The Professional's Guide to Value Pricing 2000

Book Description

Chapters 1 through 5 of the book cover a history of the accounting profession and move into why people buy what they buy, and how much they will pay.

Chapters 6 and 7 challenge the 40-year-old practice of hourly billing.

Chapter 8 looks at price psychology and at why professionals suffer from write-downs.

In Chapters 9 through 13 you will find alternative to the hourly billing method that are superior in obtaining the value for the services provided.

Chapter 14 reinforces the importance of customer service and loyalty. Chapter 15 is about making the transition from a compliance CPA to a consultant.

Chapter 16 discusses the morality of hourly billing vs. Value Pricing, along with some of the ethical quandaries that attorneys are struggling with as they shift away from hourly billing.

In Chapter 17 the critical link between a professional's level of self-esteem and the ability to Value Price is explored.

Chapters 18 and 19 are for those who want to delve deeper into theory and law and cover anti-trust policy and price theory.

Chapter 20 concludes with some thoughts regarding the death of the Almighty Hour and whether or not Value Pricing is a fad that will disappear or a portentous "paradigm shift" that will permanently alter the way in which professionals price their services.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for any professional.......2007-02-12

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, Paul Dunn. Paul had already set me up to become a value pricing (VP) fan as that what he lives and breathes, and so I was already in a positive frame of mind to read the book. Well, the book blew my mind! It delivered on all of my expectations and then some. If you are serious about making a difference in your business, then you absolutely have to read this book.

This book is not just for accountants and lawyers. It is for any service organisation that has a pricing policy. The science behind VP and how to value your services is incredible. And when you've read it, you'll see just how much common sense there is in VP.

We are now working on introducing VP into our firm and while it's not going to be all beer and skittles as we go through the process, what we can see as possible on the other side of VP, we know will make it all worthwhile.

Read and enjoy!

Outstanding help for professional services.......2006-08-18

The author Ron Baker get the point across well, that pricing by the hour is old fashioned to say the least and creates harm between you and the customer. He also shows clearly why value pricing is ethical and how to make the most of your marketing preactices. I would highly suggest this book. It is worth way more than the price!

The most important book to hit our profession in many years.......2001-09-24

Run, don't walk, to order your copy of this book. Ron Baker does for pricing our services what Montgomery did for Auditing.
What a novel idea, to get paid for the value of the services that we provide to our clients.
Ron Baker's goal, as he so aptly describes it, is "to trash time sheets forever". Keeping track of time is the biggest waste of time ever perpetrated on professionals. Accountants have become slaves to the concept of "the almighty hour". We are not selling hours but intellectual capital.
Ron takes you through every step necessary to start your trip to successful value pricing. You will learn exactly how to present this to your existing clients. You will also learn how to use a change order when there turns out to be hidden surprises that no one anticipated. He will explain the concept of service guarantees as an excellent way of gaining new clients and show you in detail how to draft service agreements to use. The book comes with a CD-Rom that has many forms and agreements referred to in the book.
I don't know too many people who are thrilled about the idea of having any work done for them without knowing exactly what the cost will be. It's like boarding an airplane in Los Angeles, flying to New York, and being told your fare will depend on how many minutes you're in the air.
Ron Baker is truly one of the very few original thinkers in the accounting profession. Listen to him; learn from him, and I promise you that you will improve your professional life and most important, your bottom line as well.

Wish I had read this book 20 years ago.......2001-08-31

I bought this book on a trial basis, due to its cost. It came on a Friday, and I scanned it that night. I wrote the check next morning.
This book changed my attitude about my profession. I was ready to quit. Burned out, tired, frustrated, and angry.
Within one month, I had identified 5 major clients and had more than doubled the revenue from those clients. My staff is happier because they feel they are being treated as professionals and generating fees more in line with their abilities. We have "dismissed" several non-productive clients, and haven't missed the revenue. We work fewer hours at more enjoyable work and actually make more profits. It has positively affected my home life as well.

This book will change your life.......2000-01-26

Having read the previous edition of this book for just 20 minutes I e-mailed the author to tell him that "I have seen this book described as the most important book in the profession. Without a shadow of a doubt, it will change my life."

The new chapters make this latest edition even better. Read the chapter on Total Quality Service to understand how to compete in the future. Ron Baker will completely change your views on pricing professional services. You will start to charge what you are worth with a consequent improvement in both income and self esteem.

Recently I was in a group of 70 accountants who listened to the author speak on Value Pricing for just ten minutes. At the end he received a standing ovation. In my 30 years in the profession I have never seen accountants show such enthusiasm for a speaker and his subject.

