08/12/2026
One of our clients started with about ten employees.
A few years later, they had thirty-five.
Then came another location.
Then different sales tax jurisdictions.
Then class reporting.
Then more meetings.
Then more questions.
None of those changes seemed like a big deal by themselves.
That's why they were so easy to miss.
We simply kept adapting.
One request at a time.
One new process at a time.
One extra service at a time.
Until one day I realized something.
We weren't delivering the engagement we originally priced anymore.
We were delivering something completely different.
The client hadn't done anything wrong.
We hadn't done anything wrong.
Their business had simply evolved.
Our engagement hadn't intentionally evolved with it.
That lesson changed the way I think about pricing forever.
Today, when I work with accounting firm owners, I rarely start by asking if their prices are too low.
Instead, I ask:
If this client hired you today, would you build the same engagement you're delivering now?
Most owners already know the answer.
