Strategic HR Advisory

What Strategic HR Advisory does

Strategic HR Advisory is a privately held, founder-owned boutique human resources consulting firm headquartered in San Diego, California. Founded by Shawn Jough, a SPHR and SHRM-SCP certified practitioner with 20 years of HR experience including a decade as VP of HR at a 600+ employee hospitality company, the firm targets small businesses with 5 to 500 employees that lack a dedicated HR department. Its core service lines are HR Outsourcing (fractional and ongoing HR leadership for growing SMBs) and HR OnCall (on-demand access to certified HR experts), supported by an 11-module add-on menu that includes HR Strategy Sessions, HR Audits, Employee Handbooks, the HR Jump Start Package, Outsourced Recruitment, IIPP and Workplace Violence Programs, Wage and Hour audits and training, and resold team assessments such as Everything DiSC and Predictive Index. Pricing is published for entry-level offerings ($295 per strategy session, $2,495+ for audits and handbooks) while engagements are also sold as multi-hour HR Leadership Hour blocks or recurring retainers.\n\nThe business model is professional services revenue generated through direct consultative sales, online scheduling for complimentary consultations, content marketing via a blog and email newsletter, and client referrals. Distribution is regional within California, with affiliations to SHRM, NAWBO, Provisors, and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce supporting lead generation. The technology layer is thin: the firm resells third-party assessment and training platforms (Everything DiSC on Catalyst, Predictive Index, DDI-certified leadership training, generic online compliance training) rather than developing proprietary software, and it has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, patents, or proprietary data assets. \n\nThe firm is bootstrapped with no external institutional funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. The team comprises five professionals (four human consultants plus an office dog) and operates as a single California LLC. Customer logos referenced publicly are all small businesses across hospitality-adjacent, aesthetics, and manufacturing segments, and the firm explicitly serves clients across multiple industries within its small-business target market.

Name

Strategic HR Advisory

Legal name

Strategic HR Advisory LLC

Website

https://strategichradvisory.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Strategic HR Advisory is a boutique San Diego HR consulting firm providing outsourced HR, audits, employee handbooks, and on-demand HR expertise to small businesses with 5 to 500 employees across multiple industries in California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

HR Consulting Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive HRO (Multi-Process HR Outsourcing) (BPACAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

HR Strategy & Operating Model Design (BPACAJAA), HR Policy, Governance, Compliance & Risk Advisory (BPACAJAF), HR Service Delivery & Employee Contact Centers (HR Helpdesk) (BPACAKAI), People Analytics, Assessment & Psychometrics Consulting (BPAHAGAH)

Keywords

• HR consulting services
• Outsourced HR support
• Employee handbook development
• HR compliance audits
• Fractional HR services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. HR Consulting - Hourly Engagements: Hourly consulting engagements for HR advisory services, including HR Leadership Hours packages (5, 10, or 25 hour blocks).
2. HR Projects - Fixed Fee: Fixed-fee project-based engagements including HR Audits, Employee Handbooks, and HR Jump Start Packages.
3. Outsourced HR - Ongoing Retainer: Ongoing outsourced HR support for small businesses, providing continuous HR strategy and administration.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Strategic HR Advisory is a boutique HR consulting firm that delivers outsourced and fractional human resources services to small businesses with 5 to 500 employees. Its core offerings are HR Outsourcing (ongoing retainer-based strategic and tactical HR support) and HR OnCall (on-demand access to certified HR experts), supported by project-based services such as HR audits, employee handbooks, recruitment, training, and compliance programs.

Product overview

Strategic HR Advisory is a boutique human resources consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of HR services organized around two core offerings: HR Outsourcing (fractional HR services for small businesses with 5 to 500 employees) and HR OnCall (on-demand HR expert access). The portfolio includes 11 add-on modules and services: HR Strategy Sessions, HR Audits, Employee Handbooks and Policy Development, HR Jump Start Package, HR Training, Outsourced Recruitment, DiSC on Catalyst assessments, HR Leadership Hours, IIPP and Workplace Violence Programs, Wage and Hour Audits, and Wage and Hour Training. The core and on-demand services provide strategic and tactical HR support while the add-on modules address specific compliance, training, and operational needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduce employee turnover through proper HR practices and employee management
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management)minorOthersProfessional affiliation with SHRM, a leading HR professional organization providing resources and credibility in the human resources industry.
• NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners)minorOthersProfessional affiliation supporting women business owners, aligning with the boutique consulting firm's client base.
• ProvisorsminorOthersProfessional referral network connecting business advisors and consultants for cross-referrals.
• San Diego Regional Chamber of CommerceminorOthersLocal business chamber membership providing networking and community presence in San Diego.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TriNet: Major PEO providing HR outsourcing, payroll, benefits, and compliance services to small and mid-sized businesses — broader scale but directly overlaps on SMB HR outsourcing value proposition.
• Gusto: HR, payroll, and benefits platform purpose-built for small businesses — competes with Strategic HR Advisory on the SMB HR/payroll/benefits front, but delivered through a self-serve SaaS model rather than human advisory.
• Insperity: Large publicly traded PEO and HR services provider serving small and mid-sized businesses with bundled HR, payroll, and benefits outsourcing — competes in the same SMB HR outsourcing segment but at much larger scale and with a PEO/co-employment model.
• Justworks: HR and payroll platform plus PEO services for small and mid-sized businesses — directly competitive with Strategic HR Advisory in the SMB HR outsourcing segment, though delivered as a technology platform with optional add-on HR support.
• ADP TotalSource: PEO division of ADP providing outsourced HR, benefits, payroll, and compliance to small and mid-sized businesses — large-scale incumbent competing for the same SMB HR outsourcing buyer.

Direct peers

• Sequoia One (formerly Sequoia Consulting Group): Boutique HR, benefits, and compliance consulting firm serving small and mid-sized businesses with fractional and outsourced HR services — highly comparable operating model, customer segment, and service portfolio to Strategic HR Advisory.
• Bambee: Tech-enabled HR outsourcing service specifically targeting small businesses with under 500 employees, offering fractional HR managers and compliance support — directly competitive with Strategic HR Advisory's core outsourced HR and HR OnCall offerings.
• Amplify HR: Outsourced HR consulting firm providing fractional HR support, compliance, and employee handbook development to small businesses — highly comparable service mix and target customer to Strategic HR Advisory.
• BlueRock HR: Boutique outsourced HR consulting firm serving small and mid-sized businesses across multiple U.S. states — closely comparable fractional/outsourced HR advisory model with a similar boutique service offering.

Emerging players

• Rippling: Unified HR, IT, and finance platform for small and mid-sized businesses — competes on the same SMB HR buyer with a more tech-forward, integrated-product proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strategichradvisory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Strategic HR Advisory