Live from Boston on the final stop of the Advisory Amplified tour, Blake sits down with James Irving from Fathom and Chris Macksey from Prefix Accounting to explore what advisory services really mean beyond bookkeeping and compliance. Chris shares how his firm requires advisory for all restaurant clients, using industry expertise and operational metrics to guide decisions on everything from menu pricing to expansion timing. The conversation covers the difference between delivering information versus being integral to decision-making, with insights on forecasting, benchmarking, and why visual KPIs help clients with low financial literacy understand their business performance.

Chapters

• (00:22) - Welcome to the Earmark Podcast
• (01:15) - Prefix Accounting: A Niche in Hospitality
• (02:25) - Advisory Services in the Restaurant Industry
• (06:20) - Forecasting and Budgeting for Restaurants
• (06:59) - Getting Started with Advisory Services
• (13:40) - Defining Advisory Services
• (17:35) - The Value of Metrics and Visuals
• (25:24) - Advice for Firms Starting Advisory Services
• (27:40) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Connect with Our Guests:

James Erving

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameserving/

Learn more about Fathom

Official website: http://fathomhq.com

Chris Macksey

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmacksey/

Learn more about Prix Fixe Accounting

Official website: https://prixfixe.accountants/

Connect with Blake Oliver, CPA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliver
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/