Is FOBO Sabotaging Your Freedom?
The ruse of FOBO: “If I wait, I’ll make the perfect choice.”
Freedom doesn’t come from perfect choices., it comes from committed ones.
::Together With Financial Cents::
Financial Cents has a fantastic library of templates built by accounting firms like yours.
FOBO - Fear Of A Better Offer - is not just a problem for Saturday night plans.
We experience it in many aspects of our lives - business and personal - and it may be wreaking havoc on your ability to create the freedom you crave in your accounting firm.
Occasionally, we may hesitate to make personal plans because of FOBO, and we all know at least one person who has experienced FOBO gone bad in a real estate sale (there is a cliche that the first offer will usually be the best offer). But FOBO is a true saboteur in streamlining our tech stack.
How to overcome FOBO.
Every confident firm owner you admire is not making better decisions.
They’re better at deciding.
Set decision deadlines
Give yourself a set amount of time to make a decision—then decide. Whether it's a week or a month, set the deadline and stick to it.
Embrace imperfect action
Most decisions aren’t forever. You can revise your choices later if needed, but you can’t build momentum if you’re stuck in analysis paralysis.
Use decision filters
Create a list of 3–5 things that matter most to you (based on the vetting criteria below). Rate your options against those criteria—and trust the outcome.
Trust your gut—within reason
Your instincts are valid, especially when supported by real information. If something feels right and checks most of your boxes, it’s probably good enough to move forward.
App analysis paralysis is, by and large, caused by FOBO.
Whether it’s accounting software or firm management apps, the overwhelm is real. Too many decisions slow us down. Holy high heavens we have many, many great options available to us in each category of apps, so how on earth do you just make a choice and stick with it?
Define what freedom in your firm feels like
What would the key elements of your ideal firm look like?
Scaling but not being “in the client work”?
Being small, yet delegating work?
No team members yet still able to step away from the biz?
There are so many possibilities of what freedom in your firm feels like to each of us that I can’t possibly list them all, but you should.
Analyze what areas of your firm are experiencing issues that tech can solve
Inconsistent client work
Inefficient client work
Inefficient internal processes
Missed deadlines
Team miscommunication
Too… much… drudge… work…
Narrow your tech choices down to three (not four, or six or twelve…) by vetting based on these eight criteria:
One: Firm Needs & Workflow Fit
Does it have features that solve issues you have?
Not features that solve issues your friends have
Will it streamline, automate, or eliminate manual work?
Does it fit your existing processes — or will you need to change your entire workflow?
What is your client load?
How many team members do you have?
What types of services do you offer?
Two: Ease of Use & Training
Is the tool intuitive enough for your team?
Will onboarding be a headache or fairly simple?
Does the vendor offer good training/support resources?
Three: Integration with Other Tools
Does it play nicely with your existing tech stack?
Can you eliminate duplicate data entry and reduce app-hopping?
Four: Cost vs. Value
Is it priced per user, per client, or flat fee?
Does the cost align with the time or revenue you’ll gain?
Any hidden costs (support, setup, data migration)?
Five: Security & Compliance
Is the software built for accounting firms?
Does it offer 2FA and encryption?
Is client data stored in Canada/USA (if that matters for your firm)?
Six: Scalability (refer back to your vision of freedom)
Will this tool still work when your firm doubles in size?
Can it handle more clients, more team members, or more complexity without breaking?
Seven: Trial & Feedback
Is there a free trial or sandbox account?
Can you pilot it with a small team or a few clients before going all-in?
Eight: And don’t neglect UX and UI.
It is a critical element in both client and team adoption. If people don’t like working in it, they won’t.
Now make a stinkin’ decision!
FOBO is sneaky. It’s strutting around like a strategy when really it’s fear. You didn’t start your firm to live in fear; you started it for flexibility, freedom, and fulfillment—and those things come from taking action, not hanging about letting FOBO get the better of you.
So here’s your challenge:
💥 Pick one tech vertical you’ve been putting off because you’re afraid a better option might come along
💥 Set a decision deadline for it this week
💥 Make the call—and don’t look back
You don’t need more options. You need more clarity. You need fewer “what ifs” and more “let’s go.”
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May 21, 2025
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