{"id":13945,"date":"2023-03-30T16:59:43","date_gmt":"2023-03-30T15:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/?p=13945"},"modified":"2025-05-07T15:07:45","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T14:07:45","slug":"develop-accountancy-practice-competitive-advantage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/develop-accountancy-practice-competitive-advantage\/","title":{"rendered":"How to develop your accountancy practice\u2019s competitive advantage"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/category\/growth-customers\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Growth &amp; Customers<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to develop your accountancy practice\u2019s competitive advantage\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2023-03-30T16:59:43+01:00\">30 March, 2023<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How to develop your accountancy practice\u2019s competitive advantage\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/develop-accountancy-practice-competitive-advantage\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/author\/asavinwattanajantra\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Asavin\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/Asavin-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/Asavin-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/Asavin-810x810.jpg 810w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2026\/03\/Asavin.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Asavin Wattanajantra<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It used to be that you could win clients from the high street. Today, when people look for an accountant to serve their business needs, they\u2019ll go further afield to find them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Competition is everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Sage research says that 84% of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/why-you-need-accountant-digital-world\/\">consider accountants critical<\/a>, while 49% go to them for advice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Potential clients may choose you because they can\u2019t get what they need from their existing accountant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If you have deep experience in a client\u2019s area, your ability to examine their specific business and financial issues will be your competitive advantage because other accountants won\u2019t or can\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Bobby Lane is the CEO of Factotum, a firm that advises businesses on different areas of their finances. He believes that offering additional advisory services isn\u2019t just about keeping ahead of the pack\u2014it\u2019s necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Bobby says: \u201cPractices must be able to offer a broader service offering or will cease to exist in the future<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">\u201cThis means working with clients in areas that may be lacking within their internal skill set, such as&nbsp;payroll, forecasting, preparing management accounts, staff incentive schemes, and more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">In this article, we offer advice that will help you to develop your practice\u2019s competitive advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Here\u2019s what we cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#what\">What is your competitive advantage?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#scale\">Scale your business advisory services<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#how\">How to add specialisms to your accountancy practice<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#turn\">Turn up the volume on what your practice offers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#take\">Take advantage of client data<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#its\">It\u2019s all about client relationships<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-4a77f055-e14b-4c64-9344-a5a65da0e711\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-4a77f055-e14b-4c64-9344-a5a65da0e711\"\n\t>Download your free copy of Automate your practice and discover how you can reduce time spent on manual processes<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"what\">What is your competitive advantage?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/accountants\/\">accountancy practice<\/a> is in a great position to become a trusted partner to clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You could win opportunities by marketing yourself as a financial specialist in tune with a specific area of their business\u2014such as insolvency, tax, auditing, consulting, or payroll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">But first, you need to sit down and lay out what services you can offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">At this point, it isn\u2019t about understanding what you\u2019d like to do but more about understanding what <em>you<\/em> <em>can do<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Look at your clients, understand the capabilities of your team, and review your plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What skills and experience does your team have?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What specialist industry experience does your team have?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Where are you based?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is the nature of your existing client base and the new clients you\u2019re going after?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What are the main industries your clients operate in?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What interests you?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What industry or area of accounting gives you a buzz or encourages you to go that extra mile?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Once you understand your practice and capabilities, you\u2019re in a good position to provide the right clients with exactly what they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"scale\">Scale your business advisory services<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You may already be offering business advisory services ad hoc, but you should look at scaling them out, looking at your clients carefully to see what they need and what you should charge for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Some clients are looking for an accountancy practice that extends their management team\u2014where you can solve their problems, explain what\u2019s going on in their business, and support them on their journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You want to get under the bonnet of a business and fix whatever problems it has with its engine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It means looking at past performance to understand how they got into their current position and then using that insight to help them reach future goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Of course, this demands more time and effort, but clients could be willing to pay your accountancy practice more, as they will be more profitable in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">There may come a time when your client grows to a point where they want a service you don\u2019t necessarily have expertise in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">That\u2019s where you need to think about adding more strings to your bow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"how\">How to add specialisms to your accountancy practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Adding a new advisory specialism may be easier than you think. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It could be as simple as&nbsp;hiring someone new with the right skills\u2014like finding somebody with deeper regulatory expertise in a particular industry or experience working with Software as a Service (SaaS) finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Or you could give somebody the freedom to form a business unit within your practice. You might even fund training for people if they need specialist qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">You could offer accountancy specialisms within industries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">While accounting fundamentals don\u2019t change, somebody specialising in accounting for the building industry will have a unique experience set and focus compared with an expert in accounting for the food and drink industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">If you develop a specialist niche and market that fact, finding new clients may be easier because the word spreads quickly throughout industries about accountants who understand the quirks of a particular business type\u2014if you position and market your practice to take advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Ask yourself the following when specialising in a particular business industry or area of accountancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When do I plan to become more specialised?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Is it a gradual process, or can I do it immediately?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When should I stop chasing general accounting or bookkeeping customers?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Can I partner with other accountancy practices and take more valuable customers who match my specialism while they manage the more general work?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do I need qualifications or accreditations to attract customers in my specialist area?