Business Advisor Podcast

Amanda C. Watts
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the Business Advisor Podcast, the go-to show for accountants, bookkeepers and CFOs tired of the grind of client work and eager to step into the role of a business advisor.  This podcast is designed for those looking to increase their income and impact by transforming businesses and lives. Each week, we bring you practical, workshop-style episodes, insightful conversations, and a good dose of humor to equip you with the confidence, clarity, and cash flow strategies you need.  So, hit that subscribe button and join us on this journey to becoming a successful business advisor. New episodes every week, and you won’t want to miss what we have in store!

  1. 2D AGO

    125: I'm Just a Bookkeeper/Accountant Not a Business Advisor

    I hear it all the time: "I'm just a bookkeeper," or "I'm just an accountant, not an advisor." You know your clients' businesses inside and out. You can see exactly what they're doing wrong and what they should be doing differently. But when they ask for your opinion, you hold back. Or worse, you give away your best advice for free, telling yourself you're not "qualified" to be an advisor. Today, I'm going to be direct with you: this belief is absolute nonsense. It's a "victim mindset" that is keeping you safe, small, and stuck in compliance work you've likely outgrown. The truth is, you're already playing the advisory role; you're just not owning it or charging for it. In this episode, I'm going to show you why your financial expertise makes you more qualified than most business coaches. We'll dismantle the imposter syndrome that's holding you back and walk through the three critical mindset shifts that will help you step into your power. This isn't about becoming someone different; it's about finally owning the incredible value you already provide. What You Will Learn From This Episode Why is the phrase "I'm just a bookkeeper" not a statement of fact, but a "victim mindset" that's keeping your practice small and your potential untapped? What is the one thing you have that most business coaches and advisors will never possess (and why does it make you more qualified to give strategic advice than you think)? What are the three simple questions clients are already asking you that prove you're an advisor in disguise (and you're probably doing the work for free)? Discover the three critical mindset shifts that take you from a "Victim" to a "Visionary" and from "Compliance" to "Transformation." What is the simple four-letter framework (G.R.O.W.) that allows you to facilitate powerful insights and guide clients to their own answers, taking the pressure off you to be perfect? Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    14 min

  2. FEB 9

    124. I'm Worried About Losing Clients If I Raise My Prices

    You're delivering more value than ever, your expertise has deepened, but you're still charging what you did three years ago. Why? Because of the one fear that keeps so many accountants and bookkeepers trapped: "I'm worried about losing clients if I raise my prices." While you're worried about losing clients, you're definitely losing something else—your profitability, your energy, and your freedom. Today, we're going to dismantle that fear. I'll show you why staying at yesterday's prices is costing you far more than a few price-sensitive clients ever could. We'll run the simple math that proves you can lose clients and still make the same revenue with less work, and I'll explain the critical difference between selling "expensive compliance" and delivering true advisory value that commands premium fees. This episode is about more than just numbers; it's about mindset. I'm giving you the exact, non-apologetic scripts to use when communicating a price increase in three different scenarios: correcting for inflation, transitioning to advisory, and addressing scope creep. It's time to stop letting fear dictate your pricing and start building the sustainable, profitable freedom practice you actually want. Key Takeaways What is the simple math that proves you can lose 20% of your clients after a price increase and still make the same revenue with less work? Are you accidentally trying to sell "expensive compliance" instead of true advisory? Learn the critical difference that makes clients happy to pay premium fees. What is the number one reason clients really leave a professional service firm? (Hint: It's almost never about the price). Discover the exact, non-apologetic scripts for communicating a price increase in three different scenarios: correcting for inflation, transitioning to advisory, and addressing scope creep. What is the hard-hitting reality check that reveals why a practice that can't handle a price increase isn't a business, but a job with terrible margins? Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    16 min
  3. 123. What If My Current Clients Won't Pay Advisory Fees

    FEB 2

    123. What If My Current Clients Won't Pay Advisory Fees

    This is the one fear that keeps so many brilliant accountants and bookkeepers stuck in compliance, doing work they've outgrown at prices that haven't changed in years. You know you could deliver incredible value with advisory, but you're terrified your existing clients will say no, or worse, think you're ripping them off. So, you do nothing, watching from the sidelines as other advisors build the practice you dream of. Today, we're going to dismantle that fear. I'm going to show you why the belief that "my clients won't pay" is based on a series of false assumptions that are killing your practice before it even has a chance to grow. This isn't about your clients—it's about you projecting your own discomfort with premium pricing onto them and robbing them of the transformation they desperately need. In this episode, I’ll teach you how to identify the two types of clients in your current base—the "Transformables" and the "Settlers"—and give you the exact, non-salesy script to transition the right clients to advisory. This is how you stop making decisions for your clients and start offering them the value they've been secretly hoping for all along. Key Takeaways What are the three massive—and false—assumptions you're making about your clients that are keeping your advisory practice from ever getting off the ground?How can you instantly tell the difference between a "Transformable" client who is secretly ready for advisory and a "Settler" who just wants compliance (and why you don't need all of them to convert)?What is the exact, non-salesy script you can use to offer advisory to a long-term client without making them feel like you're just ripping them off with a sudden price hike?Why is offering advisory not just a price increase for the same service, but a completely new category of value that even your most price-sensitive clients will evaluate differently?What are your clients really thinking when you're just doing their compliance? (Hint: It’s not about how cheap you are; it's about the problems that are keeping them awake at night).Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    15 min
  4. 122. How To Ensure Clients Do Not Miss Payments.

