Who Are We?
Sinatra Group provides operations, strategy, and technology coaching to business owners. We specialize in coaching owners that need to transition from working in their business to working on their business. This transition is necessary if the full potential of the company is to be realized.
Sinatra Group invests in exciting enterprises with untapped potential for growth. In many cases these investments are with businesses that we are also coaching. Some of our past investments include debt-consolidation, expansion capital and equity stakes.
Clients
Business owners find themselves in a constant struggle between working in their business and working on their business. Nearly without exception, owners will put working in their business ahead of working on it without realizing how this limits their business’ growth potential.
We use our personal experience in having dealt with this struggle to help our clients recognize the growth potential within their business and to put strategic plans in place to realize it.
Some of Our Past & Current Clients
Our clients have traditionally been small business owners whose companies are poised for the next stage of growth. Below are some examples of how we have helped our clients prepare to take their business to the next level:
Graphic Design
The owner of a web and print design firm had reached the point where he was no longer able to be involved in every detail of his business if it was going to grow. Working with the owner, we set sales targets, identified his strengths and weaknesses and created a hiring plan that would allow him to hand off day-to-day aspects of the business that did not match his strengths.
Consumer Software
The owners of an Inc. 5000-rated company that develops, markets and supports a software product were investigating options for providing an exit for some older shareholders while retaining enough capital to allow for future growth. Working with the leadership team, we evaluated the business from end to end, developed a data-based method for valuing the business and recommended a path that allowed for a company-funded exit for older shareholders.
Content Distributor
The CEO of a business that develops and distributes content direct to the consumer wanted to improve the efficiency and consistency of his customer support team. Working with the manager of the support team, we investigated how and when support requests arrived and adjusted the hours of operation accordingly; developed an internal service level expectation for the support team that allowed for the reduction of overtime hours; and created a new hiring plan that would allow for better consistency of support being provided to the customer.
Investments
Business owners that are prepared to take the step of working on their business rather than in it are often unable to do so based on a short-term lack of funding. This lack of capital has kept many exciting businesses, on the verge of breakout growth, from realizing their full potential.
How We Invest
We find many of our investment opportunities with companies that we are coaching. Some of the ways we have invested in our clients include: startup capital, business consolidation loans, expansion capital as well as more traditional equity stake investments.
Where We Have Invested
Due to the varied nature of the clients we have helped, our investment strategy is not limited to any particular industry or segment. Some areas of investment have included:
- Real Estate
- Entertainment
- Consumer Internet Applications
- Graphic Design
- Child Care
- Insurance
- Technology
- Clothing
About Us
The Sinatra Group story started in 1999 when two brothers, Shane and Aaron Kenny, took $30k in funding from friends and family and started SafeBrowse.com. Starting life as a local dialup provider, SafeBrowse.com survived the dotcom bubble burst, the post 9/11 recession, and the death of dialup through a series of pivots. The final pivot resulted in a product called Safe Eyes that won several awards and became recognized as the leading product in the parental control space.
In 2007, SafeBrowse.com was re-branded as InternetSafety.com, a CEO was hired to help with strategic direction, and a round of venture capital was raised. From 2007 to 2010 the company’s revenue grew by over 500%, and in December of 2010, McAfee acquired InternetSafety.com. This acquisition was regarded as one of the most successful consumer acquisitions on record at McAfee, meeting or exceeding all of the key acquisition performance metrics.
After the McAfee acquisition, Sinatra Group was created as a way for Shane and Aaron to take what they had learned in their journey from startup to exit and help other business owners.
Aaron Kenny
Aaron loves creating really great products. Equal parts right- and left-brain, he enjoys combining simple and elegant technology architecture along with intuitive and cohesive user interface. He has the ability to visualize the finished product and lead the development team through to delivery.
As Chief Technology Officer of InternetSafety.com, he led the product vision for the award winning parental control solution, Safe Eyes. Known for its innovative approach to parental controls, Safe Eyes pioneered many industry firsts.
Now in his current role as CTO at eMeals.com, Aaron is designing web and mobile apps that help put dinner on the table for hundreds of thousands of people each week.
To learn more about Aaron visit aaronkenny.com.
Shane Kenny
Entrepreneurialism is built into Shane’s DNA. He believes that an idea by itself is nothing, but an idea plus execution is everything. He has the ability to take an idea and instantly understand what it will take to execute it, and then follow through on the execution.
At InternetSafety.com Shane provided the execution side of the business with responsibility for marketing, human resources, legal, finance, facilities and customer support. As a member of the leadership team he also heavily contributed to the overall company strategy, corporate culture, and product design.
During his time at McAfee, Shane was responsible for the post-acquisition integration of InternetSafety.com, all marketing activity for the McAfee family safety products, and delivering on the acquisition-related financial targets.
To learn more about Shane visit shanekenny.com.