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-4a77f055-e14b-4c64-9344-a5a65da0e711\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-4a77f055-e14b-4c64-9344-a5a65da0e711\"\n\t>Download your free copy of Automate your practice and discover how you can reduce time spent on manual processes<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"turn\">Turn up the volume on what your practice offers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Having a competitive advantage is useless if prospective clients don\u2019t know who you are. Your dream clients might be out there, but your accountancy practice needs to win their attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">It\u2019s not just about winning new clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Business needs change constantly, and there may be opportunities to upsell your existing clients, where you gently persuade them to sign up for additional services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Self-employed accountants must sell themselves. You could be the most incredible accountant in the world with the ability to help any business, but if you can\u2019t sell your services to a client, neither of you benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Selling isn\u2019t about hustling a client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Correct consultative selling is about standing alongside a business owner and building a long-term relationship where you overcome their problems and help them meet their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">When selling your services to a client, aim to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Understand their goals<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify their obstacles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recognise their current circumstances<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Understand the speed they want to move at<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Agree on the services they need now<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outline the services they will need in the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"take\">Take advantage of client data<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Any client wants value for money, and if you can find ways to prove they are getting it from your relationship, they\u2019ll happily stay with you, even if a competitor tries to poach them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/accountants\/\">Cloud technology<\/a> allows your practice to have a 24\/7 view of client data\u2014everything from core ledgers to invoices and the timing when payments are received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Technology opens a world of possibilities for improving client service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Your practice can offer proactive advice moving forward, such as fully informed tax planning, where you spot problems before they have a chance to occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"its\">It\u2019s all about client relationships<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Your role as an accountant can grow and evolve in practice, and as you gain more experience, you\u2019ll build stronger client relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">Once you\u2019ve analysed your practice and defined your approach and competitive advantage, you\u2019ll be in a great position to build and develop your client base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"\">To wrap up, here are three final takeaways to help you stand out from your competitors, while providing your clients with the service they need:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Improve the client experience by offering the advisory and consulting services you\u2019re good at.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improve and add to your existing services.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make better use of technology so you can better understand your clients.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n \n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Automate your practice<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Discover how you can use automation to reduce your manual processes, so you can elevate the performance of your accountancy or bookkeeping practice.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-4a77f055-e14b-4c64-9344-a5a65da0e711\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-740534235-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-740534235-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join 1.5 million subscribers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-53abbdcc-410c-4c8c-bf97-ca5c6982eebd\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"999\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/z.5E3A0481_All-Uses.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/z.5E3A0481_All-Uses.jpg 999w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/tag\/automation\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAutomation\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/tag\/grow-accounting-practice\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to grow your accounting practice\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-17085 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-strategy-legal-operations category-technology-innovation category-trends-insights tag-automation tag-bookkeeping tag-electronic-payments tag-financial-decisions tag-make-receive-payments tag-payment-processing tag-payments tag-state-of-small-business business_type-small-business business_type-medium-sized-business business_type-accountants card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1314879006-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-11-18T12:25:29+00:00\">18 November, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">8 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/e-invoicing-what-business-should-do-now\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tNew e-invoicing mandate: What your business should do now\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tWith significant new regulations coming online in terms of e-invoicing and real-time reporting, what does your business need to do now to prepare?\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-16429 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accounting-102 tag-business-finances tag-business-intelligence tag-cash-flow tag-grow-accounting-practice tag-grow-business tag-trending-news business_type-small-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/cash-flow-statement-explained\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/206250_25480_1200x600-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/206250_25480_1200x600-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/206250_25480_1200x600-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2021\/04\/206250_25480_1200x600.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-10-30T11:22:59+00:00\">30 October, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">12 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tCash flow statement explained\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-15935 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-growth-customers tag-bookkeeping tag-grow-accounting-practice business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/time-intensive-tasks-accountants-automate\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-915664774-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Completing admin tasks\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-915664774-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-915664774-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-915664774-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-02-14T10:00:00+00:00\">14 February, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\t6 time-intensive tasks accountants should automate now\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-15938 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-growth-customers tag-bookkeeping tag-grow-accounting-practice business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/enhance-client-value-growth-accountants\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0725-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Working on projects\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0725-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0725-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0725-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-02-12T10:00:00+00:00\">12 February, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">4 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tHow to enhance client value for growth\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-15932 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-growth-customers tag-bookkeeping tag-grow-accounting-practice business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/the-practice-of-now-accountants-good-to-great\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"Working on financial tasks\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1338373163-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-02-11T14:22:09+00:00\">11 February, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">4 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe Practice of Now: How 1,000 accountants and bookkeepers are going from good to great\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Having a competitive advantage can help your practice win new clients and maintain your existing ones. Here&#8217;s how to develop one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":356,"featured_media":8315,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[162],"tags":[317,129],"business_type":[2],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[176],"imagine_tag":[177],"coauthors":[412],"class_list":["post-13945","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growth-customers","tag-automation","tag-grow-accounting-practice","business_type-accountants"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-ie","author_name":"Asavin Wattanajantra","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/13\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1070958794.jpg","imagine_tags":{"177":"Accountants"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice Ireland","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/356"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13945"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13945\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/8315"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13945"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13945"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=13945"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=13945"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=13945"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=13945"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=13945"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=13945"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ie\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=13945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}