A well-known accounting industry coach recently shared a message that hit my inbox:
“You’re solving $50K+ problems and getting paid $500 for them. That’s not sustainable… When clients ask What would you do? or Should we buy or lease this? those are strategy questions. If you’re not pricing for advisory, you’re leaving money on the table.”
It’s a popular line of thinking right now: align your pricing with results delivered.
But here’s my counterpoint:
1. Let’s Be Real About Value
For the working-class investors and small business owners I serve, the average problem I solve produces about $10,000/year in savings or new results. Sometimes it’s much more, maybe six figures over the long term, but that’s not the baseline.
My agreements are simple: the client’s minimum annual benefit must be at least double what they pay me, or we don’t renew. It’s transparent, fair, and sustainable.
2. Sustainability Isn’t About the Client’s ROI
The coach is right: you can’t sustain a practice charging $500 a year. But sustainability isn’t defined by whether a client saves $10,000, $50,000, or $500,000.
It’s defined by whether my business model works for me.
I’m not trying to ramp into the top tax bracket. I once lived that high-income NYC/Main Line life — and chose something different. Now I live on the coast, enjoy the outdoors daily, and work with ~60 investors and small business owners who value clarity, strategy, and access. That’s success to me.
3. Why I Don’t Buy “Value Pricing”
The industry trend is to tie fees to “value delivered.” But I’ve seen the backlash: new clients often arrive after feeling overpromised and underdelivered by someone charging premium “value pricing” rates.
My solution: a modest, predictable monthly fee of $150, $200, or $600, automatically billed. Clients stay because they see the value, not because they’re locked into an inflated pricing model.
4. What Works for Me
I’d rather skip endless billing debates and spend my energy delivering outcomes that make my clients smile. When they tell me, “This was so helpful, thank you”, that’s the real measure of success. And they renew, year after year.