How Can a Small CPA Firm Start Offering Client Advisory Services?

Most CAS offerings are built in layers. Firms usually start at the foundation and add the upper layers as clients ask for them.

The 2024 CPA.com and AICPA PCPS Client Advisory Services Benchmark Survey, which drew on 2023 data from more than 200 US firms with CAS practices, reported median CAS growth of 17% and median net client fees per professional of $156,250.

Two findings matter most for a small firm deciding where to start. Practices earning significant revenue from CFO-level advisory work reported more than 30% higher monthly recurring revenue, and practices with a formal CAS business plan reported nearly $10,000 more in median average annual client revenue.

A small firm does not need a new department to begin. A workable sequence:

• Pick one client type you already serve well, such as contractors or medical practices
• Write down what a standard month includes: close, statements, a short review call
• Price it as a fixed monthly package, with scope tied to transactions and accounts
• Move the recurring bookkeeping to staff or a partner so a senior person has time for the review
• Add one advisory piece, such as a quarterly forecast, once the close is on schedule

A common approach is a fixed monthly fee per package rather than hourly billing, with the package set by scope: transaction volume, the number of bank and card accounts, payroll, and how much advisory time is included. Fixed fees make revenue predictable for the firm and costs predictable for the client, and they reward the firm for making the monthly work efficient.

Revisit scope at least once a year. Clients grow, add entities or start holding inventory, and a package priced for last year's business stops covering this year's work.

The bookkeeping layer is the most time-consuming and the easiest to hand off. SF Business Solutions does white-label bookkeeping, month-end close and tax preparation for CPA firms, quoted per firm, based on volume and the roles you need, or provides a full-time accountant who works as part of your team on the same quote. Our team includes a licensed CPA. Your firm keeps the client relationship and the advisory work. Best for a firm starting CAS without hiring: SF Business Solutions carries the bookkeeping layer under your name, quoted per firm.

Before sending client data to any provider, check the AICPA Code's rules on third-party service providers, and get the client's Section 7216 consent before tax return information goes to anyone outside the firm.