Scaling an Accounting Firm in 2026: Insights From Sharrin Fuller

Scaling an accounting firm is often presented as a growth milestone, but few leaders talk openly about what breaks when systems are not ready.

Visibility fades, processes strain, and owners find themselves shouldering more responsibility rather than less. The difference between controlled growth and constant pressure comes down to how intentionally a firm is built. 

To explore this, Ace Cloud Hosting spoke with Sharrin Fuller, founder of Glass Wallet Ventures, and a seasoned authority on scaling accounting firms.

Sharrin has built and sold two full-service accounting firms, achieving seven-figure exits, and has helped countless service-based businesses grow without burning out.

She is the author of Unfollow the Rules, a practical guide shaped by real experiences with growth, setbacks, and rebuilding smarter. 

With nearly two decades in the profession, recognition as a three-time Intuit ProAdvisor Top 100, and a Top 10 ProAdvisor in 2025, Sharrin brings a direct, experience-led perspective on scaling.  

In this conversation, she shares what breaks first as firms grow, how cloud infrastructure and AI shape sustainable scale, and why structure, not hustle, protects both profit and work-life balance. 

Q1. When an accounting firm begins to scale, what tends to break first if the right systems and processes are not in place?  

The first thing that breaks is visibility. Owners lose line of sight into what work is being done, who is doing it, and whether it is profitable. That is when things start to feel chaotic. Deadlines slip, clients get frustrated, and the owner becomes the bottleneck without realizing it.  

Right behind visibility is consistency. Without documented processes, every team member does the same task differently. That might work for five clients. It collapses at fifty. Suddenly, quality control becomes reactive instead of intentional.  

The final thing that breaks is the owner. They end up answering every question, fixing every mistake, and holding the entire operation together with late nights and duct tape. At that point, growth is no longer exciting. It feels like punishment.  

Scaling does not fail because firms take on too many clients. It fails because the work was never designed to operate without the owner in the middle. 

Q2. How does a firm’s technology stack, especially its cloud infrastructure, influence its ability to scale sustainably?  

Your tech stack decides whether growth feels controlled or completely unhinged. Cloud-based tools are not about convenience. They are about creating a single source of truth. When your systems do not talk to each other, your team fills the gaps manually, and that is where errors and burnout live. 

A solid cloud infrastructure allows work to move without constant handoffs. It supports remote teams, standardized workflows, and real-time reporting. That means the owner can make decisions based on data instead of gut feelings and Slack panic.  

The biggest mistake firms make is buying tools before defining the process. Technology should reinforce how you want work to flow, not dictate it. If your stack is built intentionally, scaling becomes predictable. If it is built reactively, every new client adds friction. Good tech does not replace people. It protects them.  

Q3. What are the most common mistakes firm owners make while trying to scale their practice?  

The biggest mistake is hiring before fixing the system. Owners assume more people will solve capacity problems, but all that does is multiply inefficiency. If the process is broken, adding staff just makes the mess more expensive.  

Another mistake is keeping pricing and scope loose. Scaling with unclear boundaries leads to over-servicing, resentment, and shrinking margins. Growth without discipline is just chaos with better branding.  

Owners also struggle to let go. They stay too involved in delivery because it feels safer. In reality, it keeps the firm dependent on them and limits growth. If the business cannot operate without the owner, it is not scalable. It is just busy.  

Scaling requires fewer heroics and more structure. That shift is uncomfortable, but it is non-negotiable.  

Q4. How can accounting firms leverage new-age technologies like AI to build future-ready practices?  

AI is not here to replace accountants. It is here to remove the low-value work that never should have been manual in the first place. Firms that win with AI use it to support judgment, not replace it.  

Practical use cases include faster data review, draft-level client communication, forecasting support, and internal knowledge management. That frees senior team members to focus on advisory and strategy instead of cleanup.  

The danger is chasing shiny tools without guardrails. AI needs clear workflows, permissions, and quality control. Otherwise, it creates more risk than reward.  

Future-ready firms treat AI like a junior assistant. Useful, fast, and supervised. When used intentionally, it raises capacity without increasing headcount and allows firms to scale expertise instead of hours.  

Q5. Scaling often changes the dynamics of work. How does growth impact work-life balance for firm owners and their teams?  

Growth exposes whatever was already broken. If a firm scales without systems, work-life balance gets worse fast. Longer hours, blurred boundaries, and constant urgency become normal, and that is how burnout shows up. 

But when scaling is intentional, the opposite happens. Clear processes, defined roles, and smart technology reduce fire drills. Teams know what success looks like. Owners stop carrying everything in their head.  

Healthy growth creates predictability. Predictability creates balance. That applies to both the owner and the team. Work-life balance is not a perk. It is a lagging indicator of how well the business is designed. If everyone is exhausted, the issue is not motivation. It is structure. 

When Growth Is Designed, Not Survived 

Scaling exposes exactly how a firm is built. If work depends on tribal knowledge, constant approvals, or the owner stepping in to fix issues, growth will amplify stress rather than deliver results. What appears to be a capacity problem is usually a design problem. 

Sharrin’s perspective reinforces a simple truth. Firms that scale well do not rely on heroics. They rely on visibility, clear processes, and systems that allow work to move without friction. Cloud infrastructure, documented workflows, and intentional use of AI create space for better decisions and healthier teams. 

When growth is designed with structure in mind, owners regain control, teams know what success looks like, and balance becomes possible again. Scaling stops feeling like survival and starts feeling like progress. 

At Ace Cloud Hosting, we see firms of all sizes embracing cloud technology and AI to free up time, elevate client conversations, and make smarter decisions. As workflows automate and real-time collaboration becomes the norm, accountants must evolve into technology-driven advisors.