Are accounting firms doing enough to support SME clients beyond tax compliance?

In this episode, Peter Towers explores why accountants, bookkeepers, and business advisors need to embrace advisory services, predictive accounting, business planning, cash flow forecasting, KPI monitoring, and capital raising support. Discover how firms can strengthen client relationships, create new revenue opportunities, retain talented team members, and help SMEs survive and thrive in challenging economic conditions.

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In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers explores why accounting firms, bookkeepers and business advisory firms are at a critical crossroads: remain focused on compliance or begin building structured advisory and Virtual CFO Services.

Peter reflects on the original FMRC vision for accountants to become trusted business advisors to SMEs, then compares that ambition with today's reality — where only 15% of SMEs identify their accountant as a Key Strategic Partner.

This episode highlights the opportunity for firms to move beyond tax returns and annual accounts by delivering practical advisory support, including business planning, budgets, cash flow forecasting, KPI analysis, debtor management, costing reviews and 52-week business performance systems.

For firms ready to take the first step, Peter explains how ESS BIZTOOLS helps accountants and bookkeepers build repeatable advisory services, develop internal champions, and support SME clients with the guidance they need to survive, grow and succeed.

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Why are so many firms struggling to attract and retain accountants?

In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers explores the talent challenges facing accounting firms in Australia, and why younger accountants are looking for more meaningful, advisory-driven work. He discusses how broadening your services beyond compliance can help your firm build stronger teams, deliver greater value to SME clients, and position itself as a true Key Strategic Partner.

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Discover why only 15% of SMEs see their accountant or bookkeeper as a Key Strategic Partner, while many firms believe they are already delivering that level of service. In this episode, Peter Towers explores the disconnect, the missed advisory opportunities, and the practical questions firms need to start raising to become more valuable to their SME clients.

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How do you start offering advisory services without disrupting your firm?

In this episode, Peter Towers explains why advisory services are too important to ignore – and how accounting firms, bookkeepers, and business advisory firms can begin with a simple, practical step-by-step approach. Discover how to start small, deepen client relationships, and position your firm as a true Key Strategic Partner with the support of proven tools, training, and client communication resources from ESS BIZTOOLS.

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Advisory services can create significant value for clients, but they do not sell themselves.

In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers of ESS BIZTOOLS explains why accounting firms, bookkeepers and business advisors need to actively position, communicate and sell advisory services if they want to be seen as true Key Strategic Partners. Featuring insights from the Intuit QuickBooks SMB 2025 Survey and The Boss Factor Library, this discussion highlights how firms can strengthen client relationships, build new revenue opportunities and deliver the forward-looking advice SMEs need.

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In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers of ESS BIZTOOLS and Darren Gleeson of TaxFitness discuss the growing need for accounting firms to move beyond compliance and deliver real advisory services. They explore benchmarking, business improvement opportunities, and practical ways accountants, bookkeepers and advisory firms can strengthen client value and work towards becoming a true Key Strategic Partner.

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In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers (ESS BIZTOOLS) and Darren Gleeson (TaxFitness) explore how benchmarking transforms client conversations, drives behavioural change, and unlocks measurable profit growth. Discover why comparing clients to the top 20% in their industry provides the clarity, context, and commercial focus that traditional financial reports often miss.

If you want to increase client profitability, strengthen advisory revenue, and reposition your firm as a forward-looking strategic partner — this discussion will show you where to start.

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