The Assessment: Your Most Underestimated Profit Tool
One of the most valuable shifts happening among Renew’s community of accounting firms is the rise of the paid assessment.
Too often, accountants jump straight into proposing a price often based on assumptions, incomplete information, or the client’s version of the truth. The result? Scope creep, messy onboarding, and underpriced work.
An upfront assessment fixes all of that.
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A paid assessment:
Protects your time
It stops non-target clients early. If someone won’t pay for a diagnosis, they’re unlikely to value the advisory work that follows.
Gives you the truth before you price
You see the books, the bottlenecks, the cleanup required, the access issues, the reporting gaps…everything needed to price with confidence.
Positions you as the expert
Doctors diagnose before prescribing. Lawyers gather facts before advising.
Accountants should be no different.
Firms are charging anywhere from $650 to $1,500+ for assessments because they’ve recognized the real value: clarity, alignment, and properly priced engagements.
The shift is simple but powerful. Instead of “giving a quote,” firms are selling a roadmap based on value to the client.
And once the roadmap is clear, outcome-based pricing becomes natural. For example, on our most recent All Firms Call, the owner of a $450K firm explained how she landed a $45K new client by digging deep, asking LOTS of questions, starting with a paid assessment and pricing based on outcomes. (She also attributed much of the success to the guidance and coaching she received from Renew and her fellow members – the value of community…never price alone!)
1 Hour of free CPE available: We’ve set up our e-book, The 40-Hour Firm, as a quick self-study course with CPA Academy. Learn how to build a better business model for your accounting firm and top up your CPE before year-end:
Access The 40-Hour Firm Self-Study Course