If you want to change your professional (and personal) life for the better buy this book.

How to Assess Maturity of Purchasing
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How to Assess Maturity of Purchasing

Manufacturer: Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Purchasing & Buying | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1861241054

Book Description

Estate planning is about caring for loved ones and making sure that hard-earned assets are distributed according to your wishes. A good will can do just that. Now, in WHAT YOUR LAWYER MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT PLANNING YOUR FAMILYS WILL, a legal journalist shares the most up-to-date laws, benefits, and tips on preparing a will, and helps readers avoid future lawsuits and ugly family disputes by answering important questions like: When is it the right time to make a will? Whats the difference between a will and a trust? How is an estate settled, or a claim against one made? What are the restrictions for changing a will? Who may be excluded from a will? Included? And more.

Customer Reviews:

A must read!.......2006-03-30

Many of us spend so much time living, we don't make it a priority (or we fear) planning the right way for the time when our life ends.

Our daughter works at a law firm that specializes in elder law/estate law. About every week I get an email asking: Do you and Dad have a (will/trust/health care directive/prepaid funeral, etc.)? Usually I can answer yes because we have put our wishes on paper. We know because we have both been executors of family wills. We understand the importance of planning so your wishes are known and to also protect your assets.

The first chapter of this book will make you understand why you, too, need to have a will and do planning. So many people don't think they need a will, and the stories will show why this is not true.

Part 1 is the basics of wills and will help you understand wills and estate planning.

Part II is advanced planning that goes into a trust, what is probate, how to take care of pets, what if you become incapacitated, and oh, yes, tax implications. There is even a section on married/unmarried couple's specific needs.

Part III gets into the details of who, what, when, why--plus records and bookkeeping.

Yes, you can write your own will and have it notarized with two or three witnesses signing that you are of "sound mind," etc. But if you want to be smart before you do that, or before you see an attorney to get professional help, read this book.

If you think you don't need a will, consider what if you were killed in a work-related accident and there is a big settlement. Who gets it? Ignorance is NOT bliss in this incidence. Be prepared rather than negatively affect your surviving family members.

Armchair Interviews says: The subtitle to this book is: A Guide to Preventing the Common Pitfalls That Can Lead to Family Fights. Now--that's the crux of this whole subject!

Compact Cosmos: A Journey Through Space and Time (Wooden Books)
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Compact Cosmos: A Journey Through Space and Time (Wooden Books)
Matt Tweed
Manufacturer: Walker & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
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The Human Body: A Basic Guide to the Way You Fit Together (Wooden Books)

ASIN: 0802714552
Release Date: 2005-08-25

Book Description

Exploring the macrocosm from colossal galactic superclusters to quiet backwater planets, Matt Tweed offers a primer on the cosmos for anyone fascinated by the heavens. Taking a guided tour through the universe, we ride past quasars, jets, and galaxies to land on a curious world and examine an array of ideas about space and time. Tweed traces the evolution of stars and formation of planets, describing our "light bubble" and why we can't see any farther than we do. For a concise and accessible description of extra-solar planetary systems, black holes, pulsars, nebulae, great walls, dark matter, red shifts, and much more, The Compact Cosmos is an indispensable guide. Data tables, lists of cosmological constants, and distances from Earth to other bodies in space form a useful appendix.

Book Description

The increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus world-wide is an issue of major socio-economic concern. Scientific interest in plant-derived medicine is steadily rising, yet there is often a wide disparity in the caliber of information available. A detailed compilation of scientific information from across the globe, Traditional Medicines for Modern Times: Antidiabetic Plants highlights the potential role of dietary and medicinal plant materials in the prevention, treatment, and control of diabetes and its complications. The book not only describes plants traditionally used to treat diabetes, but evaluates the scientific studies on these plants and describes in vitro, in vivo, and clinical methods for their investigation. It examines the theory that changes in dietary patterns from traditional plant foodstuffs containing beneficial components, to richer, more processed "junk" food is responsible for the increased prevalence of diabetes worldwide. The book begins with an introduction to the disease diabetes mellitus written by a consultant physician and an up-to-date, detailed summary table and discussion of scientifically screened antidiabetic plants compiled by authors from the Jodrell Laboratories, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. The next chapters provide an outline of clinical, in vivo, and in vitro methods for assessing antidiabetic activity of plant materials, followed by descriptions of traditional plant remedies used in Asia, the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Australia written by an international group of authors active in antidiabetic plant research. The final chapters emphasize the role of particular phytochemical groups in the treatment or prevention of diabetes. By documenting both traditional and scientifically derived knowledge, Traditional Medicines for Modern Times: Antidiabetic Plants brings us closer to the translation of traditional knowledge into new methods for treatment of this important disease.

