In this episode of Progress in Practice, Charlie Reading sits down with Matt Bird from Accelerate Advisor Solutions to explore what it really takes to grow a professional services business without sacrificing your time, team, or sanity.

Matt shares how financial advisers across the UK are reclaiming hours each week by outsourcing and optimising their operations and why the real transformation isn’t just increased profitability, but getting their life back.

From navigating self-doubt as a young founder to building a business fuelled by continuous improvement, this episode is packed with practical insights, honest reflections, and lessons you can apply immediately.

Key Talking Points

• Why most financial advisers are drowning in admin and how to fix it
• The difference between outsourcing tasks vs. embedding a true operational partner
• A real client transformation: from overwhelmed and inefficient to structured, scalable, and profitable
• The two metrics that matter most to business owners: more money, less time
• Matt’s advice to his younger self: overcoming doubt and trusting the process
• Why “taking no risks is the biggest risk” in business and life
• The leadership mantra: “Don’t sweat the small stuff… and everything is small stuff”
• The biggest challenge in scaling right now: balancing growth with capacity
• How AI is helping and where caution is still required
• The power of The Slight Edge: small, consistent improvements that compound over time
• Building a culture of continuous improvement across your team

About the Guest

Matt Baird is the founder at Accelerate Advisor Solutions, a UK-based business supporting financial advisers by handling their operational and technical workload.

Accelerate acts as an extension of advisory firms, helping them streamline processes, improve efficiency, and ultimately free up time to focus on clients and growth. Their tailored approach, rather than a one-size-fits-all model, has led to rapid growth, industry recognition, and a strong reputation built largely through referrals.

Find Out More

• Website: https://www.accelerateteam.co.uk
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matt-baird-dippfs-a86108b1

Resources Mentioned

• The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
• Charlie’s AI Masterclass: https://trusted-team.mykajabi.com/offers/FTCFcWzK

About the Podcast

Progress in Practice is brought to you by The Trusted Team- helping professional service business owners build scalable, saleable businesses while working less and enjoying more.

Find out more: https://thetrusted.team/podcasts

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Until next time keep making progress in practice.