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In the last 6 months I've taken over 277 sales calls with small business owners looking for full service accounting. That’s a lot of conversations about what’s going wrong. This ranged from relatively new service-based entrepreneurs that had just hit their first 100K to COOs of $10M eCommerce companies looking for a partner they can finally rely on.
While they faced a wide range of challenges (more to come on this) there were a few particular points that came up regardless of size... time and again.
Beyond helping firms gain new clients - we also want to help them retain the one's they have and value. So, if you’re an accountant looking to keep your clients (and attract the ones who are fed up with their current firm), here’s the TL;DR on why business owners are switching accountants—and what you can do differently.
1. “They take forever to get back to me.”
If I had a dollar for every time I heard this one…
Business owners have a lot of questions (as they should). You’re the expert. They’re looking to you for guidance. But if they send an email and don’t hear back for two weeks? You better believe they’re already Googling other firms.
The problem? A lot of firms rely on their CPAs to manage client communication directly—right from their inbox. And let’s be real, inboxes get messy.
The Fix: Decentralize Your Inbox
Our MESA CPA stayed ahead of the curve by implementing a ticketing system that:
✅ Takes client requests out of individual inboxes and puts them in a shared inbox for the team
✅ Ensures responses happen within the day
✅ Still feels personal—because a dedicated team handles each client, not some random bot
Clients feel taken care of, and CPAs aren’t drowning in emails. Win-win.
2. “Our bookkeeping has way too many mistakes.”
Nothing sends a business owner into a panic like realizing their numbers are off.
They’re using those numbers to make big decisions—hiring, investing, growing—and if they can’t trust them - they start questioning everything.
The biggest issue seemed to be a disconnect between CPAs and bookkeepers. The CPA assumes the books are solid, but the business owner sees mistakes over and over again which not only makes them lose trust in the bookkeeper - but the CPA too. They see your firm not only as experts in the field but as experts in managing their whole accounting system - so when they see issues before you do it impacts the whole relationship.
The Fix: Communication Between CPA & Bookkeeper
Mistakes happen - but it's who catches it first that really matters. Our clients have all implemented a two step review process that makes sure they catch errors before their clients do.
If you partner with a bookkeeper, have regular check-ins. A simple chat once a month can catch errors before they become problems.
From what we're seeing - clients don’t see "accounting" and "bookkeeping" as separate. To them, it’s one function. And if the numbers aren’t right, they’re putting the blame on you, not just the bookkeeper.
3. “I only hear from my accountant once a year—when it’s already too late.”
Once companies hit a certain size (usually the 200K mark as we've noticed) - this becomes a deal breaker.
Tax planning should be proactive, not a last-minute scramble in December. But too many accountants operate in reactive mode—meaning business owners only get that “Hey, you should invest $X before year-end” call way too late to plan properly.
The Fix: Start Tax Planning in Q4 (for Next Year)
Instead of rushing into last-minute tax-saving strategies in December, start tax planning in October for the next fiscal year.
What this does:
✅ Gives clients a full year to make smart financial decisions
✅ Helps them minimize their tax liability without panic-spending
✅ Makes your job easier because you’re not drowning in year-end meetings
Clients love it because they feel prepared. Your team loves it because it reduces stress during tax season. Again—win-win.
The Bottom Line
Most accounting firms don’t lose clients because they make huge mistakes. Realistically - they lose clients because of slow response times, sloppy bookkeeping, and poor planning.
The good news? These are all fixable. And if you invest the time in fixing it - from our experience it not only helps you keep the client but get new ones too. You should hear the sigh of relief from business owners when we address these points in the sales cycle.
If you’re an accountant looking to grow (without constantly replacing churned clients), these small shifts make a real difference.
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