WHY PROGRESSIVE ACCOUNTING FIRMS ARE BREAKING OUT OF THE BOX

Times have changed. Progressive accounting firms are changing with it. The accounting profession has entered a new era. We call it Compliance 2.0. In the past Compliance 1.0 era, compliance was at the core of the client relationship. There were healthy margins in compliance work. It was difficult for clients to shop around. Compliance was enough for maintaining client loyalty. Not anymore.

In the new Compliance 2.0 era, traditional compliance work is just a starting point. It must be done extremely efficiently or the margins are not there. Price competition on compliance is aggressive, with firms using lower-cost resources dotted around the globe. Compliance has been severely commoditised and 'productised'. Consumers can now shop around via the web and through social media. Increasingly referrals now happen online.


  • Yesterday
    Up Until NowThe Compliance 1.0 Era
    • Compliance work was labour-intensive and expensive to produce
    • Compliance services subject to moderate price competition
    • Compliance seen as the core service in the client relationship
    • Low commoditisation - Compliance seen as custom services
    • Compliance underpinned client loyalty and retention
    • Service focus on the PAST: Last Year / Last Period
    • Low consumer power, person-to-person referrals

  • Today
    NowThe New Compliance 2.0 Era
    • Compliance highly automated with data feeds, artificial intelligence coding, etc.
    • Extremely high price competition, compliance increasingly a loss leader

    • Compliance merely a starting point in the client relationship
    • High commoditisation - Services seen as standardised 'products'
    • Compliance no longer enough 
for client loyalty
    • Service focus on PAST AND FUTURE: Next Month / Next Quarter
    • High consumer power via online and social search

To survive and thrive in the modern Compliance 2.0 era a firm needs effective marketing and selling processes to educate clients about their non-compliance services. A strong online presence is essential. Effective social media use is now a pre-requisite. A strategy to position the firm uniquely is the foundation stone for effective online, social and traditional marketing. PARADOX specialises in precisely that: Modern Marketing for Accountants. PARADOX are world pioneers in social media for accountants, launching the Modern Marketing Academy (formerly the Clientshare Academy) in 2010. Our graduates include Xero Partners of the Year, Big 4 firms, large 2nd tier firms, 1 and 2 Partner firms, one-person start-up firms and a long list of Xero Gold Partners.

No matter their size, these accounting firms all have one thing in common...

They want to break out of the compliance box; to sell more value-add, future-focused, non-compliance services, and they want a Marketing Machine to help them achieve this as time-efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Exactly what you need.

As a member of PARADOX—through our Modern Marketing Academy or by subscribing to our Automatic Marketing services—you'll master what's called 'content-driven' educational marketing. You'll achieve great content on your website and blog. A website that attracts the quality clients you want and generates enquiries that convert. A social media presence that positions you as an authority and thought leader; and that consistently generates leads and enquiries. You'll regularly and efficiently publish high quality articles to your email subscribers. You'll use video and screencasts. You'll be up to date with the latest marketing technology and your firm will be perceived as a leader, not a follower.

With members internationally, and some of the world's best marketed accounting and bookkeeping firms among our members, PARADOX helps firms achieve a stream of pre-educated enquiries from prospective clients and from within their existing clientbase. What they find is that when a person enquires—because they have come through the firm's Marketing Machine—they don't need "to be sold to"; they arrive ready to be advised. Ready... to buy. Here's how we achieve that for you.

