SleepQuest Inc.'s CEO was waking up every night, his mind racing over problems related to his sleep test center. Unprocessed claims were piling up, insurance companies didn't return phone calls and managing cash flow seemed a pipe dream. But he didn't reach for Valium or sleeping pills. Now I don't get too high when things are going well, or too low when things are going poorly, I maintain an even keel. No. 34 on The List.
Most competitors merely test clients for insomnia, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.
SleepQuest's 10-employee sleep team also guides patients from diagnosis through treatment. A key part of SleepQuest's growth strategy was using its web site to educate clients about the value of snatching a siesta. Some 30 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders such as sleep apnea - a condition where a victim's breathing is disrupted periodically throughout the night. SleepQuest's chief scientific adviser, Dr. William Dement, runs a weekly column on the site. Eventually SleepQuest will sell sleep-corrective products from the site, but that's on hold while the firm seeks funding from angel investors, venture capitalists and others.