search
For most accounting firms looking to scale operations in the new year, the ambition to grow advisory services isn’t missing. The time is.
Partners know where the market is heading. Clients want more than clean books. They want clarity, forecasts, and someone who can help them make better decisions, not just file reports on time.
Yet many firms remain stuck in the same loop:
The challenge isn’t a lack of capability. It’s an operating model problem.
To step confidently into advisory, accountants must first solve how routine bookkeeping work is delivered, without burning out teams or sacrificing quality.
Bookkeeping is essential. No advisory conversation works without accurate, timely data.
But when routine work dictates your firm’s capacity, three things happen:
The issue isn’t bookkeeping itself. It is rooted in where it sits in your value chain.
Advisory work demands:
If bookkeeping is still handled in the same way it was five years ago – entirely in-house, people-dependent, and manually intensive – advisory will always remain a “next year” plan.
Firms that successfully transition don’t eliminate bookkeeping. They industrialise it.
One of the biggest mindset shifts is this:
You don’t need to do bookkeeping to own bookkeeping quality.
Leading accounting firms retain:
But they change where and how routine work is executed.
This separation allows partners to focus on interpretation and insight, while transactional work runs in the background accurately, timely, and predictably.
Advisory cannot sit on top of chaos.
Before expanding advisory services, firms must:
This creates consistency in data, making advisory conversations repeatable, scalable, and commercially viable.
Without this step, advisory remains bespoke, time-heavy, and difficult to price.
The firms that succeed in advisory do something very intentional:
They protect senior time.
That means:
This shift doesn’t happen organically. It requires a delivery model that absorbs routine workload without increasing fixed costs or operational risk.
Many accounting firms claim to have tried outsourcing and walked away unimpressed.
Most often, that is because it was treated as a short-term capacity fix rather than a structural change.
Bookkeeping outsourcing when done well:
This is where Outsourcing 3.0 comes in, moving beyond task delegation to a model built on Talent, Technology, and Transformation.
Not a body shop, but a true growth engine.
When bookkeeping is stable, predictable, and well-managed:
Advisory then stops being an “extra” and becomes a natural extension of your service offering: priced properly, delivered consistently, and scaled sustainably.
At QX, we work with accounting firms that don’t just want relief from bookkeeping pressure. They want a delivery model that supports long-term growth.
That’s where our Outsourcing 3.0 model comes in.
Talent That Feels Like an Extension of Your Firm
QX provides dedicated bookkeeping and accounting professionals who work with your processes, your standards, and your timelines. These are not pooled resources or short-term fixes, but aligned teams trained to operate as part of your firm, freeing your in-house staff to focus on client conversations and advisory work.
Technology-Enabled, Not People-Dependent
We help firms streamline routine bookkeeping using the right tech stack and standardised workflows. This reduces rework, improves turnaround times, and ensures the data flowing into advisory discussions is accurate, consistent, and timely.
Transformation, Not Task Delegation
Our role goes beyond processing transactions. We work with firms to:
The outcome is not just operational efficiency, but the confidence to scale advisory services without increasing internal pressure or risk.
Built for Firms That Want to Grow
Whether you’re taking your first steps into advisory or looking to scale an existing offering, QX supports firms at every stage of that journey, helping you manage routine work in the background while you focus on growth, client impact, and future-ready services.
Stepping into advisory isn’t about adding a new service line. It is about redefining what your firm exists to do.
Firms that win the next decade will:
The question is no longer whether to move into advisory.
It’s whether your current operating model allows you to.
Can small accounting firms offer advisory without increasing headcount?
Yes, small firms can step into advisory if routine work is delivered efficiently and consistently. Advisory growth depends more on capacity management than firm size.
Will outsourcing bookkeeping reduce our control over quality?
Outsourced bookkeeping does not reduce control, if done correctly. The right model, in fact, enhances control through standardisation, documentation, and structured review processes.
When is the right time to move into advisory?
The right time is when bookkeeping is no longer dependent on individual heroics and deadlines are met without stress. Stability comes first.
Do clients actually want advisory from accounting firms?
Absolutely. Many SME clients prefer advice from firms that already understand their business, provided it’s delivered confidently and consistently.
Is advisory profitable for smaller practices?
It can be highly profitable when positioned correctly and delivered at scale. The key is freeing senior time and pricing for value, not hours.
Hemant is a senior accounting leader with over 20 years of international experience across the UK and Ireland. His expertise spans bookkeeping, VAT, management accounting, and financial reporting in compliance with IFRS. He is recognised for successfully managing process transitions, building and leading high-performing teams, mentoring talent, and driving collaboration in multicultural environments.
Unauthorized copying or plagiarism of our content is a violation of intellectual property rights. We take such matters seriously and will pursue legal action to protect our original work. Anyone found engaging in such activities will be held accountable under applicable laws.
Explore outsourcing solutions, request a free trial or discuss your practice’s needs with our expert consultants.
Book a Virtual Meeting 
Book an In-person Meeting 