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From Delhi to Penticton: Building a new business

This story is part of the Western News91Ƶ Woman Who Dare feature
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Priya Sachdev founded Sales Scalability and runs it out of Penticton. A recent addition to the community, she has worked to establish herself through volunteering with business organizations and community groups. (Contributed)

Included in the Friday, April 26, print edition of the Penticton Western News is our Women Who Dare feature, where we highlight South Okanagan women who are making a difference in the community and in the business world. Below is a profile on Priya Sachdev.

Just a year after coming to Penticton, Priya Sachdev has taken full advantage of the beautiful and welcoming community to establish herself and her business.

Sachdev founded Sales Scalability, which works with businesses across the world to scale up their operations.

She started the business shortly after arriving in Penticton as part of the business immigration program.

91ƵWe do consulting, training, help build strategies, help businesses go into new markets, launch new products, all of that,91Ƶ said Sachdev. 91ƵSetting up this business is like a dance. It91Ƶs two steps forward, one step back, but it91Ƶs still a step forward.91Ƶ

Building up the business has taken a lot of work, but when Sachdev struck out on her own she came into it with 20 years of experience working for a larger U.S.-based company as well as previously setting up and selling her own business.

The biggest challenge has been the same one that all businesses, start-ups and well-established alike, are facing a volatile market.

91ƵBe it politics, the wars that are happening, recession stories 91Ƶ all of that coming together is creating choppy waters,91Ƶ said Sachdev.

That volatility is drawing out decision-making and slowing down clients who sign on. Tackling that has led Sachdev to pivot from seeking out larger projects alone to picking up smaller projects.

91ƵEarlier, when I would sell a project for say $10-15,000, right now I91Ƶm saying it doesn91Ƶt matter, you can hire me by the hour as long as I have some money coming in,91Ƶ she said.

That decision has paid off, making it not only easier to get smaller clients, but also to get a foot in the door for larger projects that are taking longer to come online.

The business community in Penticton has been a helpful and welcoming one, even as Sachdev has navigated the challenges a new city can bring. One of the first things that she has faced is building up her connections.

91ƵWhen I landed in Penticton in April last year, I knew zero people and zero people knew me,91Ƶ said Sachdev.

91ƵOur market is a relationship-driven market, and trust is important because there are so many fraudsters out there.91Ƶ

Since her arrival, Sachdev has worked to establish herself in the community, through volunteering, serving on the boards of the Penticton Access Centre and the Penticton Music Academy and working with organizations like the local chamber of commerce.

Penticton was Sachdev91Ƶs destination of choice to bring her closer to her son, who already lived in the community. Coming to a smaller community has been an adjustment for her after years of living in larger cities.

91ƵI was born and grew up in Dehli, the capital of India possibly with the highest density of population, and then I moved to Penticton where we are 30,000 people and the city is 10 minutes from one end to the other,91Ƶ said Sachdev.

An outdoor enthusiast, Sachdev loves hiking and cycling and has been eager to take advantage of the region91Ƶs great trails. Despite coming to the city without knowing how to swim, she91Ƶs also ready to take advantage of the two lakes.

91ƵIt91Ƶs motivation right now. I can91Ƶt live here and not know how to swim. I want to get the most out of this place,91Ƶ said Sachdev. 91ƵThat91Ƶs been the fun part because it also helps me make friends.91Ƶ

After working for the last 30 years, Sachdev believes she is currently in a place where she chooses who she wants to work with.

91ƵI don91Ƶt have to do this, I do it because I love doing it.91Ƶ



Brennan Phillips

About the Author: Brennan Phillips

Brennan was raised in the Okanagan and is thankful every day that he gets to live and work in one of the most beautiful places in Canada.
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