The habits helping modern practices pull ahead

The accounting and bookkeeping profession is at an inflection point.

Across the US, practices are navigating no shortage of pressure: AI is changing how work gets done, client expectations are rising, and competition is evolving fast. But if there’s one takeaway from Xero’s latest Modern Practice Playbook, it’s this: the firms pulling ahead aren’t necessarily the biggest. They’re the ones making deliberate choices about how they work.

That’s what stood out most to me in this research.

Based on a survey of 561 independent senior accountants and bookkeepers across the United States, the playbook offers a clear view of how modern practices are being built today. And while no two firms look exactly the same, the most successful practices share a set of habits that are helping them stay agile, profitable and future-ready.

Modern practices are built on intentional choices

For many firms, the challenge isn’t a lack of ambition. It’s a lack of time.

The most effective practices are responding by being more intentional about who they serve, how they structure their teams, and where they focus their energy. They are narrowing their client focus, building more specialized workflows, and creating space for deeper, higher-value work.

Our research shows the profitability gap is not simply about size or structure. Top-performing practices have a net profit margin 2.7 times that of lower-margin firms. What separates them is a shared set of behaviors: they embed AI into daily workflows, expand into higher-margin advisory services, and price with greater discipline and confidence.

In other words, modern practice is less about doing more of everything and more about doing the right things on purpose.

AI is creating capacity, but strategy determines the payoff

AI is now a practical reality inside many firms, and the gains are meaningful.

Across all staff combined, practices using AI save about one working day per week on average. Among top performers actively using AI in day-to-day workflows, that rises to 9.1 hours per week, with estimated average annual savings of $387,000.

But the real story isn’t just time saved. It’s what firms do with that time.

The practices gaining the most from AI are not treating it as a one-off experiment. They are embedding it into the rhythm of everyday work, then redirecting the capacity it creates into areas that strengthen the business. In fact, 42% of practices using AI say they are channeling that time into client advisory services and other high-value work.

That matters because efficiency on its own doesn’t create growth. Intentional reinvestment does.

Advisory is still one of the biggest opportunities ahead

One of the clearest messages in the playbook is that advisory remains a major growth opportunity.

Today, 57% of practices surveyed say they offer client advisory services. More than half of those firms expect advisory revenue to outgrow compliance revenue over the next three to five years. Yet many practices are still leaving value on the table, often because they believe they lack the time or capacity. However,  many are already having advisory conversations, they’re just not formalizing or charging for them. 

That’s where AI and better workflows can make a real difference. When routine work becomes more efficient, firms have more room to turn insight into a service, and a service into revenue.

This shift is important not only because advisory can strengthen margins, but because it deepens client relationships. It moves the role of the accountant or bookkeeper beyond reporting on the past and closer to helping clients shape what comes next.

Pricing is becoming a strategic lever

Another strong signal from the research is that pricing is evolving.

On average, practices now bill 78% of client engagements on non-hourly terms. That’s a meaningful shift in a world where automation puts pressure on traditional hourly billing. If technology helps work get done faster, firms need pricing models that reflect value, outcomes and expertise — not just time spent.

The most successful practices understand this. They are more likely to review prices regularly, communicate their value clearly, and charge in line with the impact they deliver.

The future belongs to firms willing to act

If there’s one message I hope practice leaders take from this playbook, it’s that the future is not fixed.

The pace of change in this profession is real. But change also creates the opportunity to rethink old assumptions and build a practice that is more resilient, more rewarding and more valuable to clients.

The firms pulling ahead are showing what that looks like. They are embracing AI with purpose, investing in higher-value services, and building pricing models that support sustainable growth.

That’s the opportunity in front of the profession now: not to be defined by disruption, but to use this moment to build something better.

You can read the full findings on Xero’s Modern Practice Playbook landing page.