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The Traditional Accountant says, "If it ain't broke..."

I've been providing bookkeeping and accounting services to small business for over 15 years now. I've often discussed with "accounting professionals" about utilizing online accounting applications like Xero for their small business clients. Very often, they don't see the value/benefits in offering these services to their clients. Their attitude is "if it an't broke, don't fix it". My response to these accountants (tongue in cheek) is "wake up and smell the new wave of accounting" or be left behind.

How can we convince them that most clients are no longer looking for just "traditional accountants'?

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Comment by David Kime on November 13, 2009 at 20:55: Totally agree with the sentiments in the blog and it's comments. I am trying to change a partner practice away from compliance focus to actually giving clients what they want, not what the some of the partners think they want.

I was once told a useful way to explain this:

Imagine that you have a blank wall in your house that you want to put a picture on. You will hunt round and find the picture you WANT and possible pay a little more than you wanted to, just to get the one you want, but in order to hang the picture you NEED a hole drilling, a picture hook, a screw etc. So off you go to B & Q and by the cheapest drill bit (as you will probably not use it again), plug, screw and picture hook.

Likening this to accountancy work.

Tax return and accounts are the things clients NEED to have done and so they want the cheapest, but advice on how to make more money and the tools to manage their business better are what they WANT and so will pay more for it.

Comment by Earl Rudolfo on October 5, 2009 at 13:27: Well said, Adrian. Am wondering if the accounting professionals that see the value/benefits of online accounting or Saas apllications in general can sway the traditional accountants? Or should we even try? Maybe we need to move up the next level to convince the professional accounting organizations to sway its members in this direction?

In the final analysis, would it be too presumptious to say that traditional accounting professionals may be doing their clients a dis-service?

Comment by Adrian Pearson on October 5, 2009 at 8:33: Earl I think you make a point that is also a major issue for the online accounting vendors, in terms of their path to market. Traditionally, the practising accountant has been the gatekeeper, exerting a huge influence over what accounting software a small business owner is likely to adopt. If a product is recommended by the accountant then the client will usually accept that option. There is evidence that the balance of power is starting to change but, at the moment, the accountant is still key. That is why the vendors, like Xero, have spent much time and money trying to "woo" accounting firms. It's simply cheaper to target 20,000 firms than their 2 million clients.

So I find it very sad then that, given the huge responsibility we accountant gatekeepers have been trusted with, many of us (not those who are members here of course) have not been prepared to put in a little time and effort to keep up to date with new developments and look for the best solution for the client. It seems that the high water level mark for most accounting firms was the introduction of Sage in the 1980's.

Clients will vote with their feet on this one eventually and most accountants will deserve all they get.

Comment by Earl Rudolfo on October 3, 2009 at 15:02: Stuart. that 's what they are probably thinking -:). But by saying "It ain't broke", the implication is that someone is trying to fix something that is working fine and don't need fixing. Go figure!

Comment by Stuart Jones on October 3, 2009 at 8:50: I don't think they define their attitude quite correctly. Shouldn't it be "It's broke but I'm not prepared to fix it"?!