Book Description

This volume examines the magmatic precursors of igneous rocks: the raw materials from which the oceanic and continental crust, together with their associated sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, are ultimately derived. The book will be a valuable reference work for all earth scientists concerned with terrestrial magmatism and the role it plays in the evolution of the outer parts of our planet.

Physics and Astrophysics : A Selection of Key Problems
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Physics and Astrophysics : A Selection of Key Problems
Vitaly L.; Glebov, Oleg H. (translator); Ter Haar, G. (translator) Ginzburg
Manufacturer: Pergamon Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGXO7Q

Physics and Astrophysics: A Selection of Key Problems (Pergamon International Library of Science, Technology, Engin)
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A Wide and Deep View in a Slim Volume

Physics and Astrophysics: A Selection of Key Problems (Pergamon International Library of Science, Technology, Engin)
V. L. Ginzburg
Manufacturer: Pergamon Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Physics | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0080264999

Customer Reviews:

A Wide and Deep View in a Slim Volume.......2003-10-10

In this small book the author attempted to answer a question, "What seems to be most important and interesting in physics and astrophysics at present?" The "present" of the latest edition of this book is the first half of the 1980s. As the author writes in "Preface to the English Edition," the effective lifetime of each edition of the book of this type is not long. Because of the scarcity of books of this kind, however, the author's style and method of getting and presenting an overall view of the situation in physics as a whole continue to be heuristic even after many years since the publication of this book.

The book consists of three chapters on macrophysics, microphysics and astrophysics. Each chapter has seven to nine sections that deeply treat specific problems. It would be a good exercise for students and researchers to write by themselves about the later developments of the problem they are interested in or to give a list of other important problems they can think of. -- The author, V. L. Ginzburg, shared the 2003 Noble Prize in Physics with two low-temperature theorists. --

Book Description

In June 1940, as German troops massed across the Channel, poised for the invasion of Britain, Hitler seemed ready for his greatest gamble. In this compelling alternate history the Germans actually launch the invasion. Landing between Dover and Hythe, German troops push inland, supported by the Luftwaffe and the panzers, and strike toward London. A classic and harrowing insight into how Britain's war might have gone.

Customer Reviews:

The Best.......2004-07-18

This was the first Alternate History book that I read, and to me, it has always been the best. The story details a successful invasion of Great Britain in 1940, from the planning stages through the air battles, the glider landings, the beach crossings, and the eventual surrender of London.

The text is helped enormously by several detailed maps that enable the reader to completely understand the author's view of what he believes would happen. I found the story completely plausible, well-written, and I agree with the conclusions reached by the author. A previous reviewer wrote that it seemed to him as if the author portrayed the British Army in England as not being able to defend against a single German soldier with a rusty spear. The fact of the matter is that that isn't far from the truth.

The Royal Navy in the book comes through as rather shallow, but I would not disagree much with the author's conclusions. The Royal Navy could not stop an Operation Sealion with the entire force of Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe facing it. It could only hope to slow it enough to help the British Army destroy the landings, a possibility slim at best.

I agree that a German invasion would succeed, albeit at slightly higher casualties in both men and naval forces than the author has portrayed, but I cannot disagree with his conclusion. I had no problems with the book, excepting one. I wanted more!

An Alternative History Classic.......2000-12-06

I love this book, having bought it many years ago and still find myself periodically re-reading it. Sure, Macksey's premise is weak, for the Germans were in no position to launch an improvised and scaled down version of Operation Sealion in July, 1940. Likewise, the author never quite adequately covers the all-important naval dimension of the campaign and unpersuasively permits the Germans control of the Dover Straits. Nevertheless, it is a great read that moves along at a good clip. A nice companion to Peter Tsouras's "Disaster at D-Day".

Interesting but flawed.......2000-08-22

This book is a very interesting examination of the possibility of a German invasion of Britain in July 1940. Unfortunately, the treatment of the British defense feels as though he is not making decisions based upon what is likely to have happened, but rather what would make the telling of the story more exciting. In particular, one gets the feeling that British couldn't defend themselves against a lone German soldier with a dull rusty spear. And his treatment of the RN (Royal Navy) has a similar feel to it. One has to remember that in our timeline the British fought the Battle of Britain and stood firm in the summer of 1940, but there is none of that British courage and competence here, while the Germans get all the breaks. I recommend reading it, but don't hope for too much.

