7 Criteria for Choosing the Right First Advisory Client
Many bookkeepers know advisory services are the future of their practice.
The challenge isn't deciding whether to offer advisory. It's figuring out where to start.
One of the biggest mistakes bookkeepers make is choosing the wrong first advisory client. They assume their largest client, most complex client, or most demanding client is the logical place to begin.
In reality, your first advisory client should help you build confidence, refine your process, achieve results, and create a success story you can replicate.
If you're ready to take your first step into advisory, here are the seven criteria to look for.
1. They Already Trust You
Your first advisory client shouldn't be someone you need to convince of your value.
Look for a client who already sees you as more than "the bookkeeper." They ask for your opinion, follow your recommendations, and respect your expertise.
Trust removes much of the friction involved in introducing a new service. Instead of selling advisory, you're simply expanding the support you're already providing.
Ask yourself:
Do they regularly seek your input?
Do they act on your recommendations?
Is there a strong existing relationship?
If so, they're already ahead of most prospects.
2. They Are Open to Change
Advisory only creates value when clients are willing to take action.
Some business owners genuinely want to improve. Others say they want change but resist every recommendation.
Your ideal first advisory client doesn't need to have all the answers. They simply need to be coachable.
Look for clients who:
Ask questions
Seek improvement
Embrace new ideas
Take responsibility for outcomes
The more willing they are to act, the more likely you are to achieve meaningful results together.
3. They Feel a Pressing Business Pain
Not every business problem creates urgency.
A client may have declining margins, cash flow challenges, or pricing issues, but if they aren't concerned about them, nothing changes.
The best advisory clients have a problem they genuinely want solved.
Perhaps they're worried about cash flow. Maybe profits aren't where they should be. Perhaps they're working harder than ever but not seeing the financial rewards.
When the pain is real, the motivation to act is much stronger.
And when action follows advice, results follow action.
4. They Have Clear Business Goals
Effective advisory starts with knowing where the client wants to go.
Your first advisory client doesn't need a sophisticated strategic plan, but they should have a clear objective.
Examples might include:
Increasing profit
Improving cash flow
Hiring staff
Growing revenue
Reducing debt
Creating more personal freedom
Clear goals provide direction, focus conversations, and make it easier to measure progress.
Without goals, advisory discussions often become reactive rather than strategic.
5. They Have Reliable Financial Data
Advisory relies on information.
If the books are inaccurate, incomplete, or constantly changing, every conversation becomes about fixing the numbers rather than improving the business.
You don't need perfection.
You do need confidence in the data.
The ideal first advisory client has:
Up-to-date bookkeeping
Accurate financial records
Consistent reporting
A basic understanding of their numbers
Reliable data allows you to spend less time explaining reports and more time helping clients make decisions.
6. They Can Afford and Value Advisory
One of the most overlooked factors in choosing an advisory client is their willingness to invest.
A client may be engaged, coachable, and enjoyable to work with, but if every conversation revolves around fees, it becomes difficult to demonstrate the true value of advisory.
Your ideal first advisory client understands that better decisions create better outcomes.
They see advisory as an investment rather than an expense.
That mindset makes implementation easier and creates a healthier long-term client relationship.
7. They Fit the Type of Advisory Practice You Want to Build
This criterion is often ignored, but it may be the most strategic of all.
Your first advisory client will likely become your first case study, first testimonial, and potentially your first referral source.
That's why it's important to choose a client who aligns with the direction you want your advisory services to take.
If you want to specialise in helping trades businesses improve cash flow, start there.
If you're passionate about helping creative agencies improve profitability, look for that opportunity.
Don't simply choose the easiest client.
Choose a client who helps build the future advisory practice you want to create.
Don't Start With Your Most Complex Client
Many bookkeepers assume their most challenging client is the best place to begin.
Usually, the opposite is true.
Your first advisory engagement should be with a client who is collaborative, motivated, and positioned for success.
The goal isn't to prove how much you know.
The goal is to build confidence, create results, and develop a repeatable advisory process you can use again and again.
Once you've done that successfully, expanding your advisory offering becomes far easier.
The Best First Advisory Client Is Probably Already on Your Client List
You may not need to find a new client at all.
The ideal first advisory client is often someone you're already working with. Someone who trusts you, values your expertise, and wants help achieving better business outcomes.
Start there.
Because the fastest way to build an advisory practice isn't by finding the perfect prospect.
It's by helping the right existing client make better decisions using the numbers you already know.
Ready to Start More Advisory Conversations?
Download our 20 Advisory Conversation Starters for Bookkeepers and discover practical questions that help move client discussions beyond compliance and into meaningful advisory conversations.
