How to grow your business *and* keep your margins
We recently worked with a client who came to us in great shape - strong billings, excellent reputation, above-average profit margins, and her clients loved working with her and her team.
In short, she was getting a 10/10 as a business owner lol.. and believe me - that’s not so common in this wild world of entrepreneurship.
(and yes, I’m sharing her story with permission :))
The trap of “strong numbers”
In short, this client was ready for the “next stage” in her business.
She wanted to grow and make some big moves, but she also echoed a super common hesitation we hear from business owners with growth goals:
“If I grow, I'm worried I'll lose the existing profitability I've worked so hard to create. I don't want to go back to the days of missing Christmas Eve dinner with my family to deal with last-minute client issues."
She's right: you can accidentally trade today’s profitable business for chaos and uncertainty tomorrow if you don’t take an intentional approach to growth… and suddenly you'll find yourself working longer hours for smaller margins.
So, instead of “throwing spaghetti at the wall”-type growth efforts that sacrifice profitability, this smart business owner did the smart thing. She hired us 🙂
And we explored the financial implications, operations / administrative considerations and strategic fit of three potential growth paths in great detail:
Bringing on another partner to her fast growing firm
Renting out the extra space in her office
Hiring an early career legal associate (technical hire)
Here’s a sample of what we researched/presented to this client for the first option:
The Idea:
Add one trusted, senior-level lawyer as an equity partner - someone with a strong client base, complementary skills, and a long-term commitment to building the firm together.
The Opportunity:
+40–60% revenue growth in Year 1 (closer to $xxK/month by Year 2)
More leadership support + shared management duties
Better client service and deeper bench strength with more opportunities for cross-referrals
Partner buy-in of ~$xxK offsets onboarding costs
The Challenges:
Need crystal-clear agreements: roles, compensation, exit, decision-making
Revenue ramp-up isn’t instant - it takes 6 - 12 months and not all clients are “sticky”
Cultural fit is key
The Bottom Line:
Setup costs: ~$xxK
Initial monthly profit bump: ~$xxK
Payback period: x.x months
[and if you’re curious about a more detailed analysis with actual numbers, download the Growth Model Snapshot here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/111p93wKdIKQZOhLsTcKSTZlNNtkxbIoD/view?usp=sharing]
The result?
This client walked away with a crystal-clear understanding and game plan for each of her three potential growth options.
She knew her numbers.
She knew what bumps to expect along the way.
And she knew exactly what each member of her team had to do to operationalize the chosen growth path.
Translation: she could chase growth, keep her profitable business, and still attend her family’s Xmas celebrations.
Clarity Before You Leap
Friend - I don’t need to tell you that expanding your business is hard.
But growing without a plan is what can lead to a business going from a 24% profit margin to 9% in a matter of months.
So, if you’re standing on the edge of growth, knowing you could take on more but you’re not quite sure if that means expanding your team, adding another owner, or squeezing more out of your current space, please, please don’t wing it.
Instead, let us put the good, the bad and the ugly of each of your growth options in front of you. That way, you’re not guessing. You’re choosing your next chapter.
If you’re even thinking about growth in 2026, now’s the time to stress-test the options. Because protecting your current profit while expanding only happens when you get ahead of the decision - not after you’ve already made it.
Hit reply and let’s start talking about your next phase of growth today.