S01 E03: Are Your Clients Really the Problem or Your Workflows? Roman and Kellie Reveal Shocking Answers

Roman Villard
Alright, we’re live! Kellie, we’re back with another Workflow Roast today. We missed you on the last episode where Sharam and I tackled some great topics. Do you remember what we covered last time?

Kellie Parks
That’s a good question! I actually joined near the end—there was a storm here that day, and I finally managed to hop on just in time to roast Sharam a little, which was my goal anyway.

Roman Villard
That’s right! Today, though, we’re diving into client management. We’ve got a fantastic lineup of questions and workflows to walk through. I’m really excited about it. We’re live on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X, so we’ve got the comment box open for any live questions or feedback.

Kellie Parks
Great, we’re literally everywhere on the web!

Roman Villard
Exactly. So, for anyone new, I’m Roman Villard, the founder of Full Send Finance. We’re an accounting and data consulting firm based in Boulder, Colorado.

Kellie Parks
And I’m Kellie Parks, from Calm Waters Cloud Accounting, where we focus on cloud-based solutions for accounting firms. We also provide resources to help other accountants streamline their operations in the cloud. I’m based just outside Toronto, and… oh, I forgot to put my dogs away—hope they don’t cause a scene!

Roman Villard
No worries! We’ve got a lot of great questions lined up today. These are the kind of questions every accountant or bookkeeping professional would want to know. Though, I’ll admit, not everyone—my husband, for one, wouldn’t care at all!

Kellie Parks
Haha, fair point! But for the professionals out there, this is solid content. We’ve got five questions today, and each one could easily take up a whole episode, so we’ll aim for five to ten minutes per question. If we need to go over a bit, we’ve got the flexibility.

Roman Villard
Right, we control the platform, so if Financial Sense kicks us off, we’ll deal with it!

Kellie Parks
Exactly. So, which question do you want to tackle first?

Roman Villard
Let me pull up the list here. The first one is about client management. Someone asks, “How many clients are too many to manage?” For context, this person works at a CPA firm with around 30 employees, mostly serving small, closely-held businesses. They assist with bookkeeping, taxes, and advisory services, and their client roster is growing. They’re wondering if there’s a cap on how many clients one can effectively manage. Great question!

Kellie Parks
That’s a fantastic question. I’ve seen people throw around numbers like 35 clients, but it really depends on the level of service you’re providing. If it’s just cash coding and bank feed reconciliation—low-touch bookkeeping—you can handle more clients. But that’s not the whole story, is it?

Roman Villard
Definitely not. In fact, I think it’s the wrong question to ask. It’s not about the number of clients, but the complexity of the work. You’ve got to consider the volume of transactions, the types of accounts, and how much advisory service is involved. Some firms, like Ballast Point on the East Coast, use a system to measure “full client equivalents.” They assign a score based on complexity and then determine how many of these “equivalents” each team member can handle.

Kellie Parks
Exactly. It’s about more than just client count—it’s about what kind of work you’re doing. For example, if you’re just doing cash coding for professional services clients with a couple of bank accounts, you could probably manage around 35 clients. But if you’re dealing with high-touch advisory work, like a SaaS company with deferred revenue and financing, that number shrinks drastically.

Roman Villard
Right, you can’t have 35 clients in that situation. The nature of the work changes everything. Some clients are easy, while others require a ton of attention—like dealing with AR and AP for a high-volume e-commerce business. It’s more about the capacity of your team and the complexity of the client, not just how many names are on your roster.

Kellie Parks
Exactly! I know firms that are thriving with just 10 high-touch clients, and others that balance both low-touch and high-touch clients to spread the risk. The real question should be: What kind of work does your team enjoy, and where do you want your margins to be? You can build a profitable firm by focusing on high-value clients, but you’ve got to balance it carefully.

Roman Villard
Totally. I think we’ve covered that well. Ready for the next question?

Kellie Parks
Let’s do it!

Roman Villard
The next one asks, “How do you manage clients who are slow to provide documentation? I’ve been sending weekly reminders, but they keep missing deadlines. Any tips for speeding things up?”

