November 6th marks 20 years in business for VA Partners.
Steve Gruber and I founded VA Partners with the goal of helping founders grow revenue faster. We still live by that today.
A few of the key metrics in our first 20 years in business:
- 237 custom B2B Sales Playbooks created
- 2,190+ entrepreneurs trained in our multi-session founder-led sales training
- $43,620,000+ in incremental revenue generated for clients through VA Partners fractional sales
- 3,646 qualified discovery meetings booked for our clients
Success didn’t come easily or quickly. As we pause to celebrate 20 years, here are six foundational lessons that made this journey possible:
1. Hire Excellent People
We have had many excellent employees over the years. We started with co-op students and then graduated to full-time team members. They were often young, curious, hardworking, and willing to learn to get better. The team is the most important key to success as they provide the majority of the sales horsepower for VA Partners clients. Steve and I are still in contact with many former employees and it brings great joy to see the success they have had in their careers and life.
2. Work with the Right Companies
When we started VA Partners we were not that picky with clients. We have since become much more specific in what makes a good customer for VA Partners. It also works the other way as we need to be a good fit for them as well. Our best clients have great solutions with a unique value proposition. The founders need to be open to receiving feedback and trying new things. We have been very fortunate to work with some great companies over the years.
3. Engage Deeply in Great Communities
Since our start we have been lucky to be part of some great startup communities. These communities are often anchored by regional innovation centres. The team enjoys in-person sessions and the energy the communities and their entrepreneurs provide.
You can regularly find us hosting sessions, attending events, or working out of partner spaces like Innovation Factory, Altitude Accelerator, Innovate Niagara, and—coming up soon—our very first event at the Sandbox Centre in Barrie.
4. Don’t be Afraid to Change
We have seen many changes in sales and marketing over the last 20 years. From some of the first online CRMs to AI today. We have always looked for and embraced this change and new ideas. Our business offerings, tools, and Ideal Customer Profiles have all changed since our inception.
5. Stay Focused on What Matters
Even though in the previous point we talk about being open to change, we still need to be focused. We have a new sales plan each year with quantifiable targets and initiatives. Being focused on what matters has allowed us to be efficient and have consistent growth.
6. Build a Strong Co-Founder Partnership
Steve and I bring similar yet different backgrounds and outlooks. Steve is a bit more fluid and I am a bit more process-oriented. It has served us well over the last 20 years. It has not been smooth sailing from the start. We had bumpy years and in some cases had to work hard to make payroll. Things have been much more stable over the last decade, but there are still challenges that pop up. Having a business partner that you can rely on and work through challenges with has been key to our ongoing success.
It has been a great 20 years and I look forward to the future as we continue to help founders grow revenue faster.
Want to accelerate your B2B revenue growth?
Reach out to myself and the VA Partners team to discover how our fractional sales services and sales management training can help your business scale.
