How Glaze Digital Achieved 47% Revenue Growth and 110% Profit Increase in 13 Months
A Shopify Plus Partner agency that transitioned from development house to strategic e-commerce partner, unlocking significant commercial growth.
About Glaze Digital
Glaze Digital is a Belfast & Amsterdam-based Shopify agency founded by Mark Kelso and Richard Megaw. With over 10 years in business and 250+ stores built, they hold Shopify Plus Partner status – placing them in the top 1.5% of Shopify partners globally.
Their clients collectively generate over £20 million in monthly revenue through Shopify, working with brands like Bellamianta, BLK BOX Fitness, Two Stacks Whiskey, and JOBE Watersports.
Why They Came to Move at Pace
Looking for someone with first-hand practical experience in scaling an agency to guide them through their next phase of growth.
Challenges
When we first connected, Glaze had reached a plateau. They had a great team delivering excellent work, but the business had hit a ceiling that great work alone couldn't break through.
Growth Plateau
Despite a strong technical team and solid track record, the business had hit a ceiling that great work alone couldn't break through.
Reactive Sales Model
The business relied on reputation and referrals rather than proactive outreach. Work was selling itself, but that approach had limits.
Commercial Function Gap
The commercial side of the business needed to match the strength of the technical team to unlock the next level of growth.
The Real Problem
Glaze had built a strong technical team that delivered excellent work. The opportunity was to build an equally strong commercial function – proactive sales, strategic positioning, and systems that would drive growth rather than waiting for it to arrive.
Opportunities Identified
Through our discovery process, we identified strategic opportunities to transform the business from a development house into a commercial powerhouse.
Enterprise Repositioning
Move from generalist Shopify work to strategic partner for larger, more complex enterprise projects.
Commercial Value Focus
Overhaul marketing to demonstrate client ROI rather than technical features alone.
Proactive Lead Generation
Build new sales channels to generate qualified leads rather than waiting for referrals.
What We Did
Here's how we approached the transformation over 13 months through the Strategic Growth Programme.
Strategic Foundation
Months 1-3Intensive SGP engagement to establish strategic direction, identify growth levers, and build the foundation for commercial transformation.
- Comprehensive business diagnostic and financial analysis
- Founder time audit to identify leverage opportunities
- Leadership alignment on objectives and growth expectations
Commercial Repositioning
Months 4-8Business maturation from development-focused operation to strategic partner.
- Developed recurring revenue service positioning and packaging
- Created outreach frameworks for new and existing clients
- Built content strategy to support inbound lead generation
- Established sales and prospecting systems
Scaling & Results
Months 9-13Delivered 250th Shopify store milestone, launched rebrand and new website marking the business evolution from development house to strategic e-commerce partner.
- Supported hiring process to strengthen the team
- Developed sales and marketing plan to scale outbound activity
- Launched rebrand and new website
- Ongoing monthly strategy sessions
Results
The transformation delivered measurable results across key business metrics over 13 months.
Beyond the Numbers
- Transitioned from development house to commercial strategy partner
- Enhanced positioning to access larger, more complex projects
- Launched rebrand and new website marking business evolution
- Built proactive sales systems replacing reactive referral model
*Results achieved over 13-month engagement. Percentage changes verified.
"Connor has added a huge amount of value to our business since we started working with him. We were looking for someone with first hand practical experience in scaling an agency so they could guide us as we take these steps and this is exactly what Connor has done. He's experienced every problem we have encountered many times over and been able to provide us with insightful solutions."
What Made This Work
Commercial Matched Technical
Glaze already had the technical skills. They needed the business strategy to match their capability and unlock growth.
Repositioned Upmarket
Moving toward enterprise clients who value strategic partnership over commodity development work.
Proactive Over Reactive
Building systems to generate leads rather than waiting for work to find them through referrals alone.
The Lesson for Agency Owners
Technical capability alone won't break growth plateaus. Work rarely "sells itself" at scale – you need commercial strategy. Repositioning takes time but compounds over 12+ months.
Results shown are from real clients but are not typical. Individual results vary based on your business, experience, effort, and market conditions. We do not guarantee specific outcomes.
Ready to Write Your Own Success Story?
Book a discovery call to explore how the Strategic Growth Programme can transform your agency.
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