Kellie Parks
Ah, the classic slow client. I have two thoughts. First, set clear expectations around timelines. Don’t just give them the deadline—explain how long it will take you to process the information once you receive it. For example, “If you get this document to me by X date, I’ll need Y days to finish it.” That puts the onus on them.

Roman Villard
Good point. I’d also say penalize them if they don’t meet the deadlines. Charge a fee if they’re late—it incentivizes them to stay on track. You can’t do your work if you don’t have the right materials on time, and they need to feel that responsibility too.

Kellie Parks
Exactly! I’ve also worked with firms that raise their rates for clients who are consistently late. At the end of the year, if they hit all their deadlines, they get a discount for the following year. It really motivates them!

Roman Villard
That’s a great idea—offering a reward as motivation, instead of just a penalty. It’s all about shared ownership of the process.

Kellie Parks
Exactly. Okay, ready for the next one?

Roman Villard
Yeah! This next one’s about workflow optimization: “How frequently do you work on client books? Do you check in daily, weekly, or monthly?” This person is trying to figure out the best routine, especially since some clients take up 30 hours a month and others only 10.

Kellie Parks
My answer? Re-engage with your clients and clearly define the workflow in their engagement letter. For instance, some clients might need weekly check-ins, while others could be monthly. The key is to set expectations, both for your team and your clients.

Roman Villard
Right, and don’t do more work than what you’re getting paid for. If a client only takes 10 hours a month, it’s wasteful to check in daily. Outline the frequency of your services clearly, and if they want more frequent updates, they need to pay for it.

Kellie Parks
Absolutely. And make sure they have access to their reports anytime. For clients on a weekly engagement, we provide access to custom reports so they don’t have to wait for us to send them updates. Empowering clients with access to their data is a huge win.

Roman Villard
Totally. And if you’re delivering results earlier than expected, let them know. It highlights the value you’re providing beyond what’s in the contract.

Kellie Parks
Exactly. Let’s keep the flow going—next question?

Roman Villard
This one’s about cleanup projects. Someone’s just signed their first cleanup client and wants to know how long it will take. Any advice on giving accurate estimates?

Kellie Parks
Oh, this is my world! First of all, always build in extra time. For a typical cleanup, I’d say plan for at least 90 days. You never know what you’ll find once you dig into the books, and you don’t want to underestimate.

Roman Villard
Agreed. We’ve taken up to 90 days for cleanups too, especially with more complex clients. You can always adjust the timeline, but it’s better to give yourself enough buffer time upfront.

Kellie Parks
Exactly. Also, be clear about dependencies—if they don’t get you the information you need, you can’t move forward. I always give clients a clear turnaround time, based on when they provide the documents. And if it’s a multi-year cleanup, you can start with the current period and work backward, keeping them up to date with what’s accurate now.

Roman Villard
Great advice. Always keep them in the loop on progress. They often don’t realize how much work goes into a cleanup, so it’s important to communicate regularly.

Kellie Parks
Absolutely. Alright, last question?

Roman Villard
Yes, here we go: “I just signed my first client, a basketball facility that uses QuickBooks Online. I’m used to QuickBooks Desktop—where should I start?”

Kellie Parks
Start with the chart of accounts. Make sure everything is set up correctly before you begin categorizing transactions. Then, check their reconciliations and see what’s been done so far. If nothing’s been reconciled yet, start by clearing the bank feeds. It’ll give you a clear picture of where they’re at.

Roman Villard
Definitely. And keep an eye on any prior reconciliations—they can be a bit messy if they’ve been done incorrectly. Make sure everything matches up before you start categorizing new transactions.

Kellie Parks
Exactly. Once the accounts are clean, you can start setting up processes for them moving forward. It’s all about getting a clear picture from the start.

Roman Villard
Well, that wraps up our client management discussion! We had some fantastic questions today.

Kellie Parks
Absolutely! Thanks, everyone, for tuning in. And remember, if you’ve got more questions, you can always reach us on social media or through the Facebook groups.

Roman Villard
Right, and don’t forget to check out the Accounting Flow podcast and my CAS Minute podcast for more in-depth discussions. Thanks again, and we’ll see you in two weeks for the next episode!

Kellie Parks
Take care, everyone!