  • To accountants who ask me about PARADOX and The Academy, all I say is, JUST DO IT!
    Xero Partner of the Year 2012
    Steph Hinds, Growthwise
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Learning marketing from PARADOX is like being plugged into The Matrix! We're constantly learning. All of it practical and instantly implementable.
    Ben Walker, Inspire CA
  • This marketing is fun, fast to do, and it works. Last month we brought on 22 new clients.
    Kirsten Hawke, Astill Hawke
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX gives us practical, easy-to-implement strategies and processes to follow. And they just work.
    David Cartwright, Cartwright Brown & Company
  • The first 11 clients we applied the Clientshare Cross-Selling Process to, generated $59K in new fees.
    David Cartwright, Cartwright Brown & Company
  • We can now communicate the value of what we do. It has made a big difference to our bottom line.
    Jennifer McAullay, Helm Accounting
    Xero Gold Partner
  • We've learnt so much. It is so energising. If you're not part of The Academy, you're missing out.
    Jennifer McAullay, Helm Accounting
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX marketing strategies helped us hit our $1m revenue target a full year ahead of our original business plan projections.
    Xero Partner of the Year 2012
    Steph Hinds, Growthwise
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX created our name, our logo, designed our website and wrote awesome content for our website.
    Timothy Munro, Change Accountants
    Xero Gold Partner
  • The Academy teaches practical techniques we can immediately use in social media and online.
    Grant Smith, Armstrong Watson
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX shifted our mindset and introduced us to technology that is transforming our business.
    Jeremy Harris, Gill McKerrow
    Xero Gold Partner
  • We learn so much from PARADOX around leading edge business thinking and technology.
    Cameron Patterson, Cameron Patterson & Co.
    Xero Gold Partner
  • After just one month of outsourcing some of my marketing to PARADOX we are already seeing results.
    Amanda Fisher, Connected Accountants
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX are our marketing department. Social media, blogs, enewsletter, they make it happen.
    Drew Grosskreutz, Otium Group
  • The hands-on learning approach is great. Takes your communication skills to the next level.
    Robert Moore, Active Business Consultants (now MSI Taylor)
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Blogging and social media are must-do’s in today’s world. A great way to attract new clients.
    Amanda Fisher, Connected Accountants
    Xero Gold Partner
  • "Thanks! Such detailed, tailored, marketing tech advice. PARADOX is the only place we can get this."
    Jeremy Harris, Gill McKerrow
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Using PARADOX services, we doubled our monthly revenue in 5 months. Mind-blowing advice.
    Drew Grosskreutz, Otium Group
  • We now do MORE marketing in a week than we used to do per quarter,
    and with LESS effort!
    Kirsten Hawke, Astill Hawke
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX's accounting industry-specific marketing expertise is unbeatable.
    Matt Treatt, Your Accounts Department
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Compared to PARADOX, other consultants are vague. PARADOX advice is specific.
    David Cartwright, Cartwright Brown & Company
  • I’m loving The Academy. The ‘how to’ and ‘what to do’ is exactly what I needed.
    Adele Wardley, A Squared Advisors
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Before using PARADOX, we had been living in the technological dark ages, and didn't realise it!
    Sonja Haller, Wise Accountants
  • Awesome! Never have I experienced such depth of knowledge and practical
 ideas in marketing.
    Peter Nicholson, Peak Financial Services
  • We now approach marketing with confidence and enthusiasm instead of dread and confusion.
    Jennifer McAullay, Helm Accounting
    Xero Gold Partner
  • There’s always something new and it’s different from anything you’ll hear from other consultants.
    Chris Byrne, Concord TBS
  • I'm learning marketing techniques that I never new existed. Social media is now great for us.
    Michael Dietrich, MSCJ Superannuation
  • Masterclass was the most engaging and stimulating seminar that I have ever attended. Go.
    Chris Byrne, Concord TBS
  • The Masterclass taught us how to communicate our value proposition to clients and prospects.
    David Robson, Robson Partners
    Xero Gold Partner

MARKETING MACHINES FOR ACCOUNTANTS

We will teach you and your team how to build a Marketing Machine—through our online Modern Marketing Academy program—or we can build one for you via our Automatic Marketing services or our Virtual Marketing Assistant (VMA) Service. The powerful mix of psychology combined with the latest marketing technology will educate (and excite!) your clients and prospective clients about your value-add services.

