The latest TSB Podcast episode playing on a phone with AirPods Max
The Successful Bookkeeper Podcast

Ask 500+ episodes anything.

Twelve years of conversations with the bookkeepers who built it — every episode and article, instantly searchable and answered in their words.

Play latest
Subscribe on
music
500+ episodes 100+ articles 43,000+ bookkeepers
Ask TSB · 3 episodes · 1 article
Preview
How do I raise my prices without losing clients?
Answer

Across the episodes, the bookkeepers who raised prices successfully did three things in common — and the order matters.

1. They got crystal clear on the value before the conversation. Every pricing shift in the library happens at a catalyst moment, not from learning a methodology. For Kimme Lafayette it was COVID hitting her cash flow. For Dan Baker it was a client doing $600K in revenue with a $19K T4 — the number was undeniable.

2. They structured the conversation as an invitation, not an announcement. Brad Wolford's "reverse opt-out" letter is the cleanest template: clients had to opt out of the new pricing, not in. Almost nobody opted out.

3. They accepted that some clients would leave — and that's the point. The clients who don't pay more are usually the clients draining your evenings and weekends. Letting them walk is what unlocks the capacity for the next tier.

Sources
522
🎙 EP 522 · Brad Wolford ▶ 18:42
Reverse Opt-Out Pricing — From $14K in Year One to 11 Staff
"I told them the new price was going into effect. If they didn't opt out, that's what they'd pay. Less than 5% opted out."
481
🎙 EP 481 · Kimme Lafayette ▶ 32:08
Value-Pricing Your Way Through a Crisis
"COVID hit and I had to pick — drown or rebuild. Value pricing was the rebuild."
407
🎙 EP 407 · Dan Baker ▶ 24:15
The $600K Client Who Changed Everything
"A client doing $600K in revenue paid his kid $19K on a T4. That was the number that broke me."
📝
📝 ARTICLE · Michael Palmer
The Two Critical Mistakes Bookkeepers Make in Pricing Their Services
"Most bookkeepers underprice because they're charging for time instead of the outcome. Fix the frame and the conversation changes."
2 of 3 free questions used today Members ask unlimited questions — plus download Brad's actual letter as an Action Pack.
Unlock unlimited

This week's episode.

Fresh · July 7, 2026
EPISODE 539
Latest episode
July 7, 2026

Debra Angilletta - Numbers Only Tell Half The Story:Ask Better Questions To Sell Advisory

30-second brief
Debra Angilletta returns to share why numbers alone aren't enough — and how asking the right questions unlocks advisory opportunities hiding in your existi

Find what you need by topic.

The themes that come up most

Raising prices without losing clients

33 episodes

Making your first hire

22 episodes

Firing clients who drain you

7 episodes

Installing systems that run without you

22 episodes

Scaling a real team

19 episodes

Building a 6-figure solo practice

24 episodes

Mindset, burnout & the ceiling

31 episodes

Selling, exiting, legacy

16 episodes

What bookkeepers are asking.

Click any question to ask it yourself

Browse the archive.

Page 45 of 45
EP11
EP11 · Nov 22, 2016

Ron Baker - Stop Selling Your Time For Money

30-sec brief
Ron Baker says "Stop Selling Your Time For Money" discusses how to implement value pricing in your bookkeeping business
EP10
EP10 · Nov 15, 2016

Heather Weiler - Mindset Is The Determining Factor In Your Success

30-sec brief
The incredible journey Heather Weiler travelled before becoming a business owner and through it all built a successful bookkeeping business.
EP09
EP09 · Nov 8, 2016

Beth Buelow - How Introverts Can Win At Business Networking

30-sec brief
The importance of seeing networking as having meaningful conversations with people and not feeling like you have to push your business onto them.
EP08
EP08 · Nov 1, 2016

Debbie Roberts - How To Market Your Bookkeeping Business Even If You Hate It

30-sec brief
If you're an underpaid bookkeeper, you'll have to roll up your sleeves and do the marketing and sales yourself.
EP07
EP07 · Oct 25, 2016

