Feb 5 • Marketing
If I Was Running a <£1M Boutique Consultancy, This Is How I’d Become the Go-To Expert in My Niche in 6 - 12 Months (with <£10K Budget)
Here’s the truth: the consulting landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. The old playbook for building a successful firm is falling apart, and if you’re running a boutique consultancy, you’re right in the eye of the storm.
Here’s why you should care:
- AI is eating the low-end of consulting: Tasks that once required expensive consultants—data analysis, research, basic recommendations—are being replaced by generative AI tools. The margin for offering generic advice is vanishing.
- Clients distrust faceless, one-size-fits-all firms: The market is saturated with large, impersonal consultancies churning out cookie-cutter solutions, leaving clients hungry for authenticity and human expertise.
- Big consultancies are bloated and slow to adapt: They’re losing market share to smaller, nimbler boutique firms that are carving out micro-niches. But if you’re not intentional about your positioning, you’ll miss the opportunity to be one of them.
In short: the consulting world is fragmenting, and trust is the most valuable currency.
If you’re running a boutique consultancy, you have a golden opportunity right now.
You’re small enough to adapt, specialized enough to stand out, and human enough to build relationships that last. But only if you position yourself as the go-to expert in your niche—and you don’t have years to figure it out.
W𝗛𝗬: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚—𝗕𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗢𝗥 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗣𝗧 𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗬
AI Is Reshaping the Consulting Landscape
For years, the consulting world thrived on a simple model: sell expertise, backed by complex research and frameworks. But the rise of AI is dismantling parts of that value chain. AI tools are now capable of delivering lightning-fast insights, drafting comprehensive reports, and even simulating strategic outcomes.
What does this mean for you?
- Offering generalist services is a death sentence. AI is cheaper, faster, and arguably better at providing surface-level solutions.
- Your clients aren’t just paying for your recommendations anymore—they’re paying for your judgment, perspective, and expertise.
- Expertise without positioning is invisible. If clients don’t see you as the definitive answer to their specific problem, they won’t see you at all.
If you’re a boutique consultancy, your survival depends on two things:
1) narrowing your niche and
2) doubling down on human connection.
The Trust Deficit: Why People Are Fleeing Big Consultancies
The days of large consultancies coasting on brand recognition and prestige are fading. Here’s what clients are saying:
- “I don’t know who I’m working with.”
- “Their solutions feel generic and cookie-cutter.”
- “They overpromise and underdeliver.”
Trust has become the Achilles’ heel of larger firms. Faceless, transactional relationships no longer cut it in a world where buyers expect authenticity, transparency, and personalisation.
Boutique consultancies like yours have a natural advantage here, but only if you lean into it.
Your clients don’t want a Power Point deck filled with empty buzzwords - they want a partner who deeply understands their pain points, offers clear answers, and works alongside them to deliver results.
The Rise of the Specialist vs. The Fall of the Generalist
There’s a reason people say, “Specialists thrive, generalists survive.” But even survival is getting harder.
Consider this:
- In a crowded market, broad service offerings dilute your perceived expertise. Clients don’t want a consultant who does “strategy, operations, marketing, HR, and a bit of tech on the side.” They want the person who solves their specific problem better than anyone else.
- Narrow positioning commands higher fees. When clients perceive you as the best in a niche, they’re willing to pay a premium for your expertise.
Large consultancies can’t pivot fast enough to capture these micro-niches. That’s your opportunity.
𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗥
To thrive in this new era, you don’t just need to be an expert—you need to be seen as an expert. And that requires creating visibility and trust at scale.
If I were running boutique consultancy today, I’d focus my energy on one thing: thought leadership that builds trust and scales influence.
Why?
continued on my blog here:
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If I Was Running a <£1M Boutique Consultancy, This Is How I’d Become the Go-To Expert in My Niche in 6 - 12 Months (with <£10K Budget)
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