The Next Step, Inc.
The Next Step, Inc. is a Minneapolis-based boutique consulting firm serving U.S. manufacturers across sales, operations, marketing, and product development, using Lean, Six Sigma, and OMG sales assessments, with a subscription membership product.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Next Step, Inc. does
The Next Step, Inc. is a Minneapolis-based business consulting firm founded in 2015 that exclusively serves manufacturing clients, with a stated focus on Midwest manufacturers. The company delivers engagements across four service pillars: Sales (analytics, enablement, execution, CRM implementation, fractional VP/SM services), Operations (strategy, Lean/Six Sigma methodology, supply chain, compliance, training), Marketing (research, content creation, channel automation), and Product Development (research, UX design, commercialization). Its core methodology stack includes Lean, Six Sigma, continuous improvement (CI) meetings, value stream mapping, and Kaizen events, complemented by Objective Management Group (OMG) sales assessments with claimed 91% predictive validity.
The firm operates a hybrid delivery model. The primary channel is project-based consulting engagements acquired through direct outreach, referrals, and speaking engagements. A secondary self-serve e-commerce channel (shop.thenstep.com) sells the Strategic Sales Council membership product ($550/month Standard, $750/month Coaching) to individual sales professionals, marking a deliberate move toward recurring revenue. Productized add-ons include FAA-certified drone videography and CAD-based 3D rendering for manufacturing content. Technology integrations include Salesforce, HubSpot, Constant Contact, and OMG; the firm has no proprietary software product, mobile app, or public API. AI usage is limited to copywriting and marketing automation.
The Next Step is a privately held corporation with 14 employees and no disclosed funding, M&A activity, or leadership changes. Customer evidence spans SMB to enterprise manufacturers (Lion Precision, Tower Solutions, Ursa Major, EarthWalk Communications, Lowell), and marketing relies on content/SEO, paid search remarketing, social, and speaking engagements. Geographic operations are U.S.-domestic with a Midwest concentration.
The Next Step, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Next Step, Inc.
- Legal name
- The Next Step, Inc.
- Website
- https://thenstep.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Next Step, Inc. is a Minneapolis-based boutique consulting firm serving U.S. manufacturers across sales, operations, marketing, and product development, using Lean, Six Sigma, and OMG sales assessments, with a subscription membership product.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Next Step, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Manufacturing Business Consulting
- NAICS
- Management Consulting Services (54161), Marketing Consulting Services (541613), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Manufacturing & Operations Excellence (Lean/Six Sigma) (BPAHAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting (BPAHACAG), Product Lifecycle, NPI & Industrialization (Design-to-Operate) (BPAHAHAK), Operations & Process Improvement Consulting (BPAHACAB)
Keywords
Where The Next Step, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Next Step, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Business Consulting Services: Provides consulting engagements across four service areas: Sales (analytics, enablement, execution), Operations (strategy, methodology, training), Marketing (research, strategy, content, automation), and Product Development (research, design, commercialization). Services are tailored to client needs and likely delivered through project-based or retainer arrangements.
- Strategic Sales Council Membership: Monthly or annual membership program offering sales professionals access to skills evaluations, hot seat reviews, premier content, skills training, peer networking, process training, peer discussions, and optional 1:1 coaching. Two tiers: Standard ($550/month) and Coaching ($750/month) with 5% annual discount.
- Sales Candidate Assessment Services: OMG Sales Candidate Assessment service to help companies hire top sales talent, with 91% predictive validity. Often bundled with consulting services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Plan - Master your sales journey with continuous sales leadership growth |
| Subscription | Monthly | Coaching Plan - Elevate your skills with elite results and 1-on-1 coaching |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
The Next Step, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Next Step, Inc. is a Minneapolis-based business consulting firm that helps manufacturing businesses of all sizes grow by delivering tailored engagements across four service pillars: Sales (analytics, enablement, execution, CRM implementation, fractional VP/SM), Operations (strategy, Lean/Six Sigma methodology, supply chain, compliance, workflow automation, training), Marketing (research, strategy, content creation, channels and automation), and Product Development (research, design, commercialization). It also runs the Strategic Sales Council subscription membership program for sales professionals and offers productized add-ons including OMG-powered sales team performance evaluation, sales candidate assessment, drone video footage, and CAD-based 3D rendering.
