COMPENSATION BENCHMARKING SERVICE BUSINESS PLAN

I. Executive Summary

Company Description

Benchmark Equity & Pay Advisors (name reflects our focus on fair, data-backed pay and equity) is an Austin, Texas–based HR consulting practice launching in 2026 that serves compensation needs for small and mid-sized US businesses. We operate in the HR consulting and compensation benchmarking sector and deliver two core services: data-driven salary strategy and equity audit work. Our team of seasoned consultants and data analysts uses premium, real-time industry data to produce legally defensible, actionable compensation recommendations. One-line summary: we turn real-time pay data into practical, defensible compensation plans.

We run a remote-first model to serve high-growth sectors such as technology and healthcare across the nation. Main activities include sourcing and normalizing market datasets, building role-level pay bands, conducting equity cap-table and grant audits, and delivering implementation roadmaps and manager training. What sets us apart is the combination of senior consulting experience, live-market data feeds, and focused services for firms that can’t afford global consultancies but need more than internal HR can provide. Short-term goals are to launch in 2026, secure pilot engagements, and formalize data partnerships; long-term goals are to become the go-to benchmarking partner for US SMBs and to scale repeatable, subscription-based advisory offerings. One-line summary: we bridge the gap between costly consultancies and under-resourced HR teams.

Problem

Small to mid-sized US companies lack precise, real-time compensation data, causing high employee turnover and recruitment failures.

Without industry-specific salary benchmarks, pay decisions become arbitrary, increasing hiring costs from repeated recruiting, eroding morale, reducing productivity through staff churn, and damaging employer brand.

Existing options are mismatched: internal HR teams lack expertise and tools, while global consultancies are cost-prohibitive—leaving a persistent gap for affordable, data-driven compensation and equity analysis.

Solution

Many US small and mid-sized enterprises lack the data and expertise to design competitive, defensible pay plans, causing turnover, recruiting gaps, and legal risk under pay-transparency trends. Our service provides role benchmarking, salary band creation, pay-equity audits, incentive-plan design, and job leveling using premium salary survey databases so clients replace internal guesswork with evidence and align pay to organizational goals. Every pay decision is competitive, defensible, and aligned to organizational goals.

One line: We give SMEs market-aligned salary bands, documented pay-equity reports, and auditable incentive plans that leadership can defend to stakeholders and auditors.

Mission Statement

We empower small and mid-sized businesses with data-driven insights and strategic expertise to build fair, competitive, and transparent compensation systems. We help organizations attract and retain talent while ensuring pay equity and regulatory compliance, turning compensation from a source of uncertainty into a measurable strategic advantage. Our work is grounded in practical analysis, clear recommendations, and a commitment that every employee deserves fair pay and every business deserves the tools to provide it confidently.

Key Success Factors

Success rests on exclusive data, expert delivery, lean cost, referral partnerships, and sector focus.

• Exclusive premium salary data that enables differentiated, market-accurate benchmarking.
• Principal Consultants & Senior Data Analysts providing rare SME-level expertise and actionable strategies.
• Lean remote-first cost model delivering competitive pricing with high margins.
• Referral partnerships with VCs and employment law firms supplying a steady pipeline of qualified leads.
• Concentration on tech and healthcare serving sectors with the highest demand for compensation services.

Financial Summary

Brief financial snapshot for the Executive Summary: the business scales from launch-year revenue of $701,000 (2026) to $2.64M (2028) with improving margins and positive cash generation after breakeven in October 2026.

Financial requirements: minimum cash buffer $620,000 (minimum month Apr‑2027). Anticipated return: IRR 6.03% and ROE 4.94% with payback in 31 months and breakeven Oct‑2026.

Outlook: scalable, high‑margin model moving to strong profitability by 2030.

Funding Requirements

The business requires approximately $750,000 to fund 2026 capital expenditures, cover the first-year EBITDA shortfall, and provide working capital through Apr-2027.

Financial summary: revenue rises from $701,000 in 2026 to $5,584,000 by 2030; a launch-year EBITDA loss of $175,000, breakeven by Oct-2026, and EBITDA of $2,585,000 by 2030; billable hours per customer grow from 12.5 to 16.0 per month; ROE 4.94% and IRR 6.03% over five years.