Solutions That Drive Results

From Startup to Stardom: Proof that taking your strategic elements ‘off the page’ accelerates growth and success.

When Sangha Tone Chartered Accountants engaged Big Bold Brand, they were a small team of six. Less than two years prior, the partners left the large firm because they were both disappointed and motivated by the gaps they saw in service delivery for small and medium businesses. Natural born disruptors, they had a vision for how they wanted to better serve small and medium-sized businesses.

Their core challenges at that time were clearly articulating their purpose, vision, promise and defining what differentiated their firm to attract the right clients. Their second challenge was getting clear on how to strategically grow their firm via acquiring books of clients from retiring accountants – they knew that not just any book would do.

PROBLEMS & CHALLENGES:

  • Knowing they had a unique approach but not knowing how to effectively communicate its value

  • Lacking a clear vision

  • Not knowing how to differentiate their firm in a competitive market

  • Gaining clarity on their ideal clients and why they chose to work with them over other firms

  • The lack of clear, concise, resonant core messaging

  • A few underperforming team members

  • Rapid growth and high-touch service delivery required an effective way to onboard staff in their unique way of being and doing

  • Aligning, inspiring and empowering their team as they grew

  • Ensuring that growth was the ‘right’ growth for the firm

  • Keeping everyone and everything aligned as they successfully executed their high-growth plan

PROJECT SCOPE:

  • THE INITIAL PROJECT:

  • Get the partners clear on who they were and how they would operate

  • Execute a client audit to gain a clear understanding of their ideal target audiences

  • Authentically differentiate the firm and establish their unique value proposition

  • Develop the firm’s strategic brand positioning and core messaging

  • Set clear and achievable goals and direction for the next three to five years

  • Teach the leadership team how to use the elements developed as a Surefire Strategy™ to drive aligned and accelerated growth

  • ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENTS:

  • Refine their strategic brand positioning and core messaging

  • Train the growing team how to harness the power of their strategic elements and deliver on the firm’s brand promise

  • Execute a firm renaming exercise

  • Facilitate strategic planning sessions to refine their vision and set new growth goals

  • Provide guidance as a trusted advisor to support aligned and strategic growth

“[What Big Bold Brand offered us] wasn’t boilerplate; it was natural for us to follow because we weren’t being forced to follow someone else’s plan. Karley identifies and facilitates the discussions that need to be had; cutting through BS, to keeps us moving ahead and focused. She’s great at pulling common themes and clarity out of our discussions.”

Sumeet Sangha, Partner, Sangha Tone

Approach & Solution:

We started with target audience research, interviewing a select group of the ideal clients they were already serving. The purpose of these interviews was to gain an understanding of exactly who these clients were, the problems and challenges they wanted solved and the reasons they chose (and loved) Sangha Tone. This information would form the foundation of the firm’s ideal target audience profiles.

Then, working collaboratively with their core leadership team, we guided them through our proven Surefire™ Methodology, to develop a clear core strategy, authentically differentiated brand positioning and core messaging. In addition, during the process, we taught them how to use the eleven core and strategic elements produced as a powerful set of business tools to make strategic business decisions, accelerate growth and to keep everyone (and everything) aligned with their purpose, values and vision.

The resulting Surefire™ Strategy, and the understanding of how to use its accompanying set of strategic tools, worked so well for Sangha Tone that in the two years after our work together their team doubled in size, seeing 42% growth the first year and 70% growth the second. They also enticed two stellar senior accountants, one out of early retirement and the other out of solo practice, to join the team and help them grow the firm.

Impact:

As a result of their rapid short-term success and ROI from their work with us, Sangha Tone engaged Big Bold Brand multiple times over the next four years. Each year they exceeded their growth goals as we helped them evolve and refine elements of their Surefire Strategy™, set new growth goals, synchronize their expanding team and keep all things aligned and in tune as their business continued its high-growth curve. They were able to grow their book, team and top-line revenue exponentially, through successful ideal client acquisition and by purchasing books and acquiring other small aligned firms.

Even under the pressure of rapid growth, the leadership team developed both a stellar team culture and a notable reputation. They were able to boost their bottom line by leveraging their Surefire Strategy™ to build a solid reputation, stellar client experience and strong referral network. This in turn drove a strong stream of referral business which meant they never once invested in paid marketing initiatives.

Within only six years the partners were entertaining acquisition offers from several players in the market. After their successful acquisition, partner Eva Tone shared with us, “It was so easy to vet and select the right company to acquire us, all we needed to do was ask ourselves if a prospective buyer was aligned with our purpose, our values and was right for our clients. Our work with you paid off right until the end!”

ROI:

  • Revenue growth post work with Big Bold Brand: Year 1: 142%; year 2: 170%, year 3: 156%  for a total increase in the first three years of 268% in growth.

  • All while maintaining an established profit margin

  • All without investment in paid advertising or lead generation

  • Achieved their five-year growth goals in just two years

  • Achieved their next two-year growth goals in just 18 months

  • 84 months of growth planning achieved in 42 months

  • During the course of this process, Sangha Tone was recognized in McClean Magazine as one of the top 500 growing companies in Canada

  • The firm grew from a team of 2 to 24 employees aligned with their vision and purpose

  • With multiple offers to purchase their firm, Sangha Tone’s partners were in the driver’s seat to select the best and most closely aligned suitors to purchase the firm

“Karley is driven to show value and provide value for her clients. She always cuts through BS, she keeps work moving and focused. When we were done working with her, we were left with a feeling of clarity, we knew exactly what we wanted to say and our finished package made perfect sense. The time investment was absolutely worth it.”

Sumeet Sangha, Partner, Sangha Tone