{"id":10094,"date":"2025-03-11T09:53:06","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T09:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=10094"},"modified":"2025-03-11T09:53:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-11T09:53:08","slug":"increase-profit-professional-services-firm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/increase-profit-professional-services-firm\/","title":{"rendered":"4 ways to increase profit for your professional services firm"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/money-matters\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Money Matters<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t4 ways to increase profit for your professional services firm\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-03-11T09:53:06+00:00\">11 March, 2025<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"4 ways to increase profit for your professional services firm\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/increase-profit-professional-services-firm\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/jenniferwilson\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/06\/Jennifer-Wilson-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Jennifer Wilson\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/06\/Jennifer-Wilson-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/06\/Jennifer-Wilson.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Jennifer Wilson<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is your business missing out on revenue? Maybe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many professional services firms knock their prices down in a bid to retain as much business as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While this may have worked as a temporary solution, it\u2019s unsustainable in the long-term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there are a series of straightforward ways you can take right now to correct course and boost your profits. Read on to find out exactly what they are and how you can get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"#boosting-anchor-link\">Boosting profitability in professional services<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"#keep-anchor-link\">1. Keep non-billables to a minimum<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"#track-anchor-link\">2. Track project spending<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"#boost-anchor-link\">3. Boost your utilisation rates<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"#review-anchor-link\">4. Review your pricing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"#next-anchor-link\">Next steps: The metrics for professional services firms to track right now<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-75500b87-75e1-492e-92d3-16a49351ce6c\">Download your free copy of 6 key metrics for professional service organisations<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"boosting-anchor-link\">Boosting profitability in professional services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Globally, the average profit margin for professional services firms in 2021 sits at around 36%, but varies depending on the type and complexity of the service you offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Commodity firms \u2013 which help clients with basic, routine problems quickly and efficiently \u2013 tend to see margins in the single digits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, \u2018rocket science\u2019 services addressing specific, difficult problems for their clients can see <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2021\/03\/what-professional-service-firms-must-do-to-thrive\">profit margins over 50%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No matter what kind of practice you\u2019re running, the bottom line is the same: you need to protect your bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the world opens up again, it\u2019s the perfect time to revisit your strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Widening your profit margins starts with a deep dive into how you and your team spends your working hours each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start by breaking down the real cost of doing business, and work out which areas you can fine-tune or completely revamp to do things more efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It all boils down to protecting your most valuable resource: time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Below, check out four ways you can boost profitability at your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"keep-anchor-link\">1. Keep non-billables to a minimum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea that every minute of every workday could be dedicated, unflinchingly and fully focused, to project work, is unrealistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And activities such as creating marketing materials, answering emails, preparing pitches, doing research, and so on might not directly make money for the business, but they\u2019re a vital part of winning \u2013 and retaining \u2013 clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are non-billables that can be cut down to size by making sure you and your team aren\u2019t getting bogged down in unnecessary admin or overly complex processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One way to do this is to ask your team to record their non-billable hours in the same way they do for their billables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Talk to your people and ask them what parts of their job they feel might be sucking up more than its fair share of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Remember, some employees might feel uncomfortable speaking about this face-to-face or in a group, so make it possible for your team to share their thoughts on this anonymously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"track-anchor-link\">2. Track project spending<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Making sure your estimates are as accurate as possible is vital because this helps you kick things off on the right foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it\u2019s even more important to keep a close eye on your project spending over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are three key things to keep in mind here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Any client requests that go beyond the original project scope need to be documented and billed for, no matter how little the additional time may be.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use real-time tracking to make sure projects are on track and not at risk of overrunning their budget.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create standardised processes to help your employees save time, and be clear on what needs to be done and how they can do it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-75500b87-75e1-492e-92d3-16a49351ce6c\">Download your free copy of 6 key metrics for professional service organisations<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"boost-anchor-link\">3. Boost your utilisation rates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leading a team successfully isn\u2019t just about hiring the right people with the right skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s about knowing which employees are the best fit for each project, and how much time they need to do a great job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The key to keeping your utilisation rates high is in your data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cloud-based software allows you to get an easy-to-digest view of your team\u2019s projects, including where their time is going and the skills each employee brings to the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That data empowers you to make better staffing decisions and see your employees shine on the right projects, keeping clients happy and saving you time and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"review-anchor-link\">4. Review your pricing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you find your cash flow is experiencing regular pinch points, it might be a sign that your prices are set too low or you\u2019re underestimating the work each project calls for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To get to the root of the problem, dig down into the costs of running each project and compare that to how much revenue it brings in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using this kind of historical data, you can work out where to raise prices and by how much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Increasing your prices might feel like a bold step to take, particularly if you\u2019re operating in highly competitive markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that fear might be misplaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Upping your prices could actually boost your profits without taking on new clients and stretching your team too thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A study by McKinsey &amp; Co. found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inc.com\/john-boitnott\/3-ways-to-increase-your-profits-even-with-slow-sales.html\">increasing prices by just 1%<\/a> could see your profit margins grow by 11%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"next-anchor-link\">Next steps: The metrics for professional services firms to track right now<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you can\u2019t measure it, you can\u2019t manage it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Knowing which key performance indicators (KPIs) to track \u2013 and how to track them effectively \u2013 is the key to unlocking your business\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dig down into the data to find out where your strengths lie and what parts of your organisation could use a little extra attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use that information to refine your strategy and help your team thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">6 key metrics for professional service organisations<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Discover the KPIs that can help you benchmark your firm&#8217;s financial data and identify where you need to focus as you strive for continuous improvement and growth.