We help a diverse array of business services clients to understand their sources of differentiation and to build upon these to deliver growth locally and internationally.

Services underpin most modern economies, and play host to innovative and dynamic business models. Competition – both direct and indirect – is intense and accelerated by technological change. Identifying and defending areas of differentiation and operational excellence is key to achieving sustainable growth in an ever-changing sector.

Our highly analytical and research-driven approach helps management teams and investors to understand competitive positioning and market dynamics, and to capitalize on this knowledge to win.

Our expertise We have extensive experience advising both management teams and investors in fast growing, tech-enabled business services. We specialize in the following key segments:

Professional services: we regularly review the scalability and value drivers of professional services businesses, including generalist / specialist consulting, business transformation, ESG advisory and business intelligence / research services. Given these firms operate in largely unconstrained markets, we find the greatest determinant of success is operational best practice.

Legal services: technology and alternative delivery models are disrupting the legal sector. We help businesses capitalize on the opportunities this disruption brings.

Real estate ecosystem: the real estate industry is seeing significant change due to technology adoption and an evolving regulatory and macroeconomic environment. We support businesses, such as estate agents, property managers, conveyancers, and mortgage brokers, to navigate these dynamic trends and deliver growth.

Human capital services: skills shortages and the increasing prioritization of talent issues are growing opportunities in human capital services. We work with businesses spanning these services, including recruitment and staffing, employee benefits and training.

SME services: SMEs are experiencing a growing compliance burden, while also feeling pressure from customers to adopt tech and professionalize their service offerings. This creates a critical need for additional support from relevant service providers. We assist businesses selling essential services to SMEs. Given the fragmented customer base, a providers’ competitive advantage often depends on developing a differentiated, cost-effective route to market.

Governance, risk and compliance (GRC): demand for GRC services is growing, particularly among SMEs, due to burdensome regulatory dynamics. We often work with businesses providing certification, training, workflow and tracking functions.

Document management and workplace technology: we work with businesses delivering various workplace solutions to the private and public sectors, including document solutions and managed print services, which are constantly evolving alongside hybrid working dynamics.

 
Our expertise We have extensive experience advising both management teams and investors in fast growing, tech-enabled business services. We specialize in the following key segments:

Professional services: we regularly review the scalability and value drivers of professional services businesses, including generalist / specialist consulting, business transformation, ESG advisory and business intelligence / research services. Given these firms operate in largely unconstrained markets, we find the greatest determinant of success is operational best practice.

Legal services: technology and alternative delivery models are disrupting the legal sector. We help businesses capitalize on the opportunities this disruption brings.

Real estate ecosystem: the real estate industry is seeing significant change due to technology adoption and an evolving regulatory and macroeconomic environment. We support businesses, such as estate agents, property managers, conveyancers, and mortgage brokers, to navigate these dynamic trends and deliver growth.

Human capital services: skills shortages and the increasing prioritization of talent issues are growing opportunities in human capital services. We work with businesses spanning these services, including recruitment and staffing, employee benefits and training.

SME services: SMEs are experiencing a growing compliance burden, while also feeling pressure from customers to adopt tech and professionalize their service offerings. This creates a critical need for additional support from relevant service providers. We assist businesses selling essential services to SMEs. Given the fragmented customer base, a providers’ competitive advantage often depends on developing a differentiated, cost-effective route to market.

Governance, risk and compliance (GRC): demand for GRC services is growing, particularly among SMEs, due to burdensome regulatory dynamics. We often work with businesses providing certification, training, workflow and tracking functions.

Document management and workplace technology: we work with businesses delivering various workplace solutions to the private and public sectors, including document solutions and managed print services, which are constantly evolving alongside hybrid working dynamics.

What we do Some of the ways we help our clients include:

Focused market studies: we specialize in understanding niche market segments to deliver value for clients. We regularly conduct nuanced B2B market surveys, and model complex market opportunities in sectors with limited publicly available data.

Acquisition strategy and search: we support management teams and investors to identify and qualify targets, assess the rationale for acquisition, and determine strategies for successful integration.

Sales approach optimization: we help business service providers develop scalable and sustainable sales advantages, either through route to market or sales methodology best practice.

Improving technology utilization: adopting and embedding technology can enable more profitable and scalable service delivery, as well as a differentiated client journey. We help our clients identify and prioritize the digital solutions that will transform their organizations.

Proposition differentiation: we support our clients to assess and adapt their products and services to increase relevance and embeddedness, and even achieve disruptive pricing changes, while reducing the likelihood of displacement or in-house replication.

Achieving operational scalability: establishing best-in-class operational processes is key to achieving scalability. We help organizations transform their internal systems, all while maintaining day-to-day excellence.

 
What we do Some of the ways we help our clients include:

Focused market studies: we specialize in understanding niche market segments to deliver value for clients. We regularly conduct nuanced B2B market surveys, and model complex market opportunities in sectors with limited publicly available data.

Acquisition strategy and search: we support management teams and investors to identify and qualify targets, assess the rationale for acquisition, and determine strategies for successful integration.

Sales approach optimization: we help business service providers develop scalable and sustainable sales advantages, either through route to market or sales methodology best practice.

Improving technology utilization: adopting and embedding technology can enable more profitable and scalable service delivery, as well as a differentiated client journey. We help our clients identify and prioritize the digital solutions that will transform their organizations.

Proposition differentiation: we support our clients to assess and adapt their products and services to increase relevance and embeddedness, and even achieve disruptive pricing changes, while reducing the likelihood of displacement or in-house replication.

Achieving operational scalability: establishing best-in-class operational processes is key to achieving scalability. We help organizations transform their internal systems, all while maintaining day-to-day excellence.

Insights

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HCM solutions are well-placed to help employers address new challenges associated with keeping their workforces effective and engaged from a distance, bringing with it significant opportunity for investors and growth-minded management teams.

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Sector snapshot: business information providers

As the importance of data in making everyday business decisions and longer-term strategic plays has increased, so too has the use of B2B information providers. Investor appetite has followed suit.

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