Quite often I’ll speak with clients who have spent some time clicking around my website looking for a pricing page or price list. They’re sometimes confused or exasperated as to why they can’t find my services broken down into dollars and cents.
Don’t worry, it’s not some underhanded trick to force you to pick up the phone or complete an inquiry form. No, the simple truth is no two businesses are every truly the same, and so I like to address certain criteria before quoting a price for my services.
For instance, my prices are calculated based on the industry in which you operate, your short and long-term needs, the size of your business, etc.
Here’s a quick look at how I typically arrive at a quote.
Putting a Price on My Expertise
Businesses - even those operating in the same industry, with the same number of employees, and making similar amounts of money - all have very different requirements when it comes to working with an accountant.
When I founded Nimbus it was never my intention to offer a cookie-cutter style service, where a client could choose from one of three or four packages that might fit with their circumstances. I wanted to identify and address specific needs and challenges, offering insight and adding value along the way. And the only way of doing this is to listen carefully and quote accordingly.
For example, if you're a restaurant, your needs will contrast with those of a small web startup. You might both make the same amount of money in a given year, but the challenges you face as a brick-and-mortar shop in comparison to an online business will require a different level of service.
Some of the criteria I review prior to producing a quote includes:
- Ownership structure
- Number of employees
- Payment processors, e.g. PayPal, Square, etc.
- Number of customers
- Inventory
- Customer billing process
- Software requirements
- Location
- Financial backlogs or existing issues
- And much more!
Some Questions I Like to Ask
In addition to gathering and reviewing the criteria mentioned above, I like to ask questions and discuss your hopes and aspirations surrounding your business.
These questions often include:
- What is your goal for your business? - It helps for me to understand where you see your business in a year, 5 years, 10 years, etc. This informs me as to the level of input you require to help you achieve this goal. For example, my advice and involvement will differ if you wish to sell within 5 years, or if you wish to expand operations.
- How do you bill your customers? - Do you use a Point-of-Sale (POS) system, accept payment online, or invoices? Are you charging customers the same price, or do you offer a tailored package? Or do you charge by the hour? This will impact the type of accounting services you require.
- Which accounting platform are you using? - Or are you even using one? I highly recommend setting up a cloud-based accounting platform, which is something I can do on your behalf.
Let’s Talk
The very simple reason why I don’t publish my prices is because I want to make sure I'm the right fit for your business. That’s it!
So, if you’d like to find out more about how I can help you and your business, let’s talk.