A Well-Written, If Somewhat Unlikely Alternative History.......2000-06-03

A well-written hypothetical account on what if the German Whermacht had launched Operation Sealion in July 1940 right after the fall of France. In this version, the Germans land two infantry divisions near Dover and drop the 7th Airborne Division. In short, the British counterattack fails, the Germans land their armor and British resistance collapses after about two weeks. Macksey includes good military detail, but he tends to portray most British actions as half-hearted and inept. The sea battles go far too well for the Germans and the Royal Navy doesn't put in a good effort. The whole concept of a German invasion of England resides in accepting that the Germans could cross the English Channel in the face of desperate British resistance. Unfortunately, Macksey doesn't really convince the reader that the Kriegsmarine could do this. Macksey is a former armor officer and the parts covering ground operations are the best, but the naval chapters are weak. Logistic issues are glossed over. Interesting, but a bit far-fetched. Maps are excellent and will be appreciated by military historians.

Very Good, but Sometimes Hard to Follow.......2000-03-29

This book presents a believable vision of a German invasion of Britain at a time when her economy hadn't yet shifted to wartime industry and she was at her most vulnerable. Complaints have been raised in a prior review that it lacks military accuracy, but as a lay reader I found it enjoyable, and I couldn't find the historical faults on a bet.

That said, I didn't get as much out of it as I could have. It was obviously written to be read by a military historian, or at least someone with more of a backing in military history than I'm blessed with. Technical details that Macksey throws out without a backward glance seem to assume I know one WWII fighter plane from another instead of being a dreamer out for an afternoon read of a fanciful speculation.

This book is for military historians at heart. Civilians won't be unable to get it -- I enjoyed it, after all -- but may find themselves lost from time to time. If you have any friends familiar with military history, enlist their help and you may have an easier time of it.

Invasion (The Alternate History of the German Invasion of England,July 1940)
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Invasion (The Alternate History of the German Invasion of England,July 1940)

Manufacturer: greenhill books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0739403702

INVASION: THE ALTERNATE HISTORY OF THE GERMAN INVASION OF ENGLAND, JULY 1940
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INVASION: THE ALTERNATE HISTORY OF THE GERMAN INVASION OF ENGLAND, JULY 1940
KENNETH MACKSEY
Manufacturer: WRENS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SB1KKK

Invasion : The Alternate History of the German Invasion of England, July 1940
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Invasion : The Alternate History of the German Invasion of England, July 1940
Kenneth Macksey
Manufacturer: Greenhill Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O5ZULA

Book Description

This affordable text offers a traditional political history approach in one convenient volume. A classic survey of Western civilization, this text has remained popular for its balanced coverage and its consistent efforts to explain why history exhibits the patterns it has.

Customer Reviews:

A Breeze of a Read.......2003-08-14

Often most of the details that were included within the book were unnecessary and could have been left out. My advice is not to buy the book but simply borrow it from a friend taking the same class.

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The Mainstream of Civilization
Joseph R. Strayer
Manufacturer: Harcourt Australia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0155515675

Ancient Civilizations: Prehistory to the Fall of Rome (Mainstreams of Civilization)

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Ancient Civilizations: Prehistory to the Fall of Rome (Mainstreams of Civilization)
Carlton J. H. Hayes , and James H. Hanscom
Manufacturer: Collier Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B0007EK9HS

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Mainstream Civilization
Joseph R. Strayer
Manufacturer: Harcourt College Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0155515713

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The Mainstream Of Civilization
Joseph R. et al STRAYER
Manufacturer: Harcourt, Brace & World
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0155515500

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The Mainstream of Civilization

Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HNHZLM

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The Mainstream of Civilization
Joseph R. Strayer , Stanley Chodorow , Hans W. Gatzke , MacGregor Knox , and Conrad Schirokauer
Manufacturer: Thomson Learning
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The Mainstream of Civilization
Joseph R. / Gatzke, Hans W. / Harbison, E Strayer
Manufacturer: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
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Stanley Choporow
Manufacturer: Harcourt College Pub
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General | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Joseph Reese Strayer
Manufacturer: Harcourt
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Sources of the Western Tradition: From the Renaissance to the Present

ASIN: 0155515829

Book Description

The almanac covers the areas of science and technology that most fascinate the public: astronomy, biology, brain and behavior, chemistry, computer science, earth science, environment, medicine, and physics.

ALMANAC OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: WHAT'S NEW AND WHAT'S KNOWN

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ALMANAC OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: WHAT'S NEW AND WHAT'S KNOWN
Richard & Eric Brus (Eds.) Golob
Manufacturer: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NVOYOE

The Almanac of Science and Technology: What's New and What's Known

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The Almanac of Science and Technology: What's New and What's Known
Richard; Brus, Eric World Information Systems; Golob
Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
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