Benchmark for boutique and mid-sized consulting firms launches

The Consultancy Growth Network, a peer community for owners of consulting businesses, has launched the survey for the 2021 edition of its Consultancy BenchPress report. 

Now in its second year, the study aims to find out how boutique and mid-sized consulting firms across the UK are adapting to the effects of Covid-19, where they expect future growth to come from and what recruitment, resourcing and retention strategies they are using to attract and keep consulting talent. 

Last year’s survey revealed the growth expectations of consulting firms, as well as average day rates, salaries and utilisation rates for every consulting grade, the most common sources of new business, average sales conversion rates, how consultancy owners spend their time (and want to spend it) and much more. 

“Consulting business owners who participated in last year’s survey have made step changes in their performance based on the benchmark insights we shared in our first Consultancy BenchPress report,” said Marc Jantzen, founder of The Consultancy Growth Network. “To be able to provide them with data that is truly relevant to them right now is incredibly fulfilling – I can’t imagine the difference it would have made if it had been available when I was growing my consultancy!”

Participate: Leaders of UK consultancies with 5-200 staff can fill in the survey on this page. 

The results of the survey will be anonymously compiled into a detailed, insightful report available to all eligible survey respondents and revealed at a launch event in January. 

This year, particular focus will be given to the people strategy of consultancies. Topics that will be explored include the current climate for talent retention and attraction, how rewards are expected to change in the post-pandemic era, and what resourcing models and hiring plans are adopted.

Jantzen said, “Our focus on people this year is a direct response to the seismic shift in the market for consulting talent during the pandemic. Staying ahead of the recruitment and retention curve has never been more critical. Data and insights about what other consultancies are doing in this space will transform the futures of many UK-based consultancies.” 

The survey is led by The Consultancy Growth Network, and conducted in collaboration with accountancy firm The Wow Company. Peter Czapp, co-founder of The Wow Company, said: “The report will showcase what the top performing consulting firms are doing, providing owners and leaders of consulting firms with inspiration to raise their own game.”