Spreading the Word Section - Consulting

Ed Kless Named Senior Fellow of VeraSage Institute

Dallas, TX—July 3, 2006—VeraSage Institute announces Ed Kless as a senior fellow of the think tank. Kless was invited to join VeraSage because of his demonstrated improvement of practice methods in professional service firms. VeraSage fellows must personally commit to providing advice, support, and guidance to practitioners who embark on their journey to create firms that are more profitable. Fellows must also be willing and able to teach value pricing and other practice improvement methods to the growing number of professionals hungry for this information.

Ed Kless joined Sage Software in July of 2003 and is currently the director of partner development and recruitment for the mid-market division. He also facilitates the Sage Leadership Academy, a yearlong program designed to assist Sage Software partners develop a process of continuous improvement in their organizations. In addition, he develops and delivers the curriculum for Sage Consulting Academy.

As a consultant to Sage Software’s business partners, Ed has assisted several professional service firms switch from an hourly-billing model to a fixed-price model and eliminate time tracking. A core goal of VeraSage Institute is to end hourly billing by teaching firms how to better understand clients’ needs and manage expectations by pricing work up front establishing a mutually agreed-upon goal and price.

Read full release in pdf.

Michelle Golden Becomes Senior Fellow of VeraSage Institute

St. Louis, Missouri—June 12, 2006—VeraSage Institute announces Michelle Golden is the think tank’s newest senior fellow. Golden was selected to join VeraSage because of her demonstrated application of improvement practice methods in professional service firms. VeraSage fellows serve as role-models for other professionals and they personally commit to providing advice, support and guidance to other practitioners as they embark on their journeys to creating better firms.

Golden is president and CEO of Golden Marketing Resources, Inc., a marketing and organizational improvement firm operating as Golden Marketing Inc. and Golden Practices Inc., respectively. The company, established in St. Louis in 1999, works exclusively with professional service firms—CPA and law firms as well as financial and investment advisors—throughout the United States and some international firms.

As a professional service firm, itself, Golden moved her practice from an hourly–billing model to a fixed price model and eliminated time tracking. A core goal of VeraSage Institute is to end hourly billing by teaching firms how to better understand clients’ needs and manage expectations by pricing work up front establishing a mutually agreed-upon goal and price.

Read full release in pdf.