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Everyone says it, but no one knows how: giving advice is the future of accountancy, but the way to get there is an unknown path for many. Those who want to do well quickly run into stress, loose ends and a business model that works against them. But how should it be done? In this article, we'll discuss what's happening in the market, its bottlenecks and why it all starts with your business model.
Practical advice proves difficult
Many accounting firms have the ambition to do more with advice, but it often remains a good intention. In practice, customers come in with ad hoc questions. Questions you don't really have time for. So those questions should 'even' between all VAT returns, financial statements and audits. Not ideal.
Because the operations of many offices are still mainly focused on production, consultancy work remains something that “must be done”. But in this way, consultancy work becomes a final point. Or even worse: frustration. Because while you're trying to offer value, you haven't booked any hours and therefore haven't sent any invoices. Meanwhile, the next job is already around the corner.
The bottleneck: revenue model and organization
Many offices now work with service packages instead of an hourly invoice. But there is often no room for advice in these packages. This means that there is no room in the organization, but also in capacity planning, to really make time for advice.
The result? Advice continues to feel like a free perk. Customers expect you to respond quickly, but don't want to pay extra for it. Of course, you want to deliver the highest quality, but you don't have the space and time to delve into it.
Thijs Olthof, owner of Liquid, describes that for customers, this sometimes feels like they are in a taxi and constantly have to pay attention to the meter. “No one knows exactly what it will ultimately cost, and that makes consulting work uncomfortable for everyone.”
And it's not just the customer who suffers from this. Your team is also affected, especially in times of staff shortages, high workload and complex legislation. In addition, a lot of low-threshold work is disappearing due to automation. This also affects junior employees. Because how will they soon become mediors or seniors, if they can no longer learn the profession in practice?
Recent figures also highlight this development: AI and automation are taking away more and more tasks, especially in administrative positions in accountancy. AccountancyMorgenmorgen recently wrote about this. So the way in which accountants earn now is not future-proof.
Start with your business model
Automation is going further and further. Think of automatic invoice processing with the arrival of PEPPOL and the step-by-step introduction of AI into other administrative work. This is good news, but it also means that the old business model — working hours at repetitive work — is increasingly unsustainable. The added value is shifting to advising and supervising. That's where the future lies.
If you want to get serious about advice, you don't start with processes or tools. You start with choices: what do you offer, for whom and at what price? Only when you know how advice fits into your business model can you build on the rest of your organization.
Do you also make better use of advisory opportunities?
Liquid is the software platform that helps accountants make advice really workable. No separate reports, but a digital talk piece that allows you to get started right away with your customer. Curious about what Liquid can do for accounting firms? Then watch here.