Startupconnection

What Startupconnection does

Startup Connection is a US-based, founder-owned business consulting and education practice operated by Dr. Bert Shlensky, targeting startups and small business owners who need hands-on guidance on planning, marketing, operations, and financial modeling. The practice is based in Westchester County, New York (914 area code, Scarsdale-adjacent) and has been operating for over a decade under Dr. Shlensky's sole direction, drawing on his 40+ years of executive experience that includes growing Sure Fit Products from $50M to $150M in sales over 14 years as President and CEO.

The company's product set combines personalized one-on-one coaching with a self-serve content library. Free resources include 150+ articles, downloadable templates (business plan, financial statements, marketing plan, sales pitch, merchandising plan, operating profit model, etc.), and a free eBook ('Passion & Reality for Business Success'). Paid digital products include the $500 'Business Success Blueprint' and two $9.95 books, sold through a WooCommerce storefront. The core delivery model is consulting via phone and email, gated by a free one-hour initial consultation that serves as the primary sales conversion touchpoint.

The business makes money through three streams: (1) customized consulting and coaching engagements (quote-based, no public pricing); (2) one-time digital product sales (predominantly the $500 Blueprint and $9.95 books); and (3) effectively no recurring subscription revenue. Go-to-market is content-led and sales-assisted: blog content, an email newsletter, social media (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube), and free templates drive top-of-funnel interest, which is converted via the free consultation. There is no proprietary technology platform, no external funding, no listed employees beyond the founder, and no enterprise customer base; the practice is structurally a solo professional services business rather than a venture-scale company.

Name

Startupconnection

Legal name

Startup Connection

Website

https://startupconnection.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Startup Connection is a US-based solo business consulting practice founded by Dr. Bert Shlensky, offering one-on-one coaching, a $500 Business Success Blueprint, $9.95 digital books, and 150+ free templates and articles to startups and small business owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Consulting Services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Business consulting
• Startup coaching
• Small business advisory
• Business planning services
• Entrepreneur mentoring

Headquarters

HQ city

New Rochelle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consulting & Coaching Services: One-on-one business consulting and coaching engagements, customized to the client's stage, needs, and resources. Revenue appears to be project-based or retainer consulting fees. No public pricing for consulting services listed.
2. Business Success Blueprint: Premium digital product priced at $500, sold through the company's e-commerce shop. Delivers a comprehensive business planning framework.
3. Digital Books & Templates: Lower-priced digital products including 'Marketing Plan for Startups & Small Business' and 'Passion & Reality for Business Success' at $9.95 each, plus free template downloads with email signup. Additional revenue stream supplementing consulting services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Startup Connection provides personalized one-on-one business consulting and mentoring to startup founders and small business owners, delivered primarily by founder Dr. Bert Shlensky via phone and email. The core service is supplemented by a free resource library of 150+ articles and templates, paid digital products (Business Success Blueprint at $500; Marketing Plan and Passion & Reality books at $9.95 each), and a free initial one-hour consultation used to convert prospects into paid coaching engagements.

Product overview

Startup Connection offers a hybrid business education platform combining over 150 free downloadable templates with paid products and one-on-one consulting. The free resources include Business Plan Template, Sales Pitch Guide, Operating Profit Model Template, Financial Statements Templates, Service Income Analysis Form, Marketing Plan Template, Sales Analysis Template, Competitive Analysis Template, Product Analysis Template, and Merchandising Plan Template. Paid offerings include the Business Success Blueprint ($500), Marketing Plan for Startups & Small Business ($9.95), and Passion & Reality for Business Success ($9.95). The platform is complemented by personalized business consulting services with Dr. Bert Shlensky, including a free initial consultation, targeting startups and small business owners seeking hands-on guidance and strategic planning support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Success Blueprint A comprehensive business blueprint sold as a one-time digital product for $500, providing in-depth guidance for business development and planning. It is targeted at startups and small business owners seeking a structured planning framework.
• Marketing Plan for Startups & Small Business A downloadable book/guide priced at $9.95 that provides instructions and templates for creating effective marketing plans for startups and small businesses.
• Passion & Reality for Business Success A book by Dr. Bert Shlensky offering insights on balancing passion and reality in business success; also referenced as a free lead-magnet eBook in some sources, with a $9.95 paid version available in the online shop.
• Business Consulting and Mentoring One-on-one business consulting and mentoring delivered by Dr. Bert Shlensky via phone and email, offering personalized business guidance to startups and small business owners. The service includes a free initial consultation and covers business planning, strategy, profitability improvement, marketing, financial modeling, and operational efficiency, with special expertise in apparel, textiles, home furnishings, consumer products, systems, internet, and marketing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sure Fit Products grew from $50 million to $150 million in sales under Dr. Shlensky's leadership as President and CEO over 14 years, including $60 million in direct internet sales.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• LivePlan: Cloud-based business planning software that combines financial forecasting templates with guidance content for entrepreneurs. Directly comparable as a productized, tech-enabled version of what Startup Connection offers through its templates and Business Success Blueprint.
• Bplans: Online resource providing business plan templates, sample plans, and articles for entrepreneurs, owned by Palo Alto Software. Closely comparable product offering to Startup Connection's free templates and business planning guides, with an adjacent paid planning product (LivePlan).
• Growth Mentor: Curated marketplace for on-demand mentorship from vetted growth, marketing, and product experts aimed at startup founders. Comparable as a direct competitor in the startup-focused one-on-one expert advice segment.
• MentorCruise: Long-term mentorship platform pairing professionals and founders with vetted mentors across business, tech, and product topics. Overlaps with Startup Connection's coaching and mentoring service on customer base (startup founders) and delivery format (one-on-one guidance).
• Clarity.fm: On-demand marketplace connecting entrepreneurs with vetted business experts for paid phone consultations. Comparable as a competitor for the same one-on-one expert consultation model that drives Startup Connection's consulting business.

Others

• Kabbage (now part of American Express): Historically a small business financial platform that also provided business education and resource hubs for SMB owners. Comparable as an adjacent resource destination for the same startup and small business customer segment Startup Connection targets.
• U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) / SBDC Network: Federal program and network of Small Business Development Centers providing free business consulting, training, and templates to U.S. entrepreneurs. A key free alternative against which Startup Connection's paid advisory and templates compete.
• SCORE Association: U.S. nonprofit network of volunteer business mentors providing free one-on-one counseling, workshops, and online resources to entrepreneurs. Directly comparable because Dr. Shlensky himself served as a SCORE counselor and the firm targets the same startup and small-business customer with similar coaching services.

Broad incumbents

• Fiverr Pro: Broader freelance marketplace where business consultants and coaches offer paid services to SMBs. Comparable as a competing channel where entrepreneurs can find and purchase business coaching and consulting services online.
• Coursera for Business: Large-scale online education platform offering entrepreneurship, business, and management courses. Competes with Startup Connection's educational content, articles, and templates at the lower end of the market and as a substitute for paid coaching.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BertShlensky
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/StartupconnectionNet/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/StartupConnection.net
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5130810

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Startupconnection