Success Story - Andrew Foley-Jones
How Mackenzie Jones Solicitors Increased Operating Profit by More Than £600,000
Andrew and his fellow partners had built a successful law firm, but with four partners spread across different offices, they had become increasingly disconnected. They were busy running their own departments and looking after clients, leaving little time to focus on the business itself or plan for the future.
Now the partners are working together more effectively, the business is better managed, and the firm has increased its operating profit by more than £600,000 in a year. They've achieved 60% growth in operating profit, improved cash flow and built a more profitable business without simply working harder.
"We've had 60% growth in terms of our operating profit, which far surpassed anything I thought would occur.
We're not working harder. We're working smarter."
Andrew Foley-Jones
Director, Mackenzie Jones Solicitors
From busy partners to a better-run business
How four partners moved from working in separate silos to running a more connected, profitable and better-managed law firm.
When Andrew Foley-Jones and his fellow directors at Mackenzie Jones Solicitors decided to work with John, they weren't running a failing business.
Far from it. Established in 2000, the firm had grown from five people to around 30, with offices across North Wales and Chester.
But behind that success, there was a problem.
The partners were busy running their own departments and offices. Communication had become fragmented, important management conversations were repeatedly pushed aside, and there was little time to focus on what they were actually trying to achieve together.
Andrew and fellow senior partner Richard had also started talking about their eventual exit from the business. They knew something needed to change, but without a clear plan and the right structure, it was easy for another year to pass without making meaningful progress.
Working together created the focus, accountability and honest conversations the partners needed.
The results were significant. Within a year, the firm increased operating profit by more than £600,000, net profit by more than £500,000 and cash flow by more than £800,000, without simply asking the team to work longer hours or increasing headcount.
As Andrew explains:
“We've had 60% growth in terms of our operating profit, which far surpassed anything I thought would occur.”
“We're not working harder. We're working smarter.”
“We were just busy business people.”
The results
• £600,000+ additional operating profit within a year.
• £500,000+ additional net profit within a year.
• £800,000+ additional cash flow within a year.
• 60% growth in operating profit within a year.
• No additional headcount required to achieve growth.
• Improved communication, clearer responsibilities and a more connected management team.
"We were almost like a series of islands.”
Watch Andrew explain how the firm achieved 60% operating profit growth
Andrew talks about how the partners had become disconnected while working across different offices, despite everyone working incredibly hard.
He explains how creating time to focus on the business, improving communication and making better commercial decisions contributed to a significant improvement in operating profit.
He also shares why the experience has been enjoyable and why working smarter matters more than simply being busy.
Meet Ashley
What was happening before?
Four partners, different offices and not enough time
Mackenzie Jones Solicitors was established in 2000. What began as a small firm of five people had grown to around 30, with offices in St Asaph, Menai Bridge and Chester.
The four partners had different responsibilities and areas of focus. Andrew and Sara looked after the non-contentious side of the business, while Richard and Anna managed contentious work.
As the firm expanded, the partners became increasingly busy with their own day-to-day responsibilities.
The result was that, although everyone was working hard towards the success of the firm, they weren't spending enough time together discussing its direction.
Andrew described it as:
“We were almost like a series of islands.”
The partners weren't necessarily disagreeing or pulling in different directions. They simply didn't have the time or structure to step back, communicate properly and concentrate on the bigger picture.
Important conversations kept getting postponed
When something needed attention, client meetings, new matters and other fee-earning activities would usually take priority.
Those activities brought in immediate income, while operational improvements and strategic planning were easier to put off.
Andrew recognised that this had become a pattern.
Days became weeks, weeks became months and months became years. The partners were busy, the business was successful, but the conversations about what they wanted from the firm and their own futures weren't turning into action.
"We've had 60% growth in terms of our operating profit, which far surpassed anything I thought would occur.”
Create the time to work ON your business
The turning point: a conversation over a pint
The decision to do something about it came from a conversation between Andrew and Richard.
They were discussing their eventual exits from the business and realised that, unless they took action, they would probably be having exactly the same conversation 12 months later.
They needed a path, a timeline and a process that would help them work towards a clear goal.
Andrew knew that having an independent person involved would create the structure and accountability they needed.
He also admitted that he approached the process with some scepticism.
He was concerned about the time, money and energy involved, and whether all four partners would commit to doing the work.
Those concerns soon disappeared as the partners began to engage with the process.
Creating the time and structure to work on the business
One of the first changes was making sure the partners had regular time set aside to work on the business.
Rather than allowing strategic and operational conversations to be pushed aside by the next client meeting or new instruction, the sessions created a fixed point in the diary.
The partners had actions to complete between meetings, and there was accountability to make sure decisions were followed through.
The sessions also encouraged honest conversations about what each person wanted from the business, what they were good at and where responsibilities needed to change.
Andrew described the process as creating:
“Honesty, dialogue, self-reflection.”
It helped the partners understand each other better and make decisions based on the strengths of the people involved, rather than everyone trying to do everything.
"We're not working harder. We're working smarter.”
