A New Kind of Owner Is Changing the Advisory Game

As 2025 winds down, business owners are naturally looking at what they’ve got planned for the year ahead and, for the first time in a generation, younger owners are signalling a real shift in where their advisory dollars go.

New analysis from Value Builder Analytics, drawn from thousands of business owners who completed their Value Builder Score Report, reveals a generational shift in who owners turn to for advice. Across all generations, accountants remain a top choice for advice on building company value, but what’s changing is who’s catching up. Among Boomers, coaches ranked a distant second to accountants. Among Millennials, they’re nearly neck and neck. Thirty-six percent of Millennial owners say they’d turn to a coach or consultant for advice, just one point behind accountants at 37%, showing how coaching has evolved from a supporting role to a leading one.

The message is clear: it’s no longer either/or. Accountants still anchor the financial side of the relationship, but coaches increasingly set the tone. If you offer either service, lead with it. If you don’t, get to know someone who does, because for Millennial owners there are now two doors into the conversation.

Quick Links

📖 Winning trust with business owners starts with knowing what drives them. Our analysis of 10,000+ companies shows that owners fall into three clear categories, each requiring a different approach. Find out how in The Entrepreneur’s Trusted Advisor. Read Now

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📘 Strengthen (don’t change) your advisory practice. Value Builder fits seamlessly into how you already work, helping you measure, grow, and communicate value. Learn More

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Advisor News is brought to you by The Value Builder System^TM, a value assessment platform that helps advisors start strategic conversations with business owners.

This Issue’s Contributors: Jason Reilly, Editor; Michael Sarkis, Director of Value Builder Analytics; Jen Chou, Senior Graphic Designer