Product overview
The Next Step, Inc. is a manufacturing business consulting firm offering four core service pillars: Sales Consulting, Marketing Services, Operations Consulting, and Product Development Consulting. The company operates a productized service model with named offerings including the Strategic Sales Council membership program, Sales Team Performance Evaluation, and Sales Candidate Assessment (using OMG tools), along with specialized capabilities in 3D rendering and drone videography. All services are targeted at manufacturing businesses, particularly in the Midwest/Minnesota region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sales Consulting Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Sales teams using OMG assessment showed 44% potential revenue growth improvement after appropriate training
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Next Step, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Next Step, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
The Next Step, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Next Step, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sales Gravy: Sales training, coaching, and community/membership business for sales professionals — directly comparable to The Next Step's Strategic Sales Council recurring membership offering.
- RAIN Group: Sales training and consulting firm offering sales effectiveness and coaching programs — comparable in customer segment (B2B sales teams) and delivery model.
- TBM Consulting Group: A manufacturing-focused operations and supply chain consultancy specializing in Lean, Six Sigma, and continuous improvement — directly comparable to The Next Step's operations pillar and core methodology stack.
- The Brooks Group: Sales training and performance consulting firm targeting B2B sales organizations — overlapping The Next Step's sales enablement and execution services.
- Sikich: Mid-market professional services firm with a manufacturing practice covering operations, technology, and sales/growth advisory — overlapping The Next Step's four-pillar model and SMB-to-enterprise target client.
- SBI (Sales Benchmark Index): Sales consulting and benchmarking firm serving B2B clients with sales effectiveness assessments and advisory — comparable to The Next Step's sales analytics, enablement, and assessment pillars.
Emerging players
- Revenue.io: Sales operations platform combining sales engagement, conversation intelligence, and forecasting — overlapping The Next Step's CRM implementation and sales analytics/forecasting capabilities from a technology angle.
- Lean Enterprise Institute: Non-profit focused on advancing Lean thinking and providing Lean training/education — overlaps with The Next Step's Lean methodology, value stream mapping, and Kaizen training offerings.
Broad incumbents
- McKinsey & Company: Global management consulting incumbent whose Operations and Marketing/Sales practices address similar problems for large manufacturers — represents the upper-bound competitor set The Next Step faces on larger engagements.
Others
- Objective Management Group: The Next Step's assessment partner and licensor of the SEIA and Sales Candidate Assessment tools — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Next Step, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceThe Next Step, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Next Step, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Next Step, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Next Step, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Next Step, Inc.
What does The Next Step, Inc. do?
The Next Step, Inc. is a Minneapolis-based business consulting firm that helps manufacturing businesses of all sizes grow by delivering tailored engagements across four service pillars: Sales (analytics, enablement, execution, CRM implementation, fractional VP/SM), Operations (strategy, Lean/Six Sigma methodology, supply chain, compliance, workflow automation, training), Marketing (research, strategy, content creation, channels and automation), and Product Development (research, design, commercialization). It also runs the Strategic Sales Council subscription membership program for sales professionals and offers productized add-ons including OMG-powered sales team performance evaluation, sales candidate assessment, drone video footage, and CAD-based 3D rendering.
Is The Next Step, Inc. a public or private company?
The Next Step, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Next Step, Inc. founded?
The Next Step, Inc. was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Next Step, Inc. based?
The Next Step, Inc. is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Next Step, Inc. make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Business Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are strategic Sales Council Membership and sales Candidate Assessment Services.
Who are The Next Step, Inc.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sales Gravy, RAIN Group, TBM Consulting Group, The Brooks Group, Sikich and SBI (Sales Benchmark Index). Emerging players are Revenue.io and Lean Enterprise Institute. McKinsey & Company is listed as a broad incumbent. Objective Management Group is listed as an others.
Does The Next Step, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Next Step, Inc..
What industry is The Next Step, Inc. in?
The Next Step, Inc.'s product category is Manufacturing Business Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAHAC, Manufacturing & Operations Excellence (Lean/Six Sigma), with a secondary code of BPAHACAG, Customer, Marketing & Sales Consulting. Its NAICS code is 54161 and its SIC code is 8742.