Fractional CFO | Numbers guy to CEOs | Ex-JPMorgan now providing Finance & Strategy Support to £5-15m revenue Business Owners | £100m+ Client Revenue
This business didn’t need more sales It needed a better strategy I recently worked with a marketing agency doing £1.5m in revenue They came to me thinking they had a sales problem But after digging into the numbers It was clear the real problem was profit They were working hard Revenue looked healthy But they were barely breaking even And cash was tight So instead of chasing more sales We focused on fixing the foundations - Tightened up pricing - Improved client retention - Reduced a few small inefficiencies - Protected the quality of delivery The result: £250k annual profit Without needing to find any new clients Here’s the thing most business owners miss P&Ls and balance sheets won’t show you the levers that actually drive profit and cash flow You need a scoreboard that tracks things like: - What % of clients you retain - How often they buy - Average transaction value - Payroll and marketing as % of revenue When you track the right things: You make better decisions You move faster You build a healthier business That’s what we do with our clients every month We don’t drown them in reports We give them clarity Follow Tom Griffiths for more posts like this.
This really needs to be taught far and wide, especially the start up community!
Always a combination of top line growth and bottom line optimisation. Nice post.
That's a brilliant example! It perfectly highlights that more sales aren't always the answer. Focusing on a better strategy – optimizing pricing, retention, and efficiency – unlocked significant profit for that agency without needing new clients. It's a powerful reminder that tracking the right metrics reveals the true levers for a healthier, more profitable business. You've clearly demonstrated the value of clarity over reports.
Well done Tom Griffiths, Improving ‘unit economics’ is a necessary step before moving forward with growth initiatives
Tom Griffiths I often say this, some agency problems have nothing to do with getting new client... It's mainly on retaining and improving on what they have
Tom Griffiths what gets tracked gets changed. Period
For coaches running lean, this shift from more sales to smarter structure is everything. Profit isn’t always about doing more - often it's about doing what you already do, better.
The secret to scaling sustainably: adjust the foundation to support the new height, then keep climbing. No "more more more", just better.
It's fascinating how focusing on the right metrics can transform business health. Small adjustments truly make a big difference.
The Growth Advisor | £250m+ in exits | Follow for honest, experience-led insight on scaling, culture and value creation | Supporting founders, CEOs & boards of £10m+ firms for what’s next
3moThis is so true. I’ve seen plenty of firms chase top-line growth, only to find out much later that they’re scaling inefficiency. Sometimes the biggest shift comes from seeing the business clearly - knowing what to stop, fix, or focus on. A strong commercial scoreboard beats another 20-page report every time.