    JAN 26

    122. How To Ensure Clients Do Not Miss Payments.

    Have you ever had a client miss a call, turn up late, or quietly fall behind on a payment? You nod along because you don't want to make a fuss, but over time, it starts to wear you down. You end up chasing diary changes, wondering if they're truly committed, and holding more of the relationship than you should be. Here's what I want you to hear: That is not a delivery problem. That is an agreement problem. When clients drift, it's almost never because they don't care. It's because the expectations were never set properly at the beginning. Most advisors jump straight into giving advice to prove their worth. But I do the opposite. I slow everything right down, because the first session isn't about advice; it's about creating a strong container so the advice can actually land. In this episode, I’m giving you the exact script I use in my first session with a new client to set clear, powerful agreements. We're not just talking about stopping missed payments; we’re covering the three core pillars of a strong advisory relationship: Power, Time, and Money. This is how you stop chasing and start leading, creating a relationship built on mutual respect from day one. Key Takeaways Are late payments and missed calls actually a client problem, or are they a symptom of a critical mistake you're making in your very first session? Why the most valuable thing you can do in your first paid session with a new client has nothing to do with giving advice, and everything to do with slowing down. Discover the three simple but non-negotiable agreements—Power, Time, and Money—that will eliminate awkward conversations and create a container of mutual respect from day one. What is the simple five-word question you must ask after setting each expectation that shifts the dynamic from you dictating rules to both of you co-creating a powerful partnership? How to have the money conversation once and only once, so payments happen in the background like a utility bill and you never have to chase an invoice again. Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    9 min
  5. 121. How To Overcome The Let Me Think About It Objection

    JAN 19

    121. How To Overcome The Let Me Think About It Objection

    You know the moment. You've just had a great sales conversation, everything feels aligned, and then your prospect says the five words that make your stomach drop: "Let me think about it." Suddenly, you're ghosted. That "almost yes" can knock your confidence more than a straight no, leaving you replaying every word and wondering what went wrong. But here’s what I want you to know: when a prospect says this, it’s rarely about your offer or your price. It's a polite way of avoiding the discomfort of a decision. And at that moment, the conversation stops being about your advisory service and becomes about leadership. Who is going to guide this decision to a conclusion? This episode isn't about pressure selling. It's about leading with clarity, confidence, and integrity. I'm not going to give you theory; I'm giving you the real language—five specific, powerful, and non-pushy ways to respond when you hear "let me think about it." This is how you stop being a "waiter" and step into your role as a leader who guides prospects to a clean decision, whether that's a confident yes or a definite no. Key Takeaways What really happens the moment a prospect says "Let me think about it," and how do you instantly lose all your authority without realizing it? Discover the five powerful, non-pushy responses you can use to turn a vague "maybe" into a clear decision, whether it's a yes or a no. What's the one simple question you can ask when a prospect says "I need to talk to my partner" that instantly reveals if it's a genuine reason or a polite excuse? Why is taking your offer completely off the table often the most powerful way to make a hesitant prospect realize what's at stake? Learn the crucial mindset shift from "salesperson" to "leader" and why guiding a prospect to a clean "no" is just as valuable for your business as getting a "yes." Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    8 min
  6. 120. Implementing The Marketing Flywheel To Attract Premium Clients

    JAN 12

    120. Implementing The Marketing Flywheel To Attract Premium Clients

    If your marketing feels like a series of random, disconnected stunts, you don't actually have a marketing problem—you have a momentum problem. Today, I want to show you how to get off the stressful launch-and-burnout treadmill by using something called a marketing flywheel. Imagine a giant, heavy metal wheel that feels impossible to move at first. With consistent pushes, it starts to turn, then faster, and soon, its own weight works for you, spinning with unstoppable force. That's what your marketing should feel like. Unlike traditional funnels that you have to start from scratch every time, the flywheel uses every result—every happy client, every conversation, every piece of content—to fuel the next turn. In this episode, I'm going to show you how to build the simplest version of this flywheel by mapping the classic stages—Attract, Engage, and Convert—to my simple Traffic Light Method. This is how you create steady, predictable momentum to attract premium clients without living on social media or running endless launches. Key Takeaways Why is your marketing like pushing a giant, heavy wheel from a dead stop every single month? Discover the flywheel concept that turns those hard pushes into unstoppable momentum.What is the critical flaw in the traditional marketing "funnel" that keeps you on a stressful launch-and-burnout cycle, and why is a flywheel fundamentally different?How can you instantly clarify your marketing tasks by mapping the classic "Attract, Engage, Convert" stages to a simple Red, Amber, and Green traffic light system?There are six "spokes" that keep your marketing flywheel turning, but you don't need to master all of them at once. Find out what they are and how to know which one needs a push this week.What are the simple daily, weekly, and quarterly "pushes" that layer together to build momentum by design, moving you from hoping for luck to creating predictable results?Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    11 min
  7. 119. Why Prospects Don't Say Yes.

