Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jeffrey Jones, Managing Partner of The Deerborne Group, located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
The Deerborne Group is a boutique management consulting firm that focuses exclusively on the global biotechnology, in-vitro diagnostics, and life sciences industries. Our primary focus is advising corporations, venture capital, and private equity firms on commercial, operations and corporate strategy. We do this by helping them identify opportunities, minimize risks, and how best to overcome their most difficult management challenges.
Tell us about yourself
I'm a 30-year veteran of global biotechnology, in-vitro diagnostics, and life sciences. My career was working for Fortune 500 companies such as Abbott, Bayer, and Quest Diagnostics. In 2010, I was a member of the senior executive leadership team at Clarient (Nasdaq: CLRT) when we sold the business to GE Healthcare for $587 million. Thereafter, I worked for a venture-backed startup and mid-stage molecular diagnostic CLIA laboratories, where I held senior executive, commercial, operational, and GM roles. In 2019, I stepped away from corporate to start The Deerborne Group with the belief that there is a tremendous knowledge gap between experience and expertise. As such, we use a network-based model, and all of our consultants are subject matter experts.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
In order to scale the business, we needed to automate as many systems as we could. The majority of 2021 was spent doing just that, automating our business processes.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Growth. Scaling and growing the business is a complicated process.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Write a well-thought and exhaustive business plan.
- Ensure you have your back office in place (i.e., legal, contracts, finance/accounting, etc.).
- Create awareness via a thorough digital marketing strategy and website.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://thedeerbornegroup.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedeerbornegroup
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeerborneThe
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-deerborne-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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