Employees’ lack of interest in their work is a widespread problem. Only 30 percent of American employees are fully engaged and happy at work, according to Gallup’s 2013 State of the American Workplace report. The apathy of the remaining 70 percent (including the 18 percent who are actively disengaged) may be costing the U.S. economy as much as $550 billion a year in lost productivity.

Respected Moncton businesswoman Paula Morand has spent 18 months working on the issue. ConquerPro is her software-as-a-service solution designed to combat the problem by assessing employees’ workplace commitment and satisfaction and helping employers to take action to improve engagement.

After 12 months in development, the product is taking off with sales to some big names, said Morand, the CEO of Moncton-based tech firm GoLead International Inc., which owns the product.

“There are many reasons for disengagement,” said Morand. “Some common ones include: employee complacency and low compliance with rules; poor product and service quality; disgruntled, frustrated employees making negative and disruptive comments; absenteeism; high turnover and customer dissatisfaction.”

She added that in building ConquerPro, she has faced some difficulties herself.  Her biggest challenge has been pushing through fear. “I found a startup in the tech sector is hard and fast and you’re trying to tread water and keep up all the time.”

Last year, Morand and her venture graduated from the Launch36 accelerator program, which prepares startups for investment and the market. The team has since raised about $400,000 in seed investment. They began testing ConquerPro with a group of clients and in the last few months, have generated more than $100,000 in revenue.

“We have a really big lineup of channel partners (other companies that will market the product) in Canada and the U.S. and we’re in discussions with six of the top brands in the world, as well as being in active sales talks with 45 organizations and companies,” Morand told entrevestor.

ConquerPro is just the latest success for Morand who successfully sold her first company by the age of 30, and has continued building ventures that increase human potential. Her many accolades include the Woman of Distinction Award for Health and Wellness in 2011 and New Brunswick's 2012 Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. She's been nominated for RBC's Women Entrepreneur of the Year for Innovation and has made the short list of Profits Top 100 Women to Watch. She is a member of the Canadian National Advisory Council for Women’s Initiatives and works alongside the Samaritan’s Purse International Relief Team.

Now that ConquerPro is selling, Morand wants to have 30,000 employees using the product by the end of next year. She is raising another round of financing with a target of $1 million, and hopes to be cash-flow positive by the middle of 2014. The company is opening an office in Morand's home town of London, Ont., and plans to add six new employees to the current team of four.

Morand said her experience raising funds and building her team has taught her that it’s vital to ensure that the investors and employees who become part of the team are the right people.

“Don’t be afraid to say no – you have a long-term relationship with these people. Remember you’re the CEO of your vision,” she said.

And when life as an entrepreneur is a struggle, “Keep going back to your vision. Have confidence in where you want to go. It’s a challenging journey. And don’t forget to have fun – even on the hard days.” 

We asked Paula Morand for six tips for success for entrepreneurs. Here’s her response:

• Be clear about your product, market, and desired outcomes.
• Be willing to take a risk and don’t accept defeat. You have to fail in order to move forward.
• Start raising funds long before you need them.
• As the saying goes, “If you want money, ask for advice, if you want advice, ask for money.”
• Build, build, build relationships.
• Especially, build a really solid team.
• The relatively small number of angel investors in the region presents a challenge. A lot of companies may have to leave the area and look for support outside Atlantic Canada.