Why We Exist
Turning professional expertise into visible client value.
The challenge
Professional services firms are at a critical point. Technology, automation, and new business models are reshaping how expertise is delivered and experienced. Competition is fierce, clients expect more, and pressures on profitability continue to grow.
Many firms still rely on familiar approaches such as waiting for referrals, selling credentials, or depending on long-standing relationships to win work. In this new environment, those approaches no longer stand out. The real challenge is helping clients experience genuine value in ways that clearly show why one firm is different from another.
​
​What we believe
We believe that lasting value is created by how professionals engage and serve their clients —from the very first meeting through delivery and beyond. This is where clients start to feel the difference in how a firm listens, responds, and creates value before the work even begins.
Traditional training and CPD programmes are essential for technical excellence, but many don’t build the broader skills that drive growth or connect learning with firm strategy. This makes it difficult to measure progress or link development to real results.
​​​
Our focus
Practice Edge was created to change that. Our work combines learning with practical consulting, group facilitation, and advisory support to help firms connect strategy, capability, and execution.
We create the conditions for professionals to apply what they learn, test new ideas, and make lasting improvements. The result is deeper client relationships, better collaboration, and greater value for clients, people, and investors.
How it began
Building on the foundation
Practice Edge began with an observation that revealed a wider challenge. In 2019, Jonathan Lancaster was looking for a new accountant and noticed a familiar pattern. Many firms talked about themselves, leading with credentials, rankings, and technical expertise as their primary source of differentiation. Few communicated the value they created for clients. The result was that most competed on price, making it harder to protect profitability and stand out.
​​
To understand the issue, Jonathan collaborated with Jim Irving to conduct a series of interviews with firm leaders across the professions and a review of industry reports. One of those conversations led to their first client. From that experience, the Practice Edge model began to take shape: build insight, collaborate closely, test ideas, and refine what works.
​​
Jim remains a valued advisor in retirement, while Jonathan leads the firm’s strategy and delivery. Practice Edge continues to evolve through ongoing feedback, collaboration, and innovation to meet the real challenges firms face.