Start Smart
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersNew Orleans, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Start Smart firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Start Smart
- Legal name
- Start Smart, LLC
- Website
- https://startsmartllc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Start Smart industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Management Consulting & Professional Training
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD)
Keywords
Where Start Smart is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New Orleans
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Start Smart business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Project Management Consulting: Professional and administrative project planning, management and staffing services; disaster readiness and recovery planning, management and support. Revenue is generated through consulting engagements with government and corporate clients.
- Training Programs: Delivery of health and wellness, management, leadership, soft skills, and financial empowerment workshops. Programs are delivered on-demand or as turnkey solutions by the company's team of doctors, trainers, and healthcare professionals. Also includes customized workshop development.
- Business Diversity Compliance Services: SLDBE compliance management, DBE/WBE/Section 3 compliance consulting, and workforce development services for construction and real estate development projects.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Start Smart product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Start Smart is a New Orleans-based consulting and training firm that delivers project management consulting and a library of over 160 proprietary workshops covering leadership, business development, health and wellness, financial empowerment, and soft skills. Services are delivered on-site at client locations, at company training facilities, or through on-demand virtual formats to government agencies, corporations, and non-profit organizations. The firm also operates two branded training programs—Contractor's College and the RETI Program—targeting small construction firms and disadvantaged entrepreneurs respectively.
Product overview
Start Smart is a training and consulting firm that operates as a platform of integrated service offerings rather than a single software product. Their core portfolio includes two primary training catalogs: the Leadership Training Catalog (40+ workshops covering leadership, influence, and high-performance team development) and the Business Development Training Catalog (120+ workshops in management, financial empowerment, and soft skills, including 30+ Spanish-language workshops). These catalogs are delivered through distinct branded programs: Contractor's College (an award-winning construction business management program for small and emerging firms) and the RETI Program (a free 10-module entrepreneur training initiative for disadvantaged individuals). Supporting these training offerings is Project Management Consulting, which provides strategic planning, staffing, and disaster recovery services. All intellectual property is owned by Start Smart, enabling customized training solutions without additional licensing costs. The company also offers health and wellness workshops delivered by medical professionals. The programs serve government, corporate, education, and non-profit clients nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Contractor's College: Award-winning construction business management training program designed to help small and emerging construction and professional services firms compete in the highly competitive U.S. construction industry.
- RETI Program (Resident Entrepreneur's Training Initiative)
Products and services
- Leadership Training Catalog
Quantifiable outcome
- SLDBE participation increased from 16% to over 32% in less than 15 months on $1.2B Post-Katrina infrastructure program
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Start Smart
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Start Smart technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Start Smart partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- United HealthcarecoreUnited Healthcare partners with Start Smart for health and wellness training and outreach programs. Start Smart conducts leadership training workshops and health and wellness training in partnership with United Healthcare for government clients including LSU System retirees and City of New Orleans employees.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Start Smart competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- M Powered Strategies: Small, minority-owned government and small-business consulting firm providing training and technical assistance to disadvantaged and small businesses seeking government contracts — closely aligned with Start Smart's Contractor's College and RETI programs.
- The Winters Group: Diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm offering supplier diversity, training, and compliance advisory to corporate and government clients; comparable in supplier-diversity and DBE/WBE/Section 3 compliance work.
- Development Dimensions International (DDI): Global leadership development and talent management firm offering leadership training and behavior-change programs; directly comparable to Start Smart's leadership and high-performance team workshops.
- Dale Carnegie Training: Established leadership, sales, and professional development training provider with localized franchise delivery — comparable to Start Smart's leadership and soft-skills workshop delivery model for corporate and government clients.
- FranklinCovey: Global leadership and performance training company with an extensive proprietary workshop catalog sold to government and corporate clients; directly comparable to Start Smart's Leadership Training Catalog (40+ workshops) and corporate training motion.
Broad incumbents
- Booz Allen Hamilton: Large federal and management consulting firm with a substantial presence in government program management, workforce development, and disaster-related advisory — overlapping with Start Smart's project management and diversity-compliance work but at vastly greater scale.
- MAXIMUS: Government services firm specializing in health, human services, and workforce programs; comparable in delivering federally funded compliance and program management services to Start Smart's government segment.
- ICF International: Public-sector consulting firm delivering program management, disaster recovery, and workforce development services to federal, state, and local clients; comparable in customer segment and service mix to Start Smart's consulting and training practice.
- CALIBRE Systems: Mid-sized government management consulting firm focused on defense, homeland security, and civilian agency program management — comparable in scale, customer profile, and PMO-style service delivery to Start Smart.
Emerging players
- TruFund Financial Services: Nonprofit community development financial institution that partners with Start Smart and provides entrepreneurship training and access-to-capital services to small and disadvantaged businesses — adjacent peer in the contractor and entrepreneur training ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Start Smart social profiles
Digital presenceStart Smart compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Start Smart financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Start Smart leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Start Smart funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Start Smart M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Start Smart
What does Start Smart do?
Start Smart is a New Orleans-based consulting and training firm that delivers project management consulting and a library of over 160 proprietary workshops covering leadership, business development, health and wellness, financial empowerment, and soft skills. Services are delivered on-site at client locations, at company training facilities, or through on-demand virtual formats to government agencies, corporations, and non-profit organizations. The firm also operates two branded training programs—Contractor's College and the RETI Program—targeting small construction firms and disadvantaged entrepreneurs respectively.
Is Start Smart a public or private company?
Start Smart is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Start Smart founded?
Start Smart was founded in 2005. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Start Smart based?
Start Smart is headquartered in New Orleans, United States, in the North America region.
How does Start Smart make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Project Management Consulting is the primary driver. The others are training Programs and business Diversity Compliance Services.
Who are Start Smart's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are M Powered Strategies, The Winters Group, Development Dimensions International (DDI), Dale Carnegie Training and FranklinCovey. Broad incumbents are Booz Allen Hamilton, MAXIMUS, ICF International and CALIBRE Systems. TruFund Financial Services is listed as an emerging player.
Does Start Smart have an API?
No public API is recorded for Start Smart.
What industry is Start Smart in?
Start Smart's product category is Management Consulting & Professional Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACANAB, Technical & Digital Skills Training, with a secondary code of EDAMAHAD, Innovation & Design Thinking Programs. Its NAICS code is 61143 and its SIC code is 8200.