Sandra Jensen talks about Kell Partners

Sandra Jensen talks about Kell Partners

Tell me how you got started/involved in this business?

I started KELL 5 years ago.  Having worked with nonprofits for almost 10 years at software companies that provided software as a service solutions, I saw some areas of need and thought I could help address those needs.

Where did you grow up?  

I grew up in Denton, TX, which I always loved.  It is nice to see it going through such resurgence now. 

Where did you go to school and how did you choose where you attended?

I went to the University of Texas at Arlington.  It was close to home, but just far enough away that you would want to live there and not commute.

What does your company do that no other company can do?  

We cater to emerging nonprofit organizations.  Most consulting firms are interested in consulting for large, enterprise clients, but we like to work with the small to mid-size, but growing, clients.  We can have a huge impact at these organizations and there is a lot of personal satisfaction in getting to see the big differences we have made with these organizations.

What need does it fulfill? 

Until KELL Partners came along, I think it was somewhat hard to find a consulting group that really wanted to work with the emerging organizations. 

How exactly does it do that?  

We don’t turn clients away because they don’t have huge budgets.  Instead, we try to find ways to work within their budget and we also offer free SmartPacks, which are targeted solutions that most nonprofits need.

Who do you see your company [product, service] benefiting the most?  

Definitely the small to mid-size nonprofit organizations, as that is where we have placed our passion, drive, services and solutions.

What are the top three values in your company? 

Integrity, compassion, kindness.

Tell me more about the culture here.  

It is important that everyone on our team is passionate about working with nonprofit organizations, as this is what drives us. You will find that most of our team has come directly from working at a nonprofit or they have a rich volunteer history.  This gives meaning to our work and our clients.

What was the most challenging aspect of starting up?  

Funding is always a challenge.  We are a completely bootstrapped organization and we have never had any debt, but growing to meet demand is difficult in any economy, especially with the growth trajectory we have been on since our start.

What was the most challenging aspect of growing the business? 

Finding the right people.  The people that you work with on a daily basis are so important.  I can truly say that at KELL Partners I feel we have all found our work family.  And you would do anything to help family.  Because of this, we have a culture rich in teamwork and care.

What is the next step for you and your business?  

Now that we have the right foundation, people and strategy in place, we are just going to do our best to always anticipate our clients’ needs, so we always have the right people and technology in place to help drive our clients’ missions.

What advice do you have for entrepreneurs? 

Find your passion and make that passion your business.  From there, find people that are just as passionate as you to grow your business.

What resource have you found to be the most helpful and why?  

The Salesforce.com Foundation has been really critical to our growth.  They have been a great partner since the start of our business and are an integral part of our foundation.

If you were to do it all over again, where would you be right now? 

Exactly where we are.