In this episode, Talila Kroy, Wayne Findlay, and Ian Aldridge tackle the profit squeeze facing accounting firms head-on. Since COVID, professional services have seen a relentless race to the bottom, with clients shopping purely on price. Discover how strategic partnerships offer accountants a path to escape price competition, attract better clients, and future-proof their practices against AI disruption.

1. Why the last five years have seen a race to the bottom in professional services and how to escape it
2. Why price-shopping clients are your worst clients and how to avoid attracting them
3. How to use partnership marketing through workshops, events, and shared databases
4. Why clients referred by partners are far less likely to haggle over fees
5. How AI will create another race to the bottom and why partnerships protect you
6. How offshoring creates capacity for senior staff to focus on high-value advisory work
7. Why personal partnerships are essential for surviving the next 5-10 years of disruption

1. Clients referred by trusted partners are far less likely to negotiate fees because trust has been transferred
2. Partnership marketing through workshops and events gives you access to thousands of targeted prospects at minimal cost
3. AI will create another wave of price competition, making personal partnerships even more critical for protection
4. Offshoring lower-level work creates capacity for senior accountants to focus on high-value advisory services
5. Having 20-50 businesses continually referring work provides stability that marketing alone cannot deliver

"The more personal partnerships we can create, the more we've got a chance of not just surviving the next five to 10 years, but also thriving." - Ian Aldridge

"If you're an accountant and you want to stand out, have a workshop and use your partners to promote that workshop on your behalf." - Wayne Findlay

"Our job is to be the very best, to provide the very highest quality of service and to showcase that to our partners so that they're so delighted with the results that we get their clients, that they just keep giving us clients." - Talila Kroy

"The clients that we've found that have come through from referral partners are far less likely to haggle over fees. They've been told by their accountant, 'Hey, you need to go and see Ian and get this stuff done,' and they just go ahead and do it." - Ian Aldridge

"If you're getting referrals because you're the lowest price, then you need to talk to the people that are referring to you and say, 'Don't send me those people.'" - Wayne Findlay

1. The Back Room Growth Calculator (thebackroomop.com) - helps firms design their future based on compliance versus advisory mix

In this episode, Talila Kroy, Wayne Findlay, and Ian Aldridge discuss how accountants must adapt their business models to thrive in a changing landscape. Learn why moving from hourly billing to subscription models, embracing advisory work, and building structured partnerships are essential for future-proofing your practice.

1. Why subscription models create stickier client relationships for accountants
2. How to transition from compliance-focused work to advisory services
3. The importance of becoming the trusted adviser on emerging topics like AI
4. Why structured partnerships deliver faster results than ad hoc referrals
5. How to leverage partnerships to access expertise without adding headcount
6. The power of running workshops and events with strategic partners

1. Accountants need to move away from hourly billing to subscription models that encourage clients to seek advice freely
2. Advisory work is becoming easier with AI tools, creating opportunities for accountants to add more value
3. Structured partnerships with clear rules and expectations prevent confusion and protect all parties
4. Becoming the expert on timely topics (like AI) positions you as the go-to trusted adviser
5. Partnerships allow you to offer expanded services without hiring additional staff

"If you want to become the trusted adviser, hourly rate charging for everything isn't the way to go. You need to create an environment with your clients where they can call you without worrying about being charged." - Wayne Findlay

"Going through that partner suitcase and working out how to present this in the correct format—we had partners that we were working with for five, ten years and they didn't know that we did that piece of work before." - Ian Aldridge

"It's about not doing that ad hoc but systemising it. Systemising is the key. All accountants understand the power of referrals—it's really about making it structured." - Talila Kroy

Information, including registration details, for Roundtable events for Accountants: https://thebackroomop.com/thepartnershipeffect

Talila Kroy - Emple

• Website: emple.com.au
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/talila-kroy
• Specialisation: Building partner ecosystems for fast-growing businesses

Wayne Findlay - The Back Room

• Website: thebackroomop.com
• LinkedIn:

In this episode, Talila Kroy, Wayne Findlay, and Ian Aldridge explore why traditional marketing methods are failing accountants and how the "trust recession" is changing the game. Discover why partnerships and human-to-human connections are becoming the most effective way to grow your practice in an increasingly noisy digital landscape.

