After 40 years working with accounting firms across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada, I’ve sat in a lot of strategic conversations that should never have needed to happen.
Partners debating pricing without knowing what the market actually supports. Productivity discussions going in circles because nobody knows where the firm sits compared to its peers. Technology investments decided by whoever speaks loudest in the room.
It’s not a people problem. It’s a data problem. And it’s entirely fixable.
What Is The Crunch 2026 Benchmark Report?
The Crunch is Australia’s annual benchmark report built specifically for small to medium accounting firms. Not Big Four data. Not global averages from markets that bear little resemblance to yours. Real numbers from real Australian practices, operating in your market, dealing with the same challenges you face.
It covers the metrics that actually matter, pricing, margins, productivity, profitability, partner returns, and service mix, and more usefully, shows you what the top-performing firms are doing differently.
Which Accounting Firms Should Use This Data?
If you’re a practice owner, partner, or practice manager running a firm with turnover between $100k and $10M per site, this report is for you.
And before you say “we’re already doing well”, that’s exactly when this data is most valuable. Strong internal results don’t always mean strong market positioning. You might be profitable and growing and still leaving money on the table. Without external benchmarks, you simply don’t know.
Four Ways Accounting Firms Use Benchmarking Data
Pricing decisions. Stop anchoring fees to what you charged last year. See what the market actually supports and what margins top performers are achieving. One pricing adjustment backed by solid data often pays for the report many times over.
Productivity improvements. The report shows how leading firms are achieving more with existing resources, not by working harder, but by working differently. Technology, workflow, offshore partnerships, AI-enabled processes. These decisions become clearer when you can see the outcomes others are actually achieving.
Investment prioritisation. New software? Expanded team? Shifted service mix? The Crunch lets you compare outcomes across firms taking different approaches, so you can see what’s delivering return and what isn’t.
Partner alignment. This might be the biggest benefit. When partners debate strategy based on opinions and anecdotes, progress stalls. When you have external data showing what’s working in the market, the conversation shifts from opinion to evidence. Decisions move faster. Alignment happens.
Accounting Firm Data Confidentiality: How It Works
All firm data is completely anonymised and aggregated. No individual practice can be identified. You contribute your data, benefit from the collective intelligence of the market, and your competitive position stays protected. This is the same approach The Benchmarking Group has used across 140 industries for over 25 years.
How to Register for The Crunch 2026
Register before 31 March 2026, and you’ll receive 50% off the standard price, bringing it to $247.50. You submit your practice data through a secure questionnaire, typically in 30 to 45 minutes, using information you already have in your practice management systems. From there, your data is quality-checked, anonymised, and aggregated, and you receive a comprehensive benchmark report showing exactly where your firm sits and what the top performers are doing differently.
It becomes a strategic tool you can use throughout the year, for pricing reviews, partner discussions, investment decisions, and performance monitoring.
Stop Guessing. Start Benchmarking.
Every successful practice I’ve worked with has one thing in common: they make decisions based on evidence, not assumptions. The Crunch gives you the external reference points to do exactly that, to test assumptions, sharpen strategy, and have better conversations in the room.
If you’re serious about running your firm on evidence rather than instinct, it’s a straightforward decision.
Register for The Crunch 2026 here.
Mark has spent more than 40 years working with accounting firms across Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada. He helps firm owners and partners cut through the noise, get clarity on strategy, and build practices that actually perform. When he’s not consulting or speaking, you’ll find him hosting the Accounting Insights podcast, where the industry’s real conversations happen. Learn more at markholton.com.au.