You'll cross The Value-Add Chasm©, attract more high quality clients and grow your firm's Clientshare™. The bottom line is increased revenue, improved margins, more loyal clients and far greater meaning and professional satisfaction in the difference you are making in your clients' lives. Click on the Service Names below to filter the list of examples...

Growthwise Xero Partner of The Year PARADOX Academy Graduate

Growthwise Accountants

Founder of 2012 Xero Partner of the Year (AU), Growthwise, described herself as ‘paralysed’ in her marketing efforts before learning marketing strategy from PARADOX. “We had lots of ideas but no focus,” admits …

Otium Group Superannuation Specialists Use PARADOX Marketing Services

Otium Group

When Drew Grosskreutz, Founder and CEO of Otium Group approached PARADOX to help his firm with their marketing and growth strategies, he put a simple challenge to PARADOX.

“We were consistently tracking …

CHANGE Accountants & Advisors Use PARADOX Marketing Services

CHANGE Accountants

When founder Timothy Munro was creating a brand new firm, he contacted PARADOX. “We needed everything. A name for the firm. A logo. Stationery. A website design. Content for the website. Brochures and …

Astill Hawke Uses PARADOX Marketing Education & Training Services

Astill Hawke

When Kirsten Hawke first discovered PARADOX she thought she was already quite marketing savvy.

“We’d been to lots of seminars, used various business coaches within the accounting profession, and we were aware …

A Squared Advisers Use PARADOX Marketing Education & Training Services

A Squared Advisers

When Adele Wardley ventured out on her own to start her new firm, A Squared Advisers, one of her first steps was to school up on marketing.

“I knew I didn’t know …

Aintree Group Accountants use PARADOX Marketing Service

Aintree Group

Shane McKenna’s Melbourne-based firm, Aintree Group, was already performing well when they contacted PARADOX.

“The benchmarking comparative reports told us we’re in the top 3% of firms in Australia,” Shane explains. “But …

Cartwright Brown & Company Uses PARADOX Marketing Services

Cartwright Brown

George Saab and David Cartwright of Sydney firm, Cartwright Brown, approached PARADOX at a point where they were jaded with advice from coaches and consultants.

“I said point blank to him, ‘MC, …

People we've worked with

GET YOUR MARKETING MACHINE

You have three options in working with us: (1) Learn how do modern marketing yourself by becoming a member of the Modern Marketing Academy; (2) Use our done-for-you marketing services, or (3) Use a combination of both approaches. Most firms choose the latter. That achieves the best short-term and long-term results. The Academy will get you up-to-speed with the latest in marketing for accounting and advisory firms. Members tell us The Academy content is the most practical and pragmatic advice they have ever received for growing their firm. Once you understand the principles, strategies and technologies behind modern marketing, you have a distinct advantage over other firms who are still—as one member put it—living in the dark ages.

  • Learn to Do-It-Yourself - DIY Option
  • Modern marketing made simple
  • Structured, self-paced online learning
  • 10 modules on marketing, selling
  • Build a marketing machine
  • Created specifically for accountants
  MORE INFO
  • Done-For-You (DFY) Service
  • Select one article each month
  • Includes words & image
  • Save hours of effort
  • Achieve better results
  • Focus on your strengths
  MORE INFO
  • Done-For-You (DFY) Service
  • 60 tweets per month
  • Into your Twitter + LinkedIn
  • Save hours of effort
  • Social media presence
  • Attract quality clients
  MORE INFO
  • Done-For-You (DFY) Service
  • Analyse your website ranking
  • Recommendations to improve
  • Achieve greater website ROI
  • Grow 'Your Hopper' (List)
  • Attract more clients
  MORE INFO

4 Services

$225
per service
$225
per service
  • Each service $450* per month
  • Bundle saves $450* per month
  • Equates to Buy 2, Get 2 Free
  • 4th service is free
  • Outstanding Value and ROI
  PURCHASE

