MARKET RESEARCH FIRM BUSINESS PLAN

I. Executive Summary

Company Description

Northstar Insight Group was named to signal precise guidance through complex markets; Northstar evokes reliable direction. We operate in the market research and intelligence sector, serving U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises and startups in technology, consumer goods, and healthcare. Our primary services are subscription-based market intelligence reports, bespoke consumer-behavior studies, and predictive demand models that combine primary qualitative research, syndicated data, and proprietary forecasting algorithms. One-liner: We turn messy market signals into clear, actionable decisions.

We deliver work through rapid project teams that run survey fielding, expert interviews, data engineering, and dashboarding, plus monthly strategic briefings for clients lacking internal research teams. What sets us apart is our hybrid method—deep qualitative insight plus rolling predictive models—priced for SMEs and delivered under flexible contracts. Target customers are U.S.-based growth-stage companies (Series A–B) and revenue-generating SMEs seeking repeatable go-to-market decisions. Short-term goal: sign 12 recurring clients and reach $900k ARR in 18 months. Long-term goal: scale to 100 clients and $12M ARR with productized forecasting and a software dashboard by year five. One-liner: We become the outsourced research team that reliably improves clients’ revenue decisions.

Problem

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the U.S. lack accessible, actionable market intelligence that ties consumer behavior to real decisions, which leads to mispriced products, wasted marketing spend, failed product launches, and slower growth.

Existing options are inadequate: enterprise-grade research is costly, analytics are complex, and skilled analysts are scarce, so most SMEs operate on incomplete or misinterpreted signals.

There is a critical need for a service that converts raw data into strategic direction.

One line: SMEs need affordable, decision-ready market intelligence to stop losing revenue and misallocating capital.

Solution

U.S. businesses lack clear, data-driven market insight, which causes costly launches and missed growth. We deliver a full-market research suite that acts as an outsourced research department, combining primary research (surveys, interviews, focus groups), secondary data analysis, and proprietary AI models to explain both the what (data) and the why (consumer psychology) and produce actionable go/no-go recommendations within weeks.

One-liner: outsourced, end-to-end market research that turns data into clear launch decisions.

Mission Statement

We empower U.S. small and medium-sized enterprises with sophisticated market intelligence that turns complex data into clear, actionable strategy. Using a blend of AI-driven analysis and hands-on qualitative expertise, we deliver nuanced, predictive insights that drive long-term growth and informed decisions. We commit to being the most trusted market research partner for innovators in technology, healthcare, and consumer goods, and to serving clients with integrity, clarity, and measurable impact.

Key Success Factors

These core capabilities drive our commercial traction and client retention.

• Proprietary AI analytics enabling advanced data analysis and predictive modeling.
• Multidisciplinary team of data scientists and qualitative experts delivering nuanced intelligence.
• Sector focus on high-growth U.S. industries (healthcare, technology) with constant data demand.
• Recurring revenue model targeting 60% retainers by 2030 for financial stability.
• Actionable intelligence that prioritizes recommendations over raw data to boost client satisfaction.

Financial Summary

Financial summary for the Executive Summary: launch in 2026 with planned capex and a path to break-even in Oct-2027.

Financial requirements: 2026 capex $77,000 and a maintained minimum cash balance of $327,000; anticipated returns show IRR 0.05 and ROE 6.21.

Outlook: loss in Year 1, break-even Oct‑2027, then rapidly rising EBITDA to $610k (Year 3) and $4,126k (Year 5).

Funding Requirements

We require $327,000 to cover 2026 CapEx, initial marketing, working capital to support an expected 2026 EBITDA of -$339,000 and reach break-even by Oct-2027, delivering an IRR of 0.05 and ROE of 6.21.