here… isn’t the one that’ll get you there. 

To break through that $3M ceiling and grow to $5M… $10M… and beyond… 

You need to rebuild your operating model. 

— Define Your Leadership Roles — 

Who owns what? Who’s accountable for performance? Remove the bottlenecks. 

— Streamline Project Delivery — 

Systemise how work gets done — so you’re not the only one who can do it right. 

— Build a Business That Can Run Without You — 

That doesn’t mean stepping away. 

It means elevating your role — so your business can grow without relying on your personal capacity. 

It’s not just...

There was a point — about 4 years into running our engineering consultancy — that I nearly walked away. 

We had solid revenue, a great team, and good clients. 

But I was done. 

Worn out. 

Every win felt like a grind. 

The business was growing… but I wasn’t. 

Then I had a call with a mentor. 

He asked me one question: 

"Are you building a business you’d still want to run in 10 years?" 

That question hit hard. 

Because the answer was no. 

So we made some big shifts: 

— Simplified our structure 

— Let go of low-margin clients 

— Rebuilt our strategy from the ground up 

And most importantly — I redefined what success looked like for me. 

That moment saved the business. 

And it saved my spark. 

If you’ve ever felt that “maybe I’m done” moment… you’re not alone. 

But there is a way through. 

And it starts by asking better questions. 

Josh 

PS: If you’re interested, here are 4 ways I can help you right now: 

...

Most consultancy owners are working way too hard for way too little. 

I know — because I used to be one of them. 

Until we fixed it. 

And I’ve just put the entire playbook into my new book: 

Profitable Engineering Consultant 

Grab your copy here >> Click Here 

It’s straight to the point — and packed with practical strategy. 

Here’s what’s inside: 

1) Project Delivery That Drives Profit — 

Run leaner, deliver faster, and stop your team from over-servicing. 

2) Margin-Focused Strategy — 

Build a strategic plan that actually prioritises profit — not just growth for growth’s sake. 

3) Hiring Without Headaches — 

Who to hire, when to hire, and how to lift team performance without you needing to be in the weeds. 

If you’re running a solid consultancy that should be more profitable… 

This book will show you how to fix it. 

Grab your copy here >> Click Here 

To your success,  

Josh 

PS: If you’re interested, here are 4...

Let’s get brutally honest for a second: 

You're doing great work. 

Clients are happy. 

Projects are moving. 

But your bank account? 

It’s not matching the effort. 

You’re owed $50K… $150K… sometimes more. 

But the money’s stuck… in inboxes, payment cycles, and approval chains. 

And every week it stays out there: 

- You delay that key hire. 

- You push back investing in growth. 

- You stay stuck doing work you should’ve handed off months ago. 

That’s not just frustrating. 

It’s what’s keeping you from growing your consultancy. 

If you’re serious about growing to $3M, $5M or $10M+. You need reliable, consistent cashflow. 

Not hope. Not polite reminders. 

A system. 

In this week’s episode of The Ignite Podcast, I break down: 

• The exact 3-step process we give our Boardroom clients to cut debtor days in half 

• The “follow-up gap” most owners miss that costs them weeks — and credibility 

• How to stop playing bank for yo...

If your pipeline feels inconsistent... 

If one month you’re slammed, and the next you're chasing crumbs… 

It’s not a marketing problem. 

It’s a positioning problem. 

Because the truth is — the best clients don’t find their consultants by scrolling through tender platforms. 

They already know who they want to work with. 

They go straight to the experts. 

So if you want a consistent pipeline filled with high-quality clients, you need to shift from chasing work to attracting it. 

Here’s how: 

— Become Known for Something Specific — 

Stop trying to be the “we can do everything” firm. That’s not how trust works. 

Get laser clear on your niche, your expertise, and what makes your firm different. 

— Share Your Thinking Publicly — 

Post content that showcases your knowledge and approach. Not fluff. Not ads. 

But real insights that help your ideal client move forward. 

— Build a Reputation That Precedes You — 

Most consultants think visibility is...

You’re not running a charity. 

So why are your profit margins still stuck in the teens? 

If you’re delivering great work — but not seeing it reflected in your bank account — this is for you. 

I just launched my new book: 

Profitable Engineering Consultant 

Grab your copy here >> Click Here

It breaks down the exact strategies that helped us grow from $3M to $30M — and hit consistent 30%+ net margins. 

Here’s a quick preview: 

1) Stop the Profit Leakage — 

Most firms bleed profit in delivery. This shows you how to plug the gaps and run profitable projects — month after month. 

2) Simplify and Scale — 

Restructure your team, remove the noise, and build a business that doesn’t fall apart when you take a week off. 

3) Win More — Without Competing on Price 

How we repositioned our business to attract higher-value clients and stopped trying to be the cheapest. 

If you’re serious about running a more profitable, scalable con...