January 27, 2026

Why Hourly Billing Is Holding Your Firm Back

Michael Palmer had me on The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast to talk about the difference between pricing vs billing in professional services.

Even if you’re not an accountant or bookkeeper, I think you’ll find the conversation useful if you’re building a business based on your expertise.

LISTEN NOW »

From Michael’s show notes:

"The hardest thing is to try not to solve their problem in the sales interview, just listen to the business case, and then come up with clever ways to achieve that business case as easily as you possibly can. So you’re looking for smaller projects, not bigger projects. It’s a complete mind shift.”
—Jonathan Stark

Jonathan Stark, author of Hourly Billing is Nuts, breaks down why hourly billing holds you back. He shares how shifting to value-based pricing changes your income, your clients, and your time. Jonathan explains how writing, teaching, and niching help you stand out, and why clients buy outcomes, peace of mind, and confidence, not hours.

Chapters

Why hourly billing is nuts & how Jonathan discovered it
Discovering value-based fees & applying them in year one
Breaking the habit of scoping during sales calls
Pricing options based on outcomes, not deliverables
How fixed pricing improves trust & client behavior
Connecting your work to revenue growth or cost reduction
Selling peace of mind as a measurable outcome
Why working fewer hours should not mean earning less
How AI & automation increase value, not risk
Why predictable pricing benefits both you & your clients
Identifying what different clients truly value
Letting go of poor-fit clients to grow sustainably
Why Jonathan wrote Hourly Billing Is Nuts
Books that support the shift away from hourly billing
What it means to “own your authority”
Why being different matters more than being cheaper
Using specialization to escape price competition
Writing as a long-term growth strategy
Where to find Jonathan’s free resources

Sharing is caring...

Do you know an accountant or bookkeeper? Please consider sharing this episode. TIA!

Yours,

—J