Sage Deepens Relationship With Accounting Professionals by Launching New Fundamentals of High-Performing Firms Curriculum

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 1, 2013) - Sage North America today announced the launch of Fundamentals of High-Performing Firms from the Sage Accountants Network, a business acumen program for accounting professionals, from the 2013 Accounting Technology New York Show & Conference, held in New York City May 1 and 2. Sage is a sponsor of the New York show, and Jennifer Warawa, vice president of partner programs and channel sales, will lead a session on the Fundamentals of High-Performing Firms, presenting research, insights, and tips on what high-performing firms do differently that make them successful and how attendees can take best practices back to their own firms.

In a 2012 survey of Sage Accountants Network members, 26% of accounting professionals identified time management as their biggest business challenge, followed by getting new clients at 33%. With these challenges in mind, the Sage Accountants Network realized that more needed to be offered to accounting professionals than accounting software solutions and connected services to assist them in achieving their business ambitions. With the addition of the Fundamentals of High-Performing Firms curriculum, the Sage Accountants Network will become a go-to resource for marketing information and practice management solutions that are specifically designed to ensure accounting professionals overcome their business challenges and have the freedom to succeed and achieve their ambitions.

"After working the accounting conference circuit and meeting with accounting professionals year after year, we began to see a pattern. Gathering the information to address business pain points left accountants feeling empowered, but building the tactical, day-to-day strategies to implement new skills became a hurdle," said Warawa. "We worked with other thought leaders in the accounting profession to develop the Fundamentals of High-Performing Firms program with that hurdle in mind, and we are looking forward to helping accounting professionals improve their practices, ultimately helping them work more closely with their clients."

The curriculum is a benefit to current members of the Sage Accountants Network. Members select their greatest business challenge and then select one of two 12-month curricula that teach key skills to address specific topics in a practical, implementable way. Topics will include everything from how to stand out from the competition to how to build a stronger online presence. Each track includes educational materials consisting of white papers, self-assessment tools, case studies, and exercises.

For more information on the Sage Accountants Network and the Fundamentals of High-Performing Firms curriculum in the U.S., please visit: www.SageAccountantsNetwork.com/HighPerformingFirms, and in Canada, please visit: www.SageAccountantsNetwork.ca/HighPerformingFirms

About the Accounting Technology New York Show & Conference
2013 marks the 5^th annual Accounting Technology New York Show & Conference, connecting various members of the accounting profession, small business owners, and users of accounting software to learn about tax, accounting, business, finance, and the cloud from nationally recognized speakers and over 100 exhibitors. The event is available at no charge to registrants, and free CPE keynotes are provided each morning of the conference. Additional CPE credits are available at $45/day.

About Sage
Sage is a leading global supplier of business management software and services for small and midsized businesses. The Sage Group plc, formed in 1981, was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and now employs more than 13,500 people and supports more than 6 million customers worldwide. For more information about Sage in North America, please visit the company website at NA.Sage.com. Follow Sage North America on Facebook, Facebook.com/SageNorthAmerica, and Twitter, Twitter.com/SageNAmerica.

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