pricing, fees & billing rates

four ways automation pushes the paradigm shift

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everyone’s job is enhanced when you can automate wherever possible.

by jody padar
radical pricing – by the radical cpa

when you have three people in your firm, each doing things their own way, you won’t be able to standardize until you get them all on the same page. technology makes it easy to do that.

more: are you the key signal caller for your clients? | value pricing requires defining your clients | how value pricing impacts your employees | 6 steps to start value pricing | what are you selling? | three critical factors drive the value pricing trend | accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

technology is spurring innovation and driving automation – and that’s reshaping the future of accounting. automation is simply using technology to complete tasks that are typically done by humans, and it will help you standardize by providing:
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are you the key signal caller for your clients?

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calling the right plays means understanding your clients and their goals, as well as their weaknesses.

by jody padar
radical pricing – by the radical cpa

it’s up to you to recognize the client persona most suited for your firm, but you’ll want to start by defining your customers’ needs. so, what do people really want, and how can you figure it out?

more: value pricing requires defining your clients | how value pricing impacts your employees | six steps to start value pricing | stop selling time | why pricing is so disruptive | the radical pricing model: start with $25k | three critical factors drive the value pricing trend | accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

certainly, you can engage in expensive research, from questionnaires to focus groups. but, in reality, most of the clues you need will come from your knowledge of the people you work with within that group.
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value pricing requires defining your clients

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choose your client personas wisely.

by jody padar
radical pricing – by the radical cpa

one drawback of the hourly pricing model is its one-size-fits-all nature. every client is charged the same rates per hour, with the only difference being the number of hours each uses.

but the world isn’t made up of identical people working in identical businesses and driving identical cars to and from their identical homes. thank goodness!

more: how value pricing impacts your employees | six steps to start value pricing | what are you selling? | three critical factors drive the value pricing trend | accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

clients are as different as you or me, but we can group them into buckets called personas based on shared values or traits. in a client-centric firm, it helps to understand these basic personas so you can more efficiently meet each client’s needs. you probably have a handful of personas in your firm right now. you just haven’t seen them as a grouping because, in your bill-by-the-hour model, it doesn’t matter who they are.

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how value pricing impacts your employees

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would your employees prefer to be valued for their knowledge and experience or for the time spent on a project?

by jody padar
radical pricing – by the radical cpa

do you think any of your staff studied accounting in college so that they could punch a time clock for the rest of their life? they value being professionals as much as you do. more than likely, they enjoy being valued for their knowledge and experience.

more: what are you selling? | three critical factors drive the value pricing trend | accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

given the choice between being valued for their time or valued for their professional accomplishments, which do you think they’d prefer? valued employees are happy employees!

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six steps to start value pricing

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change is inevitable. value pricing has reached this critical stage.

by jody padar
radical pricing – by the radical cpa

can you remember doing business before cell phones or social media? you really don’t have to be too old to remember because change happens fast. in fact, if you are over 50, you probably remember when every home had a landline, firms advertised in the yellow pages, and accountants charged hourly for mundane compliance tasks.

more: stop selling time | why pricing is so disruptive | the radical pricing model: start with $25k | three critical factors drive the value pricing trend | accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

it really wasn’t that long ago when the internet was intriguing rather than indispensable.

at some point, change becomes inevitable, and i would argue that value pricing has reached this critical stage.

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‘radical pricing’ launches june 4 at aicpa engage

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order today

the step-by-step process for building a more client-centric firm.

by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

in radical pricing: how to optimize profits, delight customers and build a top value firm, which launches on june 4, jody padar guides accounting professionals through their pricing evaluation and remodeling.

key points will be discussed at aicpa & cima engage 24 conference at the aria in las vegas on tuesday, june 4, rom 7:00-7:50 a.m., sponsored bt adp. following the session adp will host a book launch party where the first 50 attendees will receive a free autographed copy of the book. registration is required at https://bit.ly/radpricing.

the book and its accompanying workbook and tools are being published by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 and can be preordered at www.cpa.click/radpricing.

known as the radical cpa®, padar advocates for accountants to lead next-generation firms, and shares in her latest book why moving from a ticking clock will help firms retain talent, increase efficiency and create more loyal customers.

