Acture, previously branded The Prosys Group, has been focusing almost exclusively on new and emerging businesses in the Seattle area. Neil Crist, founder of Acture, has been working with well known local start-ups like Verdiem and Payscale, focusing on Product and Business strategy.

Gallagher will be establishing a Sales and Customer Strategy offering for Acture, an ideal compliment to the existing offerings.

"Acture's goal is to bring a more holistic offering to start-ups. The Sales and Customer Acquisition Practice will be a key focus in 2009 as local companies attempt to gain sales and business traction despite the slowing economy," says Gallagher.

Crist and Gallagher, both former executives of Jobster, partnered closely on Jobster's early successes, which ultimately drove the companies ability to raise additional rounds of funding.

"Companies really need to do what Jobster did in the early days; demonstrate market and revenue traction in order to prove they are worthy of another round of funding," says Gallagher.

More important in 2009, the two say, will be achieving these goals in a cost effective way. Acture's offerings are wholly focused on helping companies gain the traction they need to live another day, while keeping them inside their budgets.

Rather than taking on the high cost of a full-time specialist in key areas, Crist says companies should consider hiring a consultant who not only is a start-up veteran, but can work as little as one day per week. In this way, companies can gain the same knowledge and know-how over the course of a few months, but in a much more cost effective way.

Acture takes an approach that entirely different than most consulting firms; ensuring that their plan includes transitioning their knowledge and know-how to lesser-experienced employees before they leave the project. Not only do client companies find this cost effective from a headcount perspective, but this approach also allows them to provide their employees with solid career development opportunities.

Gallagher and Crist believe this unique value proposition hits home with their target market, mostly because they are their target market.