    JAN 5

    119. Why Prospects Don't Say Yes.

    You know the feeling. The sales conversation is flowing, the prospect is nodding, and you can feel they’re ready to work with you. Then, just as you think it’s a done deal, they hit you with the words that make your stomach drop: "Let me think about it." And then... silence. They ghost you. That "almost yes" can knock your confidence more than a straight "no," leaving you replaying every word, wondering what you did wrong. But what if I told you that when a prospect says "let me think about it," it's rarely about your offer, your price, or your timing? Those are just surface-level reasons masking what's really going on underneath: uncertainty. And that uncertainty is created by two patterns that are entirely within your control to fix. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on the two hidden reasons your sales calls are ending in hesitation. We'll explore the "underpriced offer" and how your own lack of certainty is making it harder for clients to trust you. Then, we'll dive into the "undersized client trap" and why saying yes to lovely but unready clients is draining your energy and shrinking your potential. This episode is about helping you stop chasing ghosts and start creating clean, confident decisions—because clarity always wins over persuasion. Key Takeaways Why is lowering your price to "make it easy" for a client actually making it harder for them to say yes? Discover the counterintuitive reason a cheap solution feels suspicious when the problem is expensive.Are you falling into the "undersized client trap"? Learn why the kind, grateful clients you love to help might be the very ones keeping your business from growing and leaving you feeling busy but not building.What’s the one thing prospects can feel, even if they can't explain it, that instantly creates doubt in your offer? (Hint: It has nothing to do with the price and everything to do with your energy).When a prospect says, "Let me think about it," what's the calm, confident question you can ask that immediately repositions you as a leader, not a salesperson?Discover why "underpricing" and working with "undersized" clients are two sides of the same coin, both stemming from a single root cause that is costing you your freedom and growth.Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    11 min
  8. 118. How Often Should You Meet With Your Advisory Clients?

    12/29/2025

    118. How Often Should You Meet With Your Advisory Clients?

    Today, we're talking about something that sounds simple but changes everything about how your advisory practice feels, for you and for your clients: your client rhythm. I'm talking about how often you meet, what happens in those meetings, and how you keep momentum alive between them. When you get this right, your clients get far better results, and you get your life back. The biggest mistake I see advisors make is picking one meeting schedule—weekly, monthly, quarterly—and applying it to every single client. While it sounds efficient, it's a trap. If you meet too often, you create dependency and become a firefighter instead of a guide. If you meet too rarely, you lose relevance and clients start to wonder what they're paying you for. In this episode, I’m going to show you how to find the perfect meeting cadence for each client by identifying their unique rhythm. I’ll walk you through the three types of advisory rhythms—Reactive, Growth, and Strategic—and give you a simple tool called the Rhythm Matrix to diagnose exactly what each client needs right now. This isn't about organizing your diary; it's about building a practice where structure turns your great advice into real, lasting change. Key Takeaways Is your one-size-fits-all meeting schedule accidentally creating either needy, dependent clients or disengaged, distant ones? Discover the two dangerous extremes that most advisors fall into.What are the three distinct client "rhythms" (Reactive, Growth, and Strategic), and how can you instantly tell which one your client is in right now?Why must your most hands-on, frequent meetings (the "Reactive Rhythm") be treated like an ambulance and not a long-term treatment plan?How can a simple 2x2 grid—The Rhythm Matrix—instantly reveal the perfect meeting cadence for any client based on just two factors: their capability and their business complexity?Why do most advisors believe more meetings equal more value, and what's the counterintuitive truth about how reducing meeting frequency can actually increase your client's results and your freedom? Want more freedom and higher profits in your firm? Download the free Value Pricing Toolkit here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://info.businessadvisoracademy.com/toolkit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ It gives you the complete proven system to break free from hourly billing, charge for impact, and grow your advisory firm to £500K+.

    12 min
See All (125)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to the Business Advisor Podcast, the go-to show for accountants, bookkeepers and CFOs tired of the grind of client work and eager to step into the role of a business advisor.  This podcast is designed for those looking to increase their income and impact by transforming businesses and lives. Each week, we bring you practical, workshop-style episodes, insightful conversations, and a good dose of humor to equip you with the confidence, clarity, and cash flow strategies you need.  So, hit that subscribe button and join us on this journey to becoming a successful business advisor. New episodes every week, and you won’t want to miss what we have in store!

Information

  • Creator
    Amanda C. Watts
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Amanda C. Watts
  • Show Website
    Business Advisor Podcast