In-House Accountant vs. Outsourced Financial Partner: What’s Right for Your Agency?

The Crossroads Many Agencies Face

As your agency grows, managing finances becomes more complex. You start asking:

• Should I hire someone in-house?

• Should I outsource to a specialist?

• Can I keep doing it myself?

This article will help you compare the two main paths, in-house vs outsourced, and show you how to choose the best financial support model for your agency.

Spoiler alert: It’s not just about cost it’s about clarity, flexibility, and confidence.

What Does “In-House” Really Mean?

Hiring someone internally often means adding a bookkeeper or accountant to your team. You have direct control, day-to-day access, and continuity. But that comes with:

• Salary & employment costs (NI, pensions, holiday)

• Training and onboarding, especially if they don’t know the agency model

• Limitations in experience, especially around strategic input or growth planning

You may get basic tasks handled well, but you might still lack:

• Cashflow forecasting

• Management reporting

• Tax planning

• Strategic financial guidance

What Does Outsourcing Look Like?

Outsourced financial support gives you access to a team or partner who specialises in agency finances. This often includes:

• Monthly bookkeeping & reconciliations

• Management accounts that actually help you make decisions

• Cashflow planning and forecasting

• Profit improvement strategies

• Board-level reporting & insights

And you typically get all this:

• Without the HR burden

• With more experience across different agencies

• With better tech and systems baked in

Cost Comparison: A Realistic Breakdown

Let’s compare cost and value side by side:

Hiring in-house might make sense if:

• You’re £5m+ in revenue

• You have a stable, complex structure

• You want tight daily control over everything

For most growing agencies, outsourcing gives far more value for the same — or less — investment.

The Hidden Cost of "Doing It Yourself"

Let’s not forget a third option many agency owners try: doing it all themselves.

Here’s the cost of that:

• Lost time, hours spent wrestling spreadsheets or reconciling transactions

• Poor decisions, made from incomplete or misunderstood data

• Stress and decision fatigue, always second-guessing your finances

You might feel like you’re saving money, but in reality:

• You’re undercharging

• You’re misjudging hiring timelines

• You’re flying blind on profit

And none of that helps your agency grow.

Choosing the Right Fit

Ask yourself:

• Do I want a partner who understands agency finances?

• Am I getting real insights — or just reconciliations?

• Can I grow with this person or provider?

• What’s the cost of not having confident, clear numbers?

The answer isn’t the same for every agency, but the thinking should be deliberate.

Final Thoughts

It’s not about whether you can hire in-house or outsource. It’s about what you want your time, decisions, and energy focused on.

In-house means building infrastructure. Outsourcing means gaining clarity and control without the overhead.

Most agencies between £300k and £3m turnover find that outsourcing gives them exactly what they need to scale.

Ready to compare options? Let’s show you how our model stacks up for your agency.

Curious what financial support could look like in your business? Book a no-pressure call and we’ll help you map it out.