3 Services

$300
per service
$300
per service
  • Each service $450* per month
  • Bundle saves $300* per month
  • Combine DIY + DFY Services
  • Include Academy in Mix
  • Can later switch services
  PURCHASE

2 Services

$375
per service
$375
per service
  • Each service $450* per month
  • Bundle saves $150* per month
  • Combine DIY + DFY Services
  • Include Academy in Mix
  • Can later switch services
  PURCHASE

1 Service

$450
per service
$450
per service
  • Each service $450* per month
  • Affordable for any firm
  • Consider additional service
  • Bundle discounts for 2 or more
  • 4th service is free
  PURCHASE

  • To accountants who ask me about PARADOX and The Academy, all I say is, JUST DO IT!
    Xero Partner of the Year 2012
    Steph Hinds, Growthwise
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Learning marketing from PARADOX is like being plugged into The Matrix! We're constantly learning. All of it practical and instantly implementable.
    Ben Walker, Inspire CA
  • This marketing is fun, fast to do, and it works. Last month we brought on 22 new clients.
    Kirsten Hawke, Astill Hawke
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX gives us practical, easy-to-implement strategies and processes to follow. And they just work.
    David Cartwright, Cartwright Brown & Company
  • The first 11 clients we applied the Clientshare Cross-Selling Process to, generated $59K in new fees.
    David Cartwright, Cartwright Brown & Company
  • We can now communicate the value of what we do. It has made a big difference to our bottom line.
    Jennifer McAullay, Helm Accounting
    Xero Gold Partner
  • We've learnt so much. It is so energising. If you're not part of The Academy, you're missing out.
    Jennifer McAullay, Helm Accounting
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX marketing strategies helped us hit our $1m revenue target a full year ahead of our original business plan projections.
    Xero Partner of the Year 2012
    Steph Hinds, Growthwise
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX created our name, our logo, designed our website and wrote awesome content for our website.
    Timothy Munro, Change Accountants
    Xero Gold Partner
  • The Academy teaches practical techniques we can immediately use in social media and online.
    Grant Smith, Armstrong Watson
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX shifted our mindset and introduced us to technology that is transforming our business.
    Jeremy Harris, Gill McKerrow
    Xero Gold Partner
  • We learn so much from PARADOX around leading edge business thinking and technology.
    Cameron Patterson, Cameron Patterson & Co.
    Xero Gold Partner
  • After just one month of outsourcing some of my marketing to PARADOX we are already seeing results.
    Amanda Fisher, Connected Accountants
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX are our marketing department. Social media, blogs, enewsletter, they make it happen.
    Drew Grosskreutz, Otium Group
  • The hands-on learning approach is great. Takes your communication skills to the next level.
    Robert Moore, Active Business Consultants (now MSI Taylor)
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Blogging and social media are must-do’s in today’s world. A great way to attract new clients.
    Amanda Fisher, Connected Accountants
    Xero Gold Partner
  • "Thanks! Such detailed, tailored, marketing tech advice. PARADOX is the only place we can get this."
    Jeremy Harris, Gill McKerrow
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Using PARADOX services, we doubled our monthly revenue in 5 months. Mind-blowing advice.
    Drew Grosskreutz, Otium Group
  • We now do MORE marketing in a week than we used to do per quarter,
    and with LESS effort!
    Kirsten Hawke, Astill Hawke
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX's accounting industry-specific marketing expertise is unbeatable.
    Matt Treatt, Your Accounts Department
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Compared to PARADOX, other consultants are vague. PARADOX advice is specific.
    David Cartwright, Cartwright Brown & Company
  • I’m loving The Academy. The ‘how to’ and ‘what to do’ is exactly what I needed.
    Adele Wardley, A Squared Advisors
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Before using PARADOX, we had been living in the technological dark ages, and didn't realise it!
    Sonja Haller, Wise Accountants
  • Awesome! Never have I experienced such depth of knowledge and practical
 ideas in marketing.
    Peter Nicholson, Peak Financial Services
  • We now approach marketing with confidence and enthusiasm instead of dread and confusion.
    Jennifer McAullay, Helm Accounting
    Xero Gold Partner
  • There’s always something new and it’s different from anything you’ll hear from other consultants.
    Chris Byrne, Concord TBS
  • I'm learning marketing techniques that I never new existed. Social media is now great for us.
    Michael Dietrich, MSCJ Superannuation
  • Masterclass was the most engaging and stimulating seminar that I have ever attended. Go.
    Chris Byrne, Concord TBS
  • The Masterclass taught us how to communicate our value proposition to clients and prospects.
    David Robson, Robson Partners
    Xero Gold Partner

