[2] Many industry groups have been used for academic research, while looking at professional services firms, making a clear definition hard to attain.
In particular, Von Nordenflycht generated a taxonomy of professional service firms, defining four types:[3] Frameworks such as this aid the ability of managers and academics to better understand how such firms manage themselves and how to judge benchmark practices.
Businesses in other industries, such as banks and retailers, can employ individuals or teams to offer professional services for their customers.
Major cities such as London and New York are leading global centres for professional services firms.
[4][5] The marketing and selection of professional-service providers may depend on skill, knowledge, experience, reputation, capacity, ethics, and creativity.