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stop selling time

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if you’re billing by the hour, you’re selling yourself short.

by jody padar
radical pricing – by the radical cpa

amazing things happen when you stop thinking about what you’re selling and focus on what clients are buying.

many of the things clients don’t value are compliance-related like:

  • tax returns
  • payroll
  • accounting services

more: why pricing is so disruptive | the radical pricing model: start with $25k | three critical factors drive the value pricing trend | accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

but much of what they do value is less defined, though of higher value to their business lives:

  • small business expertise
  • management support and confidence
  • any service requiring specific knowledge or experience

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why pricing is so disruptive

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kick familiar to the curb and get paid what you’re worth.

by jody padar
radical pricing  – by the radical cpa

the familiar is always more comfortable than something new. shifting your pricing model is bound to be disruptive because the billable hour is what we know and have always known. it is the default billing model of every new firm. it’s comfortable, familiar, embedded in our dna and seems like the easiest billing solution.

more: the radical pricing model: start with $25k | three critical factors drive the value pricing trend | accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

 

certainly, there are some pros to billing by the hour. profits remain relatively stable. if you work 40 hours, you know you’re going to bill and hopefully be paid for those 40 hours. there’s a clarity and certainty to it. but there are only so many hours in a week. by embracing the billable hour, you’re putting a profit ceiling on your firm.

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the radical pricing model: start with $25k

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deliver more value to clients while freeing your team from timesheets.

by jody padar
the radical cpa

consider the $25k rule.

because this method requires heavy lifting on the front end, a good rule of thumb is to only value-price engagements of $25,000 or more. if the client falls below $25,000, they are eligible for a fixed price or fixed price plus a value add. this rule is important because if your client is a small business, it doesn’t matter how much value they perceive in your services; they will not be able to afford value pricing above a certain level.

more: three critical factors drive the value pricing trend | accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

most services are fixed-priced, but based on conversations with the client, those prices may drop or be raised accordingly. some of the data points used to set pricing are the pita factor (pain in the a#%) and the client’s gross revenue.
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how to raise your rates

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clients who complain aren’t walking away, just haggling.

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

question: i haven’t raised my fees in three years. how do i suddenly go about it now and how much should i raise them?

more: courting a client? don’t give too much away for free | how to start providing family office services | every accounting firm needs quality control | no one listens to you? change how you talk | 47 types of business valuation to provide | thirteen things to consider before you sell your practice | uncooperative partner might not be the problem
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

also, i have many business clients where the individual returns are done as part of the yearly service with extra billing. how can i start charging for this?
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three critical factors drive the value pricing trend

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embrace the value pricing perfect storm.

by jody padar
the radical cpa

ron baker is known as the value pricing guru in the accounting space. he was way before his time in separating the price of labor from the value of a product. labor-based pricing is based on the difficulty of doing a task. value pricing looks at everything from the client’s viewpoint. his argument is as follows: the value you provide your customer, regardless of the deliverable, is worth way more than the hour.

more: accounting disruptors are heading your way … with deep pockets | the convergence of trends makes pricing changes imperative | stop looking for talent that does not exist | advisory work must be priced by value, not hours
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

while value pricing isn’t new, automation has driven it to the forefront. automation gives cpas up to 90 percent more time to provide valuable services based on their expertise, knowledge base and experience.

although it was clear the cloud was going to have a disruptive impact on our business model, ron baker would always explain: it’s not the technology that’s going to make value pricing the way to go, the value’s always been there.

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even with value pricing, time tracking matters and here’s why

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higher productivity equals higher capacity, which drives faster turnaround times. faster turnaround times create happier clients. 

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

employee productivity plays a huge factor in managing wip (work in progress). because capacity is the denominator in the lean six sigma equation, and employee productivity is a big factor in capacity, employee productivity becomes a big factor in determining turnaround time.

more: end tax season meetings with clients…seriously | get clients to understand firm processes … or say goodbye | train now before it costs you down the road | keep clients from “balance due” shock | it’s ok to say no to clients (even the large ones) | you train your clients, whether you mean to or not | business owners face one of three exits | how small firms can win the talent wars | do you know your turnaround time?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

first, let’s dismiss all the consultants from the room who tell us that time tracking and productivity metrics don’t matter. mostly, these consultants have never managed or owned cpa firms. rarely have they worked in firms for any length of time. they have never known the struggles of meeting payroll during the first pay period in february when employee hours are up, but the tax season money is not rolling in yet. goodbye. don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out, or do let it hit you. that’s up to you. i hope it’s a heavy door.

here’s an example that shows why time tracking and productivity metrics matter:

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