it starts with a conversation.
by eric eager
10x advisory
for years, advisory services have been positioned as the future of the cpa profession. conferences are filled with “moving up the value chain” sessions, and firm leaders are under growing pressure to make the shift. but here’s the hard truth: most firms are still trying to deliver tomorrow’s services using yesterday’s methods.
more client accounting services here | more tech and fintech here | more: steven ladd: start advisory with empathy | woodard: move past reports; deliver results | advisory-cas ascending: what research reveals about the future
long discovery meetings. manual analysis. generic powerpoint decks. pricing models built on billable hours instead of business outcomes. these are the hallmarks of the old world of advisory—time-intensive, inconsistent, and hard to scale.
and they simply don’t hold up anymore. today’s business owners are moving faster, expecting more, and looking to their advisors for real-time, relevant, and actionable guidance. but most firms are still operating with a rearview mirror—offering valuable insights that often arrive too late to act.
the real problem isn’t value—it’s scalability
advisory is broken not because it lacks value, but because it lacks leverage. teams are stretched thin. capacity is limited. work is being recreated client by client, one proposal at a time. the result? growth becomes painful, quality becomes inconsistent, and advisors burn out.
even worse, most firms find themselves in a constant trade-off: grow the number of clients or preserve the depth of service. you can’t do both without a new model.
but here’s where most firms get stuck: they don’t even know where to begin.
they’re bought into the vision. they want to serve clients more strategically. but the leap from compliance to advisory feels unclear—and overwhelming. how do we package it? who delivers it? what if we don’t have capacity? where do we start?
start small, think smart
the good news is: you don’t have to figure everything out before you begin.
in fact, the most successful firms didn’t start by launching a new service line. they started by looking at the clients they already had—and identifying where those clients needed more than reporting or compliance. they looked for signs of pain, growth, or complexity. and they started a different kind of conversation.
it wasn’t about selling—it was about surfacing. these firms began using tools that helped them identify which clients were facing cash flow dips, declining margins, or upcoming challenges, and they offered proactive guidance. it wasn’t a pitch, not a product, just help, with context.
from there, advisory grew.
from strain to scale: the new world of advisory
the firms thriving in this new era aren’t working harder—they’re working smarter. they’re combining client data, automation, and codified expertise to:
- continuously monitor what’s happening in each client’s business.
- detect risk and opportunity early.
- equip advisors with the right insights at the right time.
- shift from hourly billing to subscription models tied to outcomes.
this is the heart of 10x advisory: a way to multiply your team’s impact, serve more clients with less stress, and grow confidently—without recreating the wheel every time.
what comes next
the cpa profession is at a tipping point. according to cpa.com, nearly 80% of firms consider advisory services essential to their future. but fewer than half have figured out how to scale them effectively. the gap isn’t in motivation—it’s in enablement.
the first step isn’t building a new department. it’s seeing your clients differently—and starting with one better conversation.
the future of advisory is already here. let’s make sure your firm is ready for it.