Your accounting firm is sitting on a goldmine, and most firms don't know it. Among your SME clients is a group that sells subscriptions: cleaners, gyms, installers, MSPs, brokers, service providers on retainer. For these clients, your standard reporting, P&L, balance sheet, VAT return, is incomplete. They're missing exactly the numbers that describe their business model.
That's an opportunity. Not to write more hours, but to deliver a different type of advice, structured, repeatable, and with a recurring fee.
Why this matters now
Two things are happening simultaneously. First, SMEs are shifting towards subscription models, not just in software, but everywhere. Cleaners are moving from one-off jobs to weekly contracts. Installers are switching clients to maintenance packages.
Second, the accountancy profession is shifting. Compliance work, bookkeeping, VAT returns, annual accounts, is getting cheaper through automation. The margin is no longer in processing transactions, but in giving meaning to what's in those transactions. Advisory, in other words.
"Standard reports show what happened. Subscription analytics show what's going to happen, and that's where real advisory begins."
Which clients benefit
Gyms, fitness studios, yoga schools
Hundreds to thousands of members on direct debit. Highly sensitive to seasonal churn (summer break, January surge) and membership mix.
Cleaning companies, window cleaners, gardeners
Ongoing contracts, weekly, fortnightly, monthly. Many different plan sizes, so revenue churn tells a different story from customer churn.
Installers and maintenance companies
HVAC, boiler service, fire safety, lift maintenance. Typically annual contracts, meaning churn spikes cluster around renewal moments.
Insurance advisory firms and brokers
Ongoing policies make up 70-90% of revenue. NRR and cohort analysis are crucial for understanding portfolio health.
SaaS, MSPs and IT service providers
The most classic case. They actively ask for SaaS KPIs but often still use Excel, an ideal client for external advice.
Media, content and memberships
Trade journals, online communities, industry associations. High volumes with relatively high churn, requires constant cohort monitoring.
What you can concretely deliver
Level 1, Monthly subscription KPI report
A standardised report per client with the 8 most important subscription KPIs. One page, repeatable format, short textual commentary on what stands out.
Price point: €75 - €150 per client per month, fixed.
Level 2, Quarterly review with recommendations
The monthly report plus a quarterly session: where is the churn spike coming from, which customer segments are growing fastest, which pricing actions were effective.
Price point: €150 - €250 per client per month.
Level 3, Strategic sparring partner
Continuously available as a sounding board for pricing decisions, product launches, acquisition investments.
Price point: €300 - €600 per client per month, fixed or hourly.
Start at level 1
For most firms, level 1 is the low-hanging fruit. Standardise the report, do it for 5-10 clients, and build from there.
Pricing model: from hourly billing to advisory fee
For you
Predictable revenue
Fixed monthly advisory revenue, effectively your own MRR. Predictable, scalable, easier to plan than timesheet billing.
For the client
No surprises
A fixed amount per month for a fixed package. No hesitation to call you because the meter is running.
For the advice
Scale instead of hours
With the right tool you deliver 40 reports in the time it would otherwise take to do 5. The margin lies in standardisation.
Example: firm with 40 subscription clients
€ 5,850
Recurring advisory revenue per month
€ 70,200
Per year, on top of existing revenue
~50 h
Monthly time investment (with the right tool)
How to position this to your client
The sales conversation isn't "we have a new service". It's a diagnosis. Three questions that open the entire conversation:
- "Do you know what your MRR is today?", Almost no SME entrepreneur can answer this immediately.
- "How much of your growth this year came from new customers vs. price increases vs. expansion?", Makes visible that current reporting gives no answer.
- "If your churn doubles over the next three months, would you know before the end of the quarter?", The answer is usually no.
How to start
- Select 3 ideal clients. Businesses with a clear subscription model, on Exact Online, with whom you have a good relationship.
- Build one reporting template. One page, the same 8 KPIs. Standardise before you scale.
- Deliver two months free as a pilot. Ask for feedback. Then ask for a fixed fee, for example €125 per month.
"You don't have to become a software company to deliver SaaS advice. You just need to be able to show the numbers your clients can't compile themselves."
RecurBoard for advisors, one tool for your entire client base.
Generate monthly subscription KPI reports for all your subscription clients, direct from their Exact Online. Book a demo to see what a report looks like for your firm.