Building a Sellable Accounting Firm with Justine Lackey

Running a firm takes more than just bringing clients in. It requires delivering consistent value and putting strong structures in place to support sustainable growth.

Justine Lackey, Bookkeeping Business Coach and founder of The Incubator, has spent her career helping firm owners think bigger. After scaling and selling her own firm, she turned her focus to equipping others with the systems, skills, and mindset to do the same. Her approach blends practical processes with the human side of running a business, from retaining clients to fostering a strong team culture.

In this episode, Justine shares how to position your firm as a sellable asset, why retention often matters more than acquisition, and how to simplify systems without sacrificing results. 

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to prepare your firm for a successful sale
• Why client retention drives long-term value
• Ways to simplify processes while maintaining high-quality work
• How to create space for innovation without losing focus

Jump into the conversation:

(00:00) Meet Justine Lackey

(01:29) How Justine Lackey grew from assistant to firm owner

(03:10) Building and selling a right-sized accounting and bookkeeping firm

(04:56) Positioning your business as a sellable asset

(10:59) Delivering five-star onboarding to set lasting client relationships

(12:30) Explaining CAS so every entrepreneur understands its value

(18:37) A communication approach that strengthens client trust during problems

(23:15) Creating the Digital Tax Package to improve accuracy and timeliness

(26:08) Why simpler systems often work better than complex software

(30:31) Making time for experimentation in your firm

(38:05) Using the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize effectively