Confidence to grow and expand
Better communication and clearer responsibilities
As the partners began communicating more openly, they became more comfortable being honest about who was best suited to particular responsibilities.
Andrew used a football analogy to explain the change:
“It's have the best penalty taker doing that particular role.”
If someone was better suited to business development, they should focus on that. If someone had stronger administrative skills, those responsibilities should sit with them.
This reduced duplication and helped the partners make better use of their individual strengths.
It also created a significant cultural change. Rather than each person concentrating mainly on their own area, they began operating more like a connected management team.
Improving profitability in residential property
One of the biggest commercial improvements came from the residential property department.
This had always been a challenging area to manage because it was heavily affected by economic conditions, the property market and changes in legislation.
The firm had also developed a relationship with a particular introducer that was beginning to dominate the department and affect some of its existing relationships.
By making time to discuss the issue properly and examine the figures in more detail, the partners were able to make a decision about the future direction of the department.
They eventually ended the relationship and refocused on their existing independent introducers.
The department concentrated on higher-value work, improved its average fee and returned to a structure that better suited the business.
Andrew estimated that this reshaping created a projected opportunity for around £500,000 in additional profit from the department.
He also explained that the changes enabled a director to move away from the residential property work and concentrate on the commercial department.
That shift was expected to increase commercial department revenue by around £200,000–£300,000, without additional headcount.
"We should be celebrating the fact that we're running a more profitable business, a happier business.”
A better culture and improved management
A significant improvement in financial performance
The financial results exceeded Andrew's expectations.
The firm's financial information showed operating profit increasing from £191,260 to £305,345 over comparable six-month periods, a 60% improvement.
Beyond that comparison, the wider results confirmed for this case study were more than £600,000 additional operating profit, more than £500,000 additional net profit and more than £800,000 additional cash flow within a year.
Andrew was particularly pleased that the improvement wasn't simply the result of asking people to work longer hours or recruiting more staff.
As he put it:
“We've achieved that extra 60% without extra headcount, which is obviously incredible.”
A better culture and a more involved management team
The improvements weren't just financial.
The partners became more involved in managing the business, and the firm introduced more regular communication with its teams.
Monthly meetings gave people the opportunity to raise issues, share information and stay connected, while still allowing them the freedom to get on with their work.
Andrew felt this had given people greater confidence and helped create a better balance between trusting people to do their jobs and providing the support and management they needed.
The partners also became more deliberate about how they spent their own time.
They were still involved in fee earning, but were able to dedicate more attention to management and the activities that would move the business forward.
Rethinking what it means to be successful in law
One of Andrew's most interesting reflections was about the legal profession's tendency to celebrate being busy.
He described how lawyers can become caught up in comparing hours worked, fee-earning targets and how much they have on their plates.
But he believes that mindset needs to change.
Being constantly busy isn't necessarily a sign of running a successful business. Being able to take time away, delegate the day-to-day work and run a more profitable, happier firm is something to celebrate.
As Andrew said:
“We should be celebrating the fact that we're running a more profitable business, a happier business, with better people in it who are doing better things than they were.”
For him, that is what working smarter really means.
"We were just busy business people.”
What Andrew says about working with John
Andrew initially approached the process with some cynicism. He wanted to see whether the questions, approach and advice would stand up to scrutiny.
What surprised him most was John's ability to encourage openness and honesty between the four partners.
He particularly valued having an impartial person involved who could ask questions and help people reflect on things they might not otherwise discuss.
Andrew believes that the process helped the partners recognise their individual strengths, work together more effectively and focus on what they wanted from the business and from life.
He also emphasised that the process needed to be enjoyable.
As he put it:
“It's been fun, which is important to me. It needs to be fun, life is short.”
And his advice to another business owner considering working with John?
“Give it a go. Because all you are losing is some time, some energy and you won't regret it.”
Watch the Full Interview With Andrew Foley-Jones
In this full interview, Andrew explains how Mackenzie Jones grew from a small firm of five people into a multi-office practice, why the partners had become disconnected and what prompted them to take a more strategic approach to the business.
He talks about the financial improvements, the changes to the residential property department, the importance of partner communication and why he believes law firm owners should stop measuring success by how busy they are.
His message is a simple one: a successful law firm should be more profitable, better managed and more enjoyable to run.
One of his strongest observations is:
“We should be celebrating the fact that we're running a more profitable business, a happier business, with better people in it who are doing better things than they were.”
Want to improve the profitability of your business?
Running a successful businesses shouldn't mean spending every day buried in operational issues and putting the important decisions off until later.
With the right financial visibility, structure and direction, there may be significant opportunities to improve profitability while making the business easier to run.
If you'd like to explore what could be possible in your firm, let's have a conversation.
Book a discovery call with John to discuss your business and its potential.
"It's been fun, which is important to me. It needs to be fun, life is short.”
1: What were you struggling with before working together?
Because the business is split across multiple offices, there was an issue with communication and connectivity.
We were all busy doing our own thing. We were almost like a series of islands.
We were working incredibly hard and pushing towards the same aim, but we didn't have the time to get together and concentrate on what we were trying to achieve or what the purpose of it all really was.
