Price like you mean itRonald Baker is well known in the accounting profession for his crusade against the billable hour, for which he's made frequent appearances on Accounting Today's Top 100 Most Influential People list, but his interest in pricing extends beyond accounting, as his latest book, Pricing on Purpose: Creating and Capturing Value, shows. Aimed at executives in all kinds of businesses, the book maintains that much of the thinking on pricing is based on myths and misconceptions. Customer perception is what creates value, Baker argues, not the effort and resources a company expends, and this gives businesses a great deal of scope in the art of pricing. Full of real-life examples from a wide range of industries, and with deep roots in economics and business philosophy, the book makes a fascinating case.
Price: $45.
John Wiley & Sons
www.wiley.com/accounting
(800) 762-2974
HUD audits
Those involved in auditing housing projects that receive financing from the Department of Housing and Urban Development know that special rules and processes apply. To keep them all straight - and to make sure the audits are HUD-compliant - consider PPC's Guide to HUD Audits and its Guide to Risk-Based Audits of HUD Projects, which can help you make your audits more effective and efficient. Both guides can be delivered in print, on CD, or online.
Price: HUD Audits (three volumes) - $234; Risk-Based Audits (two volumes) - $325.
PPC
http://ppc.thomson.com
(800) 323-8724
Electronic shoebox
The arrival of personal finance software like Quicken was supposed to put an end to the disorder of the shoebox crammed with crumpled financial records. But given that people were barely able to use something as simple as a shoebox for storage, why should we think that they can operate something as complex as a computer program?
If you have clients who are taking the plunge into desktop finance, the best thing you can do is given them a copy of Quicken for Dummies. Written by frequent Accounting Today contributor Gail Perry, the book will not only make sure they get the software right - it also offers excellent information on managing their personal finances, investments and taxes. Assuming they can operate a book, it should make them better, more informed clients.
Price: $29.99.
Wiley Publishing Inc.
www.dummies.com
(800) 762-2974
Unaccustomed as I am ...
There's a reason most people are afraid of public speaking: They're bad at it. Really bad. They're either paint-drying dull or, worse, embarrassing. And many of those who are comfortable with public speaking are nowhere near as good at it as they think. (Yes, we're talking about you.) Since we're not likely to convince everyone to sit down and shut up, the next best thing would be to get them to read Better to Best: How to Speak for Extraordinary Results ... Every Time! Author David Dempsey, who learned public speaking as a trial lawyer and university professor, offers step-by-step advice to help you stop boring us to tears.
Price: $24.95.
Miranda Publishing LLC
(800) 359-5731
Accountable employees
Employees are like children and zoo animals - unreliable, unpredictable and apt to get into trouble the moment your back is turned. There are two big differences: You can't beat employees, but you can hold them accountable. Keeping Employees Accountable for Results is an excellent tool for doing just that, with lots and lots of very specific, step-by-step advice, procedures, examples and checklists for getting them to deliver the results your business needs to be successful. There isn't much theory in the book, but what there is amounts to six principles: Set expectations, invite commitment, measure results, provide feedback, link to consequences and evaluate effectiveness.
Price: $17.95.
Amacom
www.amacombooks.org
(212) 903-8316
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