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-75500b87-75e1-492e-92d3-16a49351ce6c\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-961279906-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"managing payroll tasks for the business\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-961279906-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/business-finances\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness finances\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/finance\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfinance\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/midsized-business\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMidsized business\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-32004 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-ai tag-business-performance tag-circular-economy tag-construction tag-enterprise-management tag-international-trading tag-manufacturing tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-supply-chain tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-chemical industry-construction industry-distribution industry-food-beverage industry-healthcare industry-manufacturing industry-non-profit industry-professional-services card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944515884-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Preparing the team for new business requirements\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944515884-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944515884-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944515884-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/why-uk-finance-teams-cant-close-faster\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhy UK finance teams can&#8217;t close faster\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tMost UK finance teams still take a week or more to close the books. Here&#8217;s what&#8217;s really holding them back.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-32070 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-ai tag-business-performance tag-circular-economy tag-construction tag-enterprise-management tag-international-trading tag-manufacturing tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-supply-chain tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-chemical industry-construction industry-distribution industry-food-beverage industry-healthcare industry-manufacturing industry-non-profit industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/multi-entity-finance-acquire-expand\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1316107530-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1316107530-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1316107530-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1316107530-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tMulti-entity finance: Acquire and expand\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-32003 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-ai tag-business-performance tag-circular-economy tag-construction tag-enterprise-management tag-international-trading tag-manufacturing tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-supply-chain tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-chemical industry-construction industry-distribution industry-food-beverage industry-healthcare industry-manufacturing industry-non-profit industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ar-automation-reduce-days-sales-outstanding\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1163568066-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Working on payroll tasks\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1163568066-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1163568066-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1163568066-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAR Automation: How to reduce DSO\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-32002 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-ai tag-business-performance tag-circular-economy tag-construction tag-enterprise-management tag-international-trading tag-manufacturing tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-supply-chain tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-chemical industry-construction industry-distribution industry-food-beverage industry-healthcare industry-manufacturing industry-non-profit industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/financial-close-checklist\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1473163791-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Looking at business data\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1473163791-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1473163791-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1473163791.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">1 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhat is a financial close checklist?\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-31997 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation tag-ai tag-business-performance tag-circular-economy tag-construction tag-enterprise-management tag-international-trading tag-manufacturing tag-midsized-business tag-performance-management tag-reporting tag-supply-chain tag-workplace-technology business_type-medium-sized-business industry-chemical industry-construction industry-distribution industry-food-beverage industry-healthcare industry-manufacturing industry-non-profit industry-professional-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/real-cost-of-manual-accounts-payable\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1143476224-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1143476224-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1143476224-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1143476224-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-08-14T09:00:00+01:00\">14 August, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe real cost of manual accounts payable\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Did you know reviewing your prices and putting them up by just 1% can help your firm increase profits? Read this for more top tips.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1072,"featured_media":9115,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_page_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_schema_article_type":"","_sage_video":false,"_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"6","post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[135,164,159],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[59],"persona":[68,71],"imagine_tag":[89,96],"coauthors":[532],"class_list":["post-10094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money-matters","tag-business-finances","tag-finance","tag-midsized-business","business_type-medium-sized-business","industry-financial-services"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Jennifer Wilson","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/04\/Mecwide_2018_X3_EnterpriseManagement_23-1.jpg","imagine_tags":{"89":"Financial services","96":"Medium businesses"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10094","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1072"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10094"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10094\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/9115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10094"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10094"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10094"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=10094"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=10094"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=10094"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=10094"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=10094"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=10094"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=10094"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}