Days became weeks, weeks became months and months became years.
2: What was the impact?
We realised that we needed an independent person to help bring us together and make sure we had regular meetings in the diary.
Previously, a client meeting, a new matter or a meeting with an introducer would usually take priority because it could lead directly to income.
The operational things would take a back seat.
The process gave us a focal point and helped us make sure we actually followed through with the conversations and actions we needed to take.
3: What made you decide to get in touch?
Richard and I were having a pint one day and talking specifically about our eventual exits from the business.
It was a conversation we'd had every now and then. We realised that unless we did something, we'd probably be having exactly the same conversation in another 12 months.
We were both busy in a successful business, but the status quo was going to remain.
That was the moment we sat down and said, "Let's make this happen."
4: What were you looking for?
We needed a path, a timeline and something that would make us work towards a particular goal.
The regular sessions meant we had to go away and carry out actions. There was accountability, in a good way.
I approached the process with a little cynicism. I was concerned about the time, money and energy involved, and whether everybody would put in the effort.
Those concerns soon disappeared. The process got underway in a way that meant everybody bought into it, which was incredibly important with four people involved.
5: What results have you seen?
From a financial perspective, we've had 60% growth in operating profit, which far surpassed anything I thought would occur.
Just as important have been the cultural changes: the connectivity between the partners, the dialogue and having some structure.
We're not working harder. We're working smarter. We know what we're trying to achieve.
We've achieved that 60% growth without extra headcount.
The day-to-day has improved as well. We were over-busy and running around, without enough time to dedicate to the things you need to dedicate to a business.
We're still doing some fee earning, but we're now spending much more time on management.
6: What has been one of the biggest improvements?
One of the biggest improvements has been in our residential property department.
It's always been a tricky area because it's affected by the economy, market conditions and legislation changes.
We had an issue with a particular introducer that was starting to swamp the department and affect some of our existing relationships.
Through regular dialogue and looking properly at the figures, we came up with a solution.
We ended that relationship and concentrated on our existing independent introducers. We increased our average fee and returned to a structure that suited the business better.
That part of the business is now thriving.
7: What did the changes mean financially?
As a result of reshaping residential property, we projected around £500,000 in additional profit from that department.
It also enabled one of the directors, who had been working across both commercial and residential property, to move away from residential work and concentrate on commercial.
I estimate that shift could increase the commercial department's revenue by around £200,000–£300,000, without extra headcount.
It also makes my life easier and improves my work-life balance.
8: How has this affected the team?
The culture in the business has shifted hugely because we're more involved in management.
We've introduced more regular communication and monthly meetings, often using Teams for people working remotely.
We don't want meetings for the sake of meetings. We still trust people to get on with their work, but we've recognised that there needs to be a balance.
I think the increased communication has given people a lot of confidence
9: What has changed about the way the partners work together?
We're much more honest about who should be doing what.
Previously, we might have duplicated things or all tried to do tasks that weren't necessarily suited to our individual skill sets.
Now we recognise that if somebody is better at business development, they should focus on that. If somebody is better at administration, those responsibilities should sit with them.
It's about having the best person for each particular role.
10: If you hadn't worked together, where do you think the firm would be now?
I think the cultural changes wouldn't have happened, and we would probably still be in the same position.
We would have been planning things, but not necessarily implementing the changes we discussed.
We weren't running a bad business. We weren't bad business people. We were just busy business people.
We needed something to bring us together and give us focus.
11: How would you describe what John does and how he helped?
The process enables honesty, dialogue and self-reflection.
It makes you ask some basic but important questions:
- What do you want from your business?
- What do you want from your life? What are you trying to achieve?
When you're caught up in the day-to-day, you don't always stop and ask those questions.
In law, there's an ethos that you have to be busy all the time. It's about hours, targets and who has worked the hardest.
This process has made me think differently.
If you're running a better business, making more profit, able to take time away and have other people looking after the day-to-day, that's something to celebrate.
We should be celebrating a more profitable, happier business, not saying, "I've done another 60-hour week."
12: What surprised you most about working with John?
I was probably the most cynical at the beginning.
What surprised me was John's ability to extract openness and honesty from everybody involved.
Having somebody impartial, who doesn't know the people involved at the start,
makes it easier for people to speak openly without feeling judged.
The questions made me reflect on things I hadn't necessarily questioned before.
13: What would you say to somebody considering working with John?
If there's any cynicism like I had, give it a go.
All you're losing is some time and energy, and you won't regret it.
At the end of the first session, you'll be happy you did it.
14: How would you describe the experience
It's been interesting and it's been fun, which is important to me. Life is short.
It's made people think about what they want and why they're doing this.
When you're running your own business, it's a huge part of your life. You need to think about what you're doing it all for.
For us, it's about working smarter and making more money, but doing it in a way that's enjoyable and fun and doesn't have to be stressful.
The Full Interview
With Andrew Foley-Jones
"We've had 60% growth in terms of our operating profit, which far surpassed anything I thought would occur.
We're not working harder. We're working smarter."
I hope you enjoy reading this success story.
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