March 2011: If all the challenges small and mid-sized consulting firms face today had to be summed up in two words, it would have to be “profitable growth”. Growth at the cost of profitability is neither sustainable nor scalable.Large consulting firms are getting the biggest and the best contracts, because they have the branding, the scale and the resources to compete at every level. The smaller deals are at threat from smaller consulting firms, who are using low-overheads driven cost advantage to compete on price. Commoditisation of the consulting market in the SMB/SME segment is taking away a key customer segment from the smaller firms.The challenge will be to prove and deliver the value proposed to the client, in the midst of increasing competition from the larger, established firms and pricing pressure from independent consultancies.This white paper

• Discusses key client-side trends affecting growth and profitability aspirations of small and mid-sized consulting firms
• Highlights avenues through which firms can still seek to grow profitably, and
• Discusses potential solutions to address profitability and growth imperatives, including the increasing importance of external “research support” in addressing most of these challenges

To download a complimentary copy of this white paper, please follow this link