Botkeeper
Many small and midsize business (SMB) owners only talk to their accountant when it’s time to file taxes. If that’s your clients as well, let’s cut to the chase: they’re leaving money, growth, and sanity on the table.
You’re more than just a tax-time number cruncher. You’re a strategist. A translator of financial chaos. A built-in advisor who can save your clients from making expensive mistakes before they happen.
And thanks to automation (like Botkeeper), accountants now have the freedom to spend less time pushing paper and more time giving clients the high-value insights their businesses actually need.
So, what should your clients really be asking you about? Let’s break it down.
1. Cash Flow Management: Because “Profitable but Broke” Happens All the Time
Your clients may be selling plenty, but still struggling to make payroll. That’s where you come in.
As their advisor, you can:
- Forecast cash shortages before they cause panic.
- Help them tighten collections and payment terms.
- Identify seasonal trends or spending leaks they can’t see on their own.
Cash flow is often the blind spot that sinks SMBs—you can be the one who keeps them afloat.
2. Tax Planning (Not Just Filing): Make Sure They Don’t Overpay
Too many SMBs see taxes as a once-a-year fire drill. You know better; real savings come from strategy, not scrambling.
By staying proactive, you can:
- Recommend tax-saving moves before year-end.
- Advise on timing big purchases or investments.
- Keep them compliant and reduce their risk exposure.
Clients expect you to prepare their taxes. What blows them away and shows deep value is when you plan their taxes.
3. Business Structure and Entity Choice: The Decisions They Can’t Google
LLC? S-Corp? Sole Prop? Most SMBs have no idea what’s best for them. And a wrong move here can cost them for years.
That’s why they need you to:
- Explain how each entity impacts their tax bill.
- Walk through liability and compliance considerations.
- Spot the right moment for a switch when their business evolves.
You’re not just clarifying the alphabet soup; you’re shaping their financial future.
4. Growth and Scaling Strategy: Numbers Are Your Crystal Ball
Clients come to you with dreams of hiring, expanding, or raising capital. You’re the one who grounds those dreams in data.
Your value is in:
- Building forecasts that prove what’s possible (or not).
- Showing when the timing is right, and when it’s not.
- Flagging risks they’re too close to see.
SMBs don’t just need cheerleaders. They need advisors who help them scale strategically.
5. Technology & Automation: Cut Through the Noise for Them
The SMB world is drowning in apps promising miracles. Most aren’t worth the subscription. That’s where you add clarity.
You can:
- Recommend tools that actually improve efficiency.
- Save clients from wasting money on shiny-but-useless platforms.
- Leverage automation yourself (like Botkeeper) so you spend less time on data entry and more time advising.
Helping clients navigate technology isn’t just helpful; it positions you as a forward-thinking partner.
6. Risk Management & Compliance: Keep Them Out of Trouble
Payroll errors, sales tax slip-ups, labor law oversights—these are the silent killers of small businesses.
As their advisor, you’re the one who can:
- Keep them compliant with changing regulations.
- Put guardrails in place to reduce risks.
- Catch the red flags before they explode into lawsuits or audits.
Your clients may not know what’s lurking, but they’ll always remember that you protected them.
Stop Letting Clients Treat You Like a Seasonal Side Character
Here’s the truth: if your clients only think of you during tax season, they’re missing out—and so are you.
By focusing on year-round advisory topics like these, you elevate your role from tax preparer to trusted partner. And when you automate the grunt work with Botkeeper, you unlock the capacity to deliver that high-value guidance without burning yourself (or your team) out.
Because in today’s accounting world, bookkeeping doesn’t require a human touch—but advisory always will.