The PARADOX Team

MC_500px

Michael ‘MC’ Carter

Marketing Machinist

An award-winning entrepreneur, patent holder, product designer, copywriter, tech company founder, business consultant, marketing advisor, speaker and self-confessed ‘propellor head’, MC has worked in and consulted to the accounting profession across two decades. What lights MC’s fire is the psychology of influence and the technology of marketing. The combination of these, MC believes, creates the closest thing he’s seen to modern day alchemy.

Ysabel_Web_500px

Ysabel Bautista

Marketing Juggler

Ysabel is our chief makes-things-happen-like-clockwork team member. Coordinating our range of Automatic Marketing services as well as our Virtual Marketing Assistant (VMA) services for our members, Ysabel’s team helps accounting firms consistently pump out great content into their Marketing Machines. Ysabel coordinates a lot of PARADOX’s marketing activities too such as our webinars, social media and eNewsletter. Proud mother of young Liam, Ysabel is based in our Manilla office.

Wayne_Schmidt_PARADOX_Avatar_254px

Wayne Schmidt

Events Guru

Wayne’s our Events Guru. With his time at Xero as Country Manager Australia, Wayne has been at the forefront of the enormous change and huge opportunity that cloud accounting presents to both SMEs and accountants. And he knows events. He knows how to organise them, present them and make them work for a business in terms converting attendees into clients. Wayne and his team of presenters makes events engaging and successful for accounting firms and bookkeeping businesses around Australia.

Bill Harper - Copywriter

Bill Harper

Copywriter

They say ‘Content Is King’, which means copywriters are royalty, surely. Meet our Copywriting King, Bill. He has a great turn of phrase and a sharp sense of humour. Bill’s a master of polishing our clients’ own rough drafts of articles into great blog posts and eNewsletter articles as part of our Virtual Marketing Assistant service. Bill also writes copy for client websites, eBooks and other content marketing pieces that fuel our clients’ Marketing Machines

Suzanne_500px

Suzanne Reijn

Paradox Partner - NL

Suzanne has a rare combination of in-depth knowledge in the Accounting industry and Marketing & Sales training expertise. Suzanne worked for one of the Big 4 Accounting firms for more than 15 years in the Corporate Finance practice as an advisor and partner in the firm, before starting her own companies which revolve around personal and professional effectiveness in the areas of marketing, sales, presentation and negotiation skills. She loves to challenge and help accounting firms to design successful business strategies and become true leaders of their clients.

Mark Vijverberg

Mark Vijverberg

Paradox Partner - NL

A creative thinker, enthusiastic, trainer and coach for professionals like accountants. Mark Vijverberg provides talent-development programs, since more then 20 years, to help people to create peak performance. In his career he has never met someone who didn’t enjoy learning and growing professionally and personally. As soon as people try to align who they are with what their mission is they will experience more energy, more fun and therefore more success in business.

