Plenty of firms already do advisory work — they just don't get paid properly for it, because it's buried in hourly billing or given away around compliance. Packaging and pricing advisory deliberately is what turns it from an occasional favour into a genuine business line with recurring revenue. This guide covers how to get off the hour, build tiers, price on value, and make it stick.
Get off the hour
Hourly billing caps advisory value and, perversely, punishes efficiency — the better and faster you get, the less you earn. It also frames advice as a cost to be minimised rather than value to be bought. Fixed and value-based pricing ties the fee to the outcome and the client's willingness to pay, not the clock — and it makes advisory income predictable, which is what you want if you ever plan to sell the firm.
Build three tiers
Give clients a clear, structured choice — typically three tiers. Most people choose the middle option; some self-select up; and the top tier does important work by making the middle look sensible (a classic anchoring effect). Structure the choice so the client is deciding which, not whether.
| Tier | Roughly what's inside | Example / month |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Quarterly management accounts + a review call | £250–500 |
| Growth | Monthly accounts, KPIs, forecasting, regular calls | £600–1,200 |
| Partner | Full virtual FD: planning, cashflow, board-level input | £1,500–3,000+ |
Illustrative only — set your own numbers against the value you deliver and your market.
Anchor on value, not cost
Frame the fee against what the advice is worth to the client — a decision that saves or makes them tens of thousands of pounds — not against your hours or costs. The same advice is worth more to a £2m business than a £200k one, and your pricing can and should reflect that. Clients don't buy management accounts; they buy confidence, better decisions and a clearer future. Sell that.
Make it recurring
The real prize is recurring advisory retainers — a monthly rhythm of reporting, planning and conversation, rather than one-off projects. Recurring income is stickier, more valuable, easier to deliver consistently, and (not incidentally) lifts the value of your firm if you ever sell, because buyers pay more for predictable, repeating income. A one-off project is a transaction; a retainer is a relationship.
The packaging playbook
- Fixed or value-based pricing, never hourly
- Three tiers, with a clear recommended option
- Recurring retainers, not one-off projects
- Price against client value, not your cost
Free the capacity to deliver it
None of this works if your team has no time to deliver it well. Getting the compliance back office off their plate is usually the unlock — see moving from compliance to advisory and outsourcing your back office. And once advisory is a real recurring line, track it: the right KPIs tell you whether it's actually working.
Frequently asked questions
Should I bill advisory work by the hour?
No — hourly billing caps the value, punishes efficiency and frames advice as a cost. Fixed or value-based pricing ties the fee to the outcome and makes income predictable.
How should I package advisory services?
Typically in three tiers (e.g. Foundation, Growth, Partner), so clients choose which level rather than whether to buy. Most choose the middle; the top tier anchors the choice and makes the middle look sensible.
How do I price advisory on value rather than cost?
Frame the fee against what the advice is worth to the client — the decisions it improves and the money it saves or makes — not your hours. The same advice is worth more to a larger business, and your pricing can reflect that.
Why are recurring advisory retainers better than projects?
Recurring income is stickier, easier to deliver consistently, and more valuable — including at sale, because buyers pay more for predictable, repeating fees. A project is a transaction; a retainer is a relationship.
Thinking about your next chapter?
Whether you want to sell, step back gradually, or just take the back office off your plate — start with a confidential, no-obligation call with the buyer.
Book a confidential call