• Why SEO and traditional marketing are becoming less effective with AI disruption
• How the trust recession is making cold marketing nearly impossible
• Why partnership marketing delivers higher quality leads at lower cost
• The importance of niching and becoming known for a specific expertise
• How to leverage your partners' databases for events and workshops
• Why quality partnerships beat quantity every time

1. Traditional marketing budgets can be significantly reduced when you have structured partnerships in place
2. Clients referred through partners convert at 75% compared to much lower rates from cold marketing
3. Trust is transferable—when a trusted advisor refers you, clients come with confidence
4. Every accountant should identify their niche and communicate it clearly to partners
5. Partnership marketing allows you to speak directly to target markets through your partners' audiences

"If you think about us at Emple, we've had the privilege of working with a lot of businesses and they've spent tens of thousands of dollars on their marketing funnels and websites. And half the time it's totally hit and miss." - Talila Kroy

"If I was to set up an accounting firm again, my marketing budget would be a lot lower than what it was back in the day, just through partnership having a good partnership structure set up." - Wayne Findlay

"When you are referring clients because we've got a relationship, you want to make sure that the clients that we send are of higher quality. There's accountability there too." - Ian Aldridge

Information, including registration details, for Roundtable events for Accountants: https://thebackroomop.com/thepartnershipeffect

Talila Kroy - Emple

• Website: emple.com.au
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/talila-kroy
• Specialisation: Building partner ecosystems for fast-growing businesses

Wayne Findlay - The Back Room

• Website: thebackroomop.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/waynenz
• Specialisation: Offshoring solutions for accounting firms

Ian Aldridge - Progressive Legal

• Website: progressivelegal.com.au
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ianaldridge1
• Specialisation: NewLaw firm for growing Australian businesses

Co-host - Anthony Perl - Podcasts Done For You

• Website: podcastsdoneforyou.com.au
• LinkedIn:

In this inaugural episode, Talila Kroy (Emple), Wayne Findlay (The Back Room), and Ian Aldridge (Progressive Legal) reveal why partnerships are essential for accounting firms navigating AI disruption and the trust recession. Discover how to become a true trusted advisor while achieving sustainable growth and freedom.

• Why the "trust recession" makes partnerships more critical than ever for accountants
• How to build a structured partnership ecosystem with 7-8 strategic partners
• The three freedoms framework: wealth, time, and stress-free living
• Why quality partnerships beat quantity every time
• How to break down barriers between accountants and lawyers for seamless client experiences
• The difference between ad hoc referrals and embedded partnerships

1. Partnerships provide the human-to-human connection that AI cannot replace
2. Structure and formalisation are essential; casual referrals aren't enough
3. Every accountant needs 7-8 strategic partners serving the same clients
4. Getting professionals on the same page early prevents conflicting advice
5. What you can't achieve alone, you can accomplish with aligned partners

"What you can't achieve as an individual, you can achieve with a group of aligned parties working for the same client." - Talila Kroy

"It's not about having hundreds of partners—it's about having good quality partners and making sure the relationship is structured." - Wayne Findlay

"When accountants and lawyers get on the same page early, clients receive better advice and have more confidence in both professionals." - Ian Aldridge

Information, including registration details, for Roundtable events for Accountants: https://thebackroomop.com/thepartnershipeffect

Talila Kroy - Emple

• Website: emple.com.au
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/talila-kroy
• Specialisation: Building partner ecosystems for fast-growing businesses

Wayne Findlay - The Back Room

• Website: thebackroomop.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/waynenz
• Specialisation: Offshoring solutions for accounting firms

Ian Aldridge - Progressive Legal

• Website: progressivelegal.com.au
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ianaldridge1
• Specialisation: NewLaw firm for growing Australian businesses

Co-host - Anthony Perl - Podcasts Done For You

• Website: podcastsdoneforyou.com.au
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adperl/