Laura McClellan - Productivity Tips To Make Your Life Easier

30-sec brief
Proven tips to help you navigate through your action-packed life, so you can have more time to do things you truly love without feeling guilty about it.
EP06
EP06 · Oct 18, 2016

Perry Monaco - How To Create A Profitable LinkedIn Profile

30-sec brief
How to create an effective LinkedIn profile that will clearly communicate who you are and what you offer, so prospects will know where to find you.
EP05
EP05 · Oct 11, 2016

Melika Hope - How To Develop Meaningful Client Relationships

30-sec brief
Most people don't want to be sold, they want to feel special. The best way for bookkeepers to do this is to create an authentic relationship with clients.
EP04
EP04 · Oct 4, 2016

Debbie Roberts - How to Get More Freedom In Your Business

30-sec brief
Learn some of the mistakes Debbie Roberts made in her bookkeeping business and how to avoid them like how to get staff to take ownership.
EP03
EP03 · Sep 27, 2016

Michael E. Gerber - Become A Leader, Not An Invisible Bookkeeper

30-sec brief
Why you're invisible as a bookkeeper and how you can break through that perception by becoming a leader in your client's eyes.
EP02
EP02 · Sep 26, 2016

Louie Prosperi - Why You Shouldn't Fear Your Bookkeeping Business Future

30-sec brief
The importance of keeping up with technology to better serve your customers and make sure software is properly monitored and running smoothly.
Business Management
EP01
EP01 · Aug 30, 2016

Debbie Roberts - The Power of Systemizing Your Bookkeeping Business

30-sec brief
Build systems into your business and why it's critical to communicate with current clients when changes in your business are on the horizon.
← Prev 1 … 44 45 Next →
Member access

The podcast is free.
What makes it useful — that's membership.

Unlimited AI. The templates guests actually reference. A year of BKOS Marketing. The community of 43,000+ bookkeepers who've been where you are. All for less than one billable hour a month.

Free
$0 forever
Everything a listener needs
  • All 500+ podcast episodes
  • Basic show notes
  • 30-second AI briefs on every episode
  • Ask TSB — 3 questions per day
  • Free weekly newsletter
  • Summit live access
  • Limited community access
Create free account
Member
$29 / month
Or $249/year — save $99 + get Launchpad free ($199 value). Cancel anytime.
  • Unlimited Ask TSB — plus saved conversations and memory of your firm
  • Enhanced transcripts with chapter markers & saveable highlights
  • Episode Action Packs — the templates guests actually reference (Brad's opt-out letter, Kimme's pricing calculator, Teresa's exit playbook)
  • 1 year free of BKOS Marketing$1,200 value
  • 20% off Pure Bookkeeping~$780/yr
  • 10% off all TSB programs (Freedom Gateway, Clients, Pricing, Scale)
  • Free access to paid events (Beyond Bookkeeping, quarterly intensives)
  • Full Komunily community — 43,000+ bookkeepers, all channels
  • Monthly live AMAs with past podcast guests, hosted by Lisa
  • Partner freemiums + discounts (Dext, Profit First Professionals, approved tech stack)
  • Full summit recordings library
  • 🎁 Annual bonus: Launchpad Program, bundled free$199 value
    Exclusive to annual members. The prerequisite workshop for every program.
Start 14-day free trial
More than 10× the value
$2,600+ $249
BKOS Marketing ($1,200) and Launchpad ($199) alone pay for 5+ years.
Your Host

Michael Palmer

Michael is the founder of The Successful Bookkeeper and a co-founder of Pure Bookkeeping. He hosts the TSB Podcast — 500+ episodes interviewing bookkeeping business owners, coaches, and operators. He doesn't bookkeep; he's spent 20+ years building the infrastructure that helps bookkeepers build real firms. Based in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

More about Michael

Your move.

Start free. Ask TSB three questions. If one answer is worth $29 to you, you already know what to do.

Start free