Passionate • Knowledgeable • Grounded

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dana Sleeper, Founder of The Sleeper Group, LLC., located in Holden, ME, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

The Sleeper Group, LLC, is a woman-owned small business that helps organizations achieve learning and development goals. We create interactive experiences and deliver informative, engaging content through live webinars and eLearning modules.

Combined with our strategic planning consultative services, we ensure that organizations can reach their goals—building upon existing diversity and inclusion efforts, training a new sales team, and providing guidance on leadership best practices, among many other areas.

Our customers include anyone interested in learning or providing professional development opportunities to their teams or customers. We engage with international companies, non-profits, and government entities.

Tell us about yourself

I began working in the learning and development space in 2012, designing panels for international conferences and educating those working on infrastructure projects and treating cancer patients.

Since then, my L&D work has significantly expanded from hosting webinars and workshops in the solar industry to developing eLearning content on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), retail training programs, and compliance training for manufacturing companies.

All industries and individuals require continuous learning, which makes up the L&D space. Hence, fun motivates me to create engaging, fun content that the learner absorbs and retains.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Hiring my first employee was a significant milestone for TSG. I have always had a network of consultants and contractors that I work with, but developing a benefits package, ensuring we had adequate cash flow and projected revenue, and then finding a highly qualified person to fill the position was a huge step. Hiring employees allows TSG to expand its bandwidth for client requests and take on new, exciting projects.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Saying no to customers. We always want to support our clients, so turning down an opportunity because we are at capacity at the moment or the proposed project does not align with our business focus is very difficult. However, not overworking our team is crucial to our core values. We strive to have a work environment that aligns with DEI best practices. Sometimes that means stepping back and recognizing when we have to decline a project.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

First, document what you do! When you hire employees, onboarding and training will take significant time. If you have recorded your processes, you can efficiently share that information with new team members.
Second, consider what problem you’re solving. This will help you figure out how large your potential market is and if you need to expand your offerings or adjust your product in some way.
Lastly, have confidence in your brand and yourself. While you should listen to customer feedback and consider it, do not listen to all voices around you, particularly those who may not fully understand your business offerings, even if they provide well-intentioned advice.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://sleepergroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sleeper-group/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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