Why so many capable business owners feel financially incapable (and how accountants can help)

“I’m just not very good with numbers.”

“I should understand this by now.”

These comments often come from people running successful, growing businesses. They are competent, intelligent, and decisive in almost every other area of their work, yet when it comes to finances, they feel uncertain, hesitant, or even embarrassed.

Over time, I’ve come to realise this isn’t a capability problem, it’s a confidence problem, and one that accountants often, unintentionally, play a role in shaping.

Financial information is powerful. It influences decisions about hiring, pricing, growth, and risk. But the way that information is delivered can either build confidence or erode it.

In many cases, reports are presented without interpretation. Numbers are shared, but the story behind them is left unsaid. Advice is delivered as a final answer, rather than as part of a dialogue that acknowledges trade-offs, uncertainty, and context.

For business owners, this can reinforce the idea that financial understanding is something they either “have” or “don’t have”. When they don’t immediately grasp what they’re seeing, they assume the problem is them, not the way the information has been framed.

This dynamic is rarely intentional. Most accountants are focused on being accurate, efficient, and compliant. But when conversations are overly technical or transactional, clients can disengage. They stop asking questions. They defer decisions. They begin to see finances as something that happens to them, rather than something they actively use.

Confidence matters because it directly affects outcomes.

Business owners who lack confidence in their numbers are more likely to delay decisions, avoid risk entirely, or rely heavily on others to tell them what to do. Over time, this can lead to missed opportunities, underperformance, and frustration on both sides of the client–advisor relationship.

From a professional perspective, this also has implications for accountants. Disengaged clients are harder to work with. They are less responsive, less proactive, and less likely to see value in advice, even when that advice is sound.

The good news is that confidence isn’t built through more data. It’s built through better conversations.

Accountants can make a meaningful difference by shifting how financial information is communicated. That might mean explaining why a number matters, not just what it is. It might mean asking clients what they are trying to decide before offering a recommendation. Or it might mean normalising uncertainty and acknowledging that there is rarely a single “right” answer in business.

These are not radical changes, nor do they require accountants to step outside their professional boundaries. They require awareness of the psychological impact financial conversations can have.

When clients feel safe to ask questions, to admit confusion, or to explore different scenarios - they become more capable decision-makers. They engage more deeply with their finances, and the quality of advice improves as a result.

Accounting doesn’t just measure performance, it shapes how people relate to money, risk, and responsibility. With that influence comes an opportunity.

By focusing not only on accuracy, but also on understanding, we can help business owners move from feeling financially incapable to feeling financially empowered. And in doing so, we can strengthen both client outcomes and the long-term relevance of our role.

Amy Fox, CPA is the managing director of Goldi Group.