Business advice by accountants to SMEs: relationship and trust

Accountants are the most frequently used source of business advice by SMEs. Yet there is little theoretical understanding of this relationship. In this paper we investigate the influence of relationships and trust on decisions by SMEs to purchase non-compliance advice from their external accountants, drawing upon Mayer, Davis and Schoorman‘s (1995) model of trust. In-depth interviews with accountants and SME owner-managers support the proposition that relationships and trust are necessary conditions for enabling latent business advice demand. Integrity and empathy are two dimensions of trust, and both qualities appear fundamental to the accountant‘s ability to retain SME clients. But they do not directly influence SME decisions to purchase subsequent business advice. The analysis shows it is the specific competence of the external accountant that directly influences the SME‘s business-advice purchase decision. SME managers and principals with less trusting natures require accountants to clearly demonstrate their competence, usually following a significant business challenge, before business advice is sought. SME owner-managers with more trusting natures are more open to buying business advice, but the market is competitive. Overall, the a priori assumption that an already established relationship developed through compliance services will lead an SME to buy business advice is not supported.