Growing a business means making important decisions every day. From managing cash flow and planning for growth to navigating staffing changes and technology investments, today’s business owners need a trusted advisor who understands their business and helps them plan for what’s next. That’s where Client Advisory Services (CAS) comes in.
As Principal and leader of Maillie’s growing CAS practice, Dan Niehls, CPA works alongside business owners to provide proactive financial guidance, practical insight, and the confidence that comes from having the right partner in your corner. In this conversation, he shares why a trusted advisor who understands where businesses are headed and helps them get there can make all the difference.
Q: Client Advisory Services is an increasingly important focus for Maillie. What separates a trusted advisor from a traditional accounting relationship?
A: Business owners have always needed good financial information, but today they need more than reports. They need someone who can help them understand what the numbers mean and how to proactively act on them.
That’s really where Client Advisory Services fits. We’re helping clients move beyond recording transactions or closing the books each month. We’re having ongoing conversations about their business, identifying opportunities, anticipating challenges, and giving them information they can actually use. To me, that’s where accounting becomes much more valuable.
Q: How would you describe Client Advisory Services to someone who’s never heard the term before?
A: I think of CAS as building a true financial partnership. For some clients, that starts with bookkeeping or day-to-day accounting support. For others, it’s budgeting, forecasting, cash flow planning, or acting as an outsourced controller or CFO.
Every client is a little different. The common thread is that we’re helping business owners understand what’s happening inside their business so they can make informed decisions with confidence.
Q: What challenges are business owners bringing to you today?
A: It’s different for every client, but we do see some common situations. Sometimes an owner has managed the accounting function themselves for years and as their business has grown, they just don’t have the bandwidth to do so anymore. Other times a trusted employee retires, or the business has grown to the point where internal processes haven’t kept pace.
Accounting is technically getting done, but insights that answer bigger questions aren’t clear. Can we afford to hire? Should we expand? How is cash flow trending? Where are we most profitable?
Those are the conversations we’re excited to have with clients because that’s where we can really help.
Q: Describe how deep expertise and strong client relationships work together to create better outcomes at Maillie.
A: We’re uniquely positioned because clients get both. On one hand, they have a team that knows their business personally and is invested in their long-term success. On the other, they have access to specialists across the firm whenever additional expertise is needed.
Whether that’s tax planning, valuation, transaction advisory, or another specialty, we’re able to bring together the right people without losing the personal relationship that’s already been built. Clients don’t have to choose between personal service and deep expertise. They get both.
Q: How does that relationship evolve as a client’s business grows?
A: One of the things I enjoy most about this work is that every business evolves. We’re not trying to fit every client into the same model. Our role evolves with them. As their business grows, the conversations change, the challenges become more complex, and the opportunities become bigger. Our job is to continue providing the insight and support they need every step of the way.
Q: Looking ahead, what excites you most about the future of Client Advisory Services at Maillie?
A: I think business owners increasingly want advisors, not just accountants. They want someone who’s invested in helping them succeed, who understands their goals, and who can help them make informed decisions as their business changes. That’s exactly where Client Advisory Services is headed, and what excites me most. It’s an opportunity to build deeper relationships with our clients and become the kind of trusted partner they can rely on through every stage of their business.
