Growth Strategies · Business Consulting · Management Services
EST. 2026
Setting the pace for success.
Upland Group empowers small businesses to operate and scale efficiently through tailored business consulting and growth strategies. Boutique, high-touch strategy paired with data-driven, technology-forward execution. Reach out today to conduct our baseline assessment and a one-hour consulting session at no cost to you.
What we do
Senior counsel across the moments that matter most.
Strategy & Advisory
We partner with leadership to define a clear path forward, translating ambition into a focused, executable strategy grounded in market reality.
- Market & competitive analysis
- Growth strategy & positioning
- Board & executive advisory
Operations & Implementation
Strategy is only as good as its execution. We embed alongside your team to operationalize change and build the systems that sustain it.
- Operating model design
- Process & cost optimization
- Change management
Tactical Involvement
Reinforce your team with seasoned support during critical periods and high-growth moments and build a stronger in-house operation for the long run.
- Administration & policy
- Bookkeeping & cash flow
- IT, supply chain & brand
The Upland Standard
Like the forest, enduring businesses are built on depth, patience, and quiet strength.
Understand
Business consulting tailored to where and who you are.
Every engagement begins with a holistic assessment to surface the barriers holding your business back. From there, choose the level of support that fits your needs.
Comprehensive Transformation
Reimagine the entire organization
For businesses ready for a complete reset. We take a holistic look at every part of how your company runs and rebuild it for greater efficiency, scalability, and long-term resilience.
- A full review of how your business operates
- A clear, prioritized roadmap for success
- Ideal for a major pivot, growth phase, or systemic challenges
Integrated Solutions
Connect the moving parts
For businesses with complex challenges who aren't looking for a complete overhaul. We examine how your teams and processes work together, pinpoint where things get stuck, and smooth out the friction so the whole operation runs better.
- Focus on how teams and processes connect
- Fix defined issues that span two or more areas
- Ideal for recurring, cross-team bottlenecks
Focused Optimization
Solve one problem, fast
For businesses with a single, clearly defined challenge. We zero in on the issue and deliver a practical, high-impact solution. Expert help without a larger, time-consuming overhaul.
- Targeted help for one specific challenge
- Practical, fast-moving solutions
- Ideal for a clear, well-defined problem
Plan
Growth strategies built for your next chapter.
Whether you're capturing greater market share, launching new offerings, or expanding into new territory, we surface the opportunities, risks, and paths to success so you can focus on the decisions.
Market Expansion
Reach further
Capture greater market share and move confidently into new territory, backed by clear analysis.
- Market & competitive analysis
- New-market entry planning
Products & Services
Bring new ideas to market
Develop, position, and launch new products and services that customers actually want.
- Offering development
- Go-to-market positioning
Opportunity & Risk
Decide with clarity
We identify, analyze, and present the opportunities, risks, and paths to success - you make the call.
- Opportunity mapping
- Risk & feasibility review
Execute
Management services that strengthen your team.
Don't replace your back office, reinforce it. Upland steps in during critical periods and high-growth moments to keep things running, then helps you build a stronger in-house team for the long run.
Administration & Policy
Structure & documentation
Standard operating procedures, backend corporate policies, and clean file architecture.
Bookkeeping & Cash Flow
Books in order
Hands-on data maintenance, ledger reconciliation, and smoother accounts payable/receivable cycles.
IT Integration & Modernization
Tech that works for you
Cloud automation, platform integrations, and website development, deployment, and maintenance.
Supply Chain Optimization
Move smarter
Vendor communications, logistics coordination, and cost optimization across your supply chain.
Brand Marketing
Look the part
Graphic design, marketing materials, and branded collateral that elevate your presence.
About Upland Group
Where boutique strategy meets technology-forward execution.
Boutique strategy, modern execution
Upland Group bridges the gap between high-touch strategic consulting and data-driven execution, serving as a trusted internal partner that empowers small businesses to operate at peak efficiency.
The UPE framework
At the core of our practice is the proprietary Understand, Plan, Execute (UPE) framework, deployed across the seven core business functions: Leadership & Management, Operations, Marketing & Sales, Accounting & Finance, Logistics, Human Resources, and Information Technology. We don't just diagnose the problem; we learn you, your vision, and your company's culture, then arm you with the skills to run an efficient, effective, and successful company long after our engagement concludes.
Our Values
We embody the P.A.C.E. of progress
Our core values guide every interaction and every strategy we implement.
Partnership
We collaborate as partners, not just consultants, to deeply understand and support your vision.
Agility
We leverage technology and streamlined processes to deliver solutions with speed and efficiency.
Commitment
We are dedicated to our clients' success, providing unwavering support through every challenge.
Empowerment
We equip entrepreneurs with the tools and confidence to lead their businesses toward their goals effectively.
The principals
Michael D.V. Sloan
President
A 20-year military veteran, Michael leads Upland Group and its client engagements with the same sense of duty and purpose with which he led special operations soldiers in Afghanistan, diplomatic efforts in Iraq, and highly complex, billion-dollar strategic mission sets across the globe. Backed by formal business education and hands-on experience guiding entrepreneurs through their first steps toward success, he helps clients strengthen their leadership and management while also bringing seasoned accounting expertise to the table.
Jenna Sloan
Executive Vice President — Operations
Jenna is a self-made leader in the field of construction management. With a decade of experience in logistics and project management, she prides herself on her innate ability to break down even the most complex operational hurdle into its consummate parts. A powerhouse of systems and procedure development, Jenna has managed countless multi-million dollar projects and excels at cutting through cost to deliver maximum return on capital while simultaneously eliminating organizational inefficiencies.
Julian Zivkovic
Executive Vice President — Marketing
Julian is an award-winning sales professional who advanced rapidly from an entry-level position to executive roles, bringing numerous years of leadership experience in the financial services industry to Upland Group. Julian has consistently driven exceptional business results while scaling a sales organization from 13 to more than 150 professionals. Julian excels at building accountability-driven cultures, developing high-performing talent pipelines, and delivering long-term growth through disciplined execution.
Matthew Upchurch
Executive Vice President — Information Technology
Matthew is a dynamic technology leader and data analyst with 13 years of experience in IT infrastructure, software deployment, and business intelligence. As a former Director of Technology, he has spent over a decade leading major enterprise migrations, managing hardware procurement, and delivering executive-level reporting. Additionally, he leverages his deep analytical expertise to design performance-driven compensation plans for enterprise-level clients that directly target revenue and profitability.
What clients say
Trusted by the leaders we partner with.
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Latest from LinkedIn
Field notes from the practice.
Welcome to Upland Group
Small business and the entrepreneurial spirit represent the heart of America. Long before corporations and convenience dominated trade in this country, the earliest settlers set out on a journey to carve out their livelihood in an untamed wilderness. Their pioneering spirit, coupled with the rise of small town economics, led to roughly a century and a half, spanning the early 1800’s to mid 1900’s, of spotlight for the American entrepreneur. Fast forward to the late 20th century and into the…
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Expand Your Knowledge with Free Educational Courses from Edx.org
We highly recommend EdX.org to anyone looking to expand their business acumen. Their course material comes from world-renowned schools like Harvard and the London School of Economics. Almost all of the courses have an "audit" mode that grants you access to the materials for free. There are also certificate-producing pathways for those that are interested.
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The Fateful Path of the Owner/Operator
In our first educational article, Upland Group takes a look at common attributes that determine whether a small business sinks or swims.
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Get in touch
Let's start a conversation.
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