  • To accountants who ask me about PARADOX and The Academy, all I say is, JUST DO IT!
    Xero Partner of the Year 2012
    Steph Hinds, Growthwise
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Learning marketing from PARADOX is like being plugged into The Matrix! We're constantly learning. All of it practical and instantly implementable.
    Ben Walker, Inspire CA
  • This marketing is fun, fast to do, and it works. Last month we brought on 22 new clients.
    Kirsten Hawke, Astill Hawke
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX gives us practical, easy-to-implement strategies and processes to follow. And they just work.
    David Cartwright, Cartwright Brown & Company
  • The first 11 clients we applied the Clientshare Cross-Selling Process to, generated $59K in new fees.
    David Cartwright, Cartwright Brown & Company
  • We can now communicate the value of what we do. It has made a big difference to our bottom line.
    Jennifer McAullay, Helm Accounting
    Xero Gold Partner
  • We've learnt so much. It is so energising. If you're not part of The Academy, you're missing out.
    Jennifer McAullay, Helm Accounting
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX marketing strategies helped us hit our $1m revenue target a full year ahead of our original business plan projections.
    Xero Partner of the Year 2012
    Steph Hinds, Growthwise
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX created our name, our logo, designed our website and wrote awesome content for our website.
    Timothy Munro, Change Accountants
    Xero Gold Partner
  • The Academy teaches practical techniques we can immediately use in social media and online.
    Grant Smith, Armstrong Watson
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX shifted our mindset and introduced us to technology that is transforming our business.
    Jeremy Harris, Gill McKerrow
    Xero Gold Partner
  • We learn so much from PARADOX around leading edge business thinking and technology.
    Cameron Patterson, Cameron Patterson & Co.
    Xero Gold Partner
  • After just one month of outsourcing some of my marketing to PARADOX we are already seeing results.
    Amanda Fisher, Connected Accountants
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX are our marketing department. Social media, blogs, enewsletter, they make it happen.
    Drew Grosskreutz, Otium Group
  • The hands-on learning approach is great. Takes your communication skills to the next level.
    Robert Moore, Active Business Consultants (now MSI Taylor)
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Blogging and social media are must-do’s in today’s world. A great way to attract new clients.
    Amanda Fisher, Connected Accountants
    Xero Gold Partner
  • "Thanks! Such detailed, tailored, marketing tech advice. PARADOX is the only place we can get this."
    Jeremy Harris, Gill McKerrow
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Using PARADOX services, we doubled our monthly revenue in 5 months. Mind-blowing advice.
    Drew Grosskreutz, Otium Group
  • We now do MORE marketing in a week than we used to do per quarter,
    and with LESS effort!
    Kirsten Hawke, Astill Hawke
    Xero Gold Partner
  • PARADOX's accounting industry-specific marketing expertise is unbeatable.
    Matt Treatt, Your Accounts Department
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Compared to PARADOX, other consultants are vague. PARADOX advice is specific.
    David Cartwright, Cartwright Brown & Company
  • I’m loving The Academy. The ‘how to’ and ‘what to do’ is exactly what I needed.
    Adele Wardley, A Squared Advisors
    Xero Gold Partner
  • Before using PARADOX, we had been living in the technological dark ages, and didn't realise it!
    Sonja Haller, Wise Accountants
  • Awesome! Never have I experienced such depth of knowledge and practical
 ideas in marketing.
    Peter Nicholson, Peak Financial Services
  • We now approach marketing with confidence and enthusiasm instead of dread and confusion.
    Jennifer McAullay, Helm Accounting
    Xero Gold Partner
  • There’s always something new and it’s different from anything you’ll hear from other consultants.
    Chris Byrne, Concord TBS
  • I'm learning marketing techniques that I never new existed. Social media is now great for us.
    Michael Dietrich, MSCJ Superannuation
  • Masterclass was the most engaging and stimulating seminar that I have ever attended. Go.
    Chris Byrne, Concord TBS
  • The Masterclass taught us how to communicate our value proposition to clients and prospects.
    David Robson, Robson Partners
    Xero Gold Partner

Recent Updates From The Blog

If you want to see updates specific to the Modern Marketing Academy, Click Here.

If you want to see our general public updates, Click Here.