As an accountant, bookkeeper, or tax preparer, you likely take pride in the relationships you’ve built and the high standards you hold. You’re not just leading your firm—you are the firm. You handle the clients, review the work, and maybe even take late-night calls during tax season. After all, no one else will care about the business like you do.
It’s a noble and hardworking mindset—but it might be killing your business’s long-term value.
Why Being “In the Trenches” Isn’t Always a Good Thing
There’s a leadership style many small business owners fall into: leading from the front, doing everything yourself, and never asking your team to do what you wouldn’t. It earns respect and builds loyalty, yes—but it also creates a business that’s overly dependent on you.
Data from The Value Builder System™ shows that companies where the owner is the hub—meaning everything runs through them—get offers that are, on average, 35% lower than businesses that run without the owner’s constant involvement.
Why? Because a buyer isn’t purchasing you—they’re buying the systems, people, and profitability of your business. If you are the glue holding everything together, then you haven’t built a business… you’ve built a job. One that’s hard to sell or scale.
The Wake-Up Call: From Burnout to Breakthrough
Doug Lowenthal, founder of TruTechnology, learned this lesson the hard way. Like many firm owners, he took pride in being hands-on—answering tickets, solving technical issues, working holidays. His team respected him, but it was unsustainable.
A health scare forced him to step back. That’s when he realized: the business was built around him, and that made it both exhausting and vulnerable.
As accountants, how many of us are one bad flu or family emergency away from everything grinding to a halt?
Turning the Corner: Creating a Firm That Runs Without You
Doug didn’t just take time off—he changed the structure of his business:
- Delegated real responsibility to key team members
- Tied compensation to profits, not just hours worked
- Shared financial data and educated his team on how the business made money
The result? His team began thinking like owners. The company became more profitable and more independent. Eventually, Doug sold his firm in a 100% cash deal—a major success.
What This Means for You as an Accounting Professional
Whether you’re a solo tax preparer growing your client base or you’re running a small bookkeeping firm with a few staff, here are some key takeaways you can apply today:
1. Document Your Processes
If everything lives in your head, your business isn’t transferable or scalable. Start writing down your client onboarding steps, monthly closing procedures, tax season checklists, and communication guidelines.
2. Train and Empower Your Team
Give your staff or contractors more autonomy. Teach them not just what to do—but why. Walk them through the P&L. Show them what healthy margins look like. Help them understand how their work affects profitability.
3. Start Delegating Revenue-Generating Tasks
If you’re the only one who can meet with clients, file returns, or deliver financial statements, you’re limiting growth. Start training others to handle some of these responsibilities under your oversight.
4. Use KPIs and Financial Metrics
Start managing your firm like a business, not a hustle. Track key metrics—like client acquisition cost, average revenue per client, or realization rates. When everyone’s aiming at the same financial goals, your team can align without your constant supervision.
5. Plan for Exit—Even If You’re Not Ready to Sell
Eventually, you may want to sell your firm, pass it to a family member, or simply reduce your hours. The earlier you start making your business independent of you, the more options (and value) you’ll have down the road.
Final Thought: From Technician to True Business Owner
At Universal Accounting Center, we train professionals to go from “doing the work” to building the business. Doug’s story is a powerful reminder that loyalty and hard work are vital—but so is letting go of control in the right way.
The more your business can run without you, the more valuable—and fulfilling—it becomes.
