As professional services firms grow, the cracks start to show. What used to run smoothly suddenly needs more hands, more structure, and more time than the founder has to give.
It’s a common turning point—especially for law and accounting firms—when growth outpaces the structure built to support it.
Mike Payne, founder of BOSS Advisors in Mesa, Arizona, knows this firsthand. His firm was among the first in the U.S. to operate under Arizona’s new regulations allowing legal and accounting services to be offered together in a single entity.
The model worked—but growth quickly turned into strain.
The Growth Trap That Nearly Broke Everything
BOSS Advisors experienced explosive early growth, doubling revenue year after year from their 2018 launch. By their third year, they were generating significant revenue, but Mike found himself trapped in an unsustainable cycle.
“I became this tremendous bottleneck because every pricing decision had to go through me,” he recalls. “All of the relationships with the clients were my relationships, so clients wanted to work with me directly.”
The situation deteriorated rapidly. Mike was working 16-18 hour days, waking up at 2 AM to go to the office, and his health began suffering. Despite having worked at Big Four accounting firms and large law firms, he couldn’t seem to translate that systematic approach to his own growing practice.
The SYSTEMology Discovery That Changed Everything
The turning point came when Mike heard about SYSTEMology on a podcast. Having ADHD, he struggled with creating organic structure, but the systematic approach resonated immediately.
“When I heard this podcast, it described that SYSTEMology is the system for creating systems,” he explains. “I immediately jumped on Amazon, ordered the book, couldn’t wait for it to come, so I jumped on Audible and started listening to it. It all started making sense.”
The key insight that transformed his approach was understanding that systems don’t need to be perfect from the start. They just need to exist and can be refined over time.
Building Systems That Work for Professional Services
With his practice manager serving as Systems Champion, BOSS Advisors implemented a comprehensive systemization approach:
- Process documentation through observation: The team literally walked around watching what people were doing and took notes, then refined processes through multiple iterations
- Standardized client onboarding: Created a seamless process from initial contact to signed engagement, typically completed within 2-3 days
- Dynamic pricing tool: Developed a comprehensive system that allows any team member to price services consistently without involving Mike
- Consistent service delivery: Established protocols ensuring clients receive the same high-quality experience regardless of which team member they work with
- Team education and buy-in: Used examples like McDonald’s “The Founder” to help team members understand why consistency matters for client experience
- Hiring for experience level: Aligned systems complexity with team capabilities, focusing on experienced professionals rather than entry-level training
Transforming Client Experience and Business Operations
The systematic approach yielded concrete results across multiple areas of the business. BOSS Advisors now consistently onboards 5-10 new clients weekly with a process that rivals much larger firms.
“We get a lot of compliments on our onboarding process,” Mike notes. “For a relatively small firm, you wouldn’t know you were working with a small firm because of how consistent the experience is.”
The pricing system eliminated the daily bottleneck that was consuming his time. Team members can now handle pricing adjustments on the spot, and Mike reports that nine out of ten pricing questions are now resolved through the system rather than requiring his direct involvement.
Key Insights for Professional Services Systematization
The BOSS Advisors transformation offers several practical lessons for other professional services firms:
- “Keep it as simple as possible and start with something. Systems can be refined and they’ll never be done—that’s the beauty of systems and processes”
- Match system complexity to team experience level: Don’t create entry-level training systems if you’re hiring experienced professionals
- Focus on client consistency over perfection: “95% is generally good enough—that’s going to get you the work, and everybody’s going to be happy”
- Address team resistance through education: Help team members understand how systems benefit the overall client experience
- “There’s just almost nothing that only you are able to do. Somebody else can help. So let them help”
The transformation at BOSS Advisors demonstrates that even complex professional services can be systematized effectively. By focusing on consistency, leveraging team strengths, and building processes that match their service level, they created a scalable business model that no longer depends entirely on the founder’s direct involvement.
Ready to Systematize Your Professional Services Firm?
If you’re running a professional services business and feeling trapped by growth like Mike was, SYSTEMology’s proven framework can help you build the systems that will scale your practice. Start with our Systems Champion Academy to begin creating the structure your growing firm needs.
