SmartCompany50 rank: 11
Revenue: $2.3 million
Growth: 86%
Founders: Stuart Richardson, 29, David O’Rourke, 37
Based: ACT
Employees: 21
Industry: Property & business services
Website: http://www.richardson-orourke.com
Stuart Richardson and David O’Rourke saw a gap where few would. In the past 10 years there have been a plethora of management consultants delivering project and program management consulting services. “We saw a gap between individual contractors and tier-one (or multinational) consultancies which mass produce solutions,” says Richardson.
The business that started from home now delivers end-to-end solutions including strategy and marketing with a focus on the fusion of technology and business.
The company is big on “intrapreneurialism” and has an innovation factory to brainstorm new ideas through to concepts, IP, product development and commercialisation.
The company focused initially on the Federal Government market but has expanded into Melbourne in the banking and finance industry segment.
Cashflow has been a challenge. So have clients, who are becoming increasingly demanding of budgets and are more results orientated. “We deliver fixed-price, outcome focused solutions which share the risk between purchaser and provider.” Clients also want consultants to implement recommendations. “So we work hard to teach them how to fish rather than simply feeding them fish.”
The vision is to be Australia’s own tier-one management consultancy and to have offices in all Australian capital cities, through Asia, the Middle East, US and Europe.
