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Tellus EHS HazCom — Go-To-Market Plan

Executive Summary

This plan charts a bootstrapped path from 0 to $1M ARR (~$83K MRR) for Tellus EHS HazCom, targeting small and mid-market businesses that need OSHA HazCom compliance. The strategy is built for a small founding team (not a solo operation), emphasizes capital efficiency, and leverages the HazCom 2024 compliance deadline (Jan 2026 for pure substances, Jul 2027 for mixtures) as a market tailwind.

Key numbers:

MetricValue
Target ACV$2,400–$5,400/year ($199–$449/month)
Customers needed for $1M ARR185–417
Target timeline to $1M ARR24–30 months
SMB HazCom TAM (US)~$50–100M
Addressable businesses500K–1M small businesses needing SDS software

Market Validation

What We Know

SignalEvidence
Product demos3 businesses (chemical mfg, auto shop, pest control) — all positive
OSHA inspectorConfirmed HazCom needed by "almost all businesses"
Market size5M+ workplaces covered by OSHA HazCom; 500K–1M need dedicated software
Regulatory tailwindHazCom 2024 final rule creates urgent compliance deadline
Competitor pricingCheapest competitor (EHS Insight) starts at $4,600/year — we undercut by 2x+
PE interestVelocityEHS explored $2B sale; Sphera sold for $1.4B; 20–30x revenue multiples

What We Don't Know Yet

GapHow to Close
Will businesses pay?Close first 5 paying customers (Phase 1)
Optimal price pointA/B test $149/mo vs $199/mo vs $249/mo
Sales cycle lengthTrack days-to-close for first 20 deals
Churn rateMeasure after 90 days (SMB churn is 8.2x higher than enterprise)
Best acquisition channelTest SEO, Google Ads, partnerships, and outbound in parallel

Competitive Landscape

Where We Fit

                            Enterprise ←───── Price ─────→ SMB

Cority │
Sphera │

VelocityEHS │
Intelex │

Dakota ($7K/yr) │
EHS Insight ($4.6K) │
SafetyAmp ($4.8K) │

│ ◄── GAP: No HazCom-specific product
│ under $3,600/year

★ Tellus ($2,400–$5,400/year)

SafetyCulture │ (horizontal, not HazCom-specific)
($24/user/mo) │

Competitive Advantages

FactorTellusCompetitors
Price$199–$449/month$383–$583+/month (EHS Insight, Dakota)
Setup timeMinutes (self-serve)Days/weeks (onboarding calls)
ContractMonth-to-monthAnnual commitment typical
HazCom focusPurpose-built for OSHA 6-stepGeneric EHS with HazCom as add-on
AI featuresSDS parsing, PPE recommendations, hazard summariesLimited or enterprise-only
Industry configsPre-configured for 11+ industry typesOne-size-fits-all setup
MobileMobile-first designDesktop-first, mobile as afterthought

Pricing Strategy

Revised Tier Structure

The previous $79/month entry point is too low — it positions us as a toy product and leaves money on the table. Competitors charge $383+/month. Our pricing should reflect real compliance value while still undercutting the market.

PlanPrice (Monthly)Price (Annual)TargetKey Limits
Starter$99/month$990/year (save $198)Micro businesses, 1–5 employees1 site, 50 chemicals, 100 SDS, 5 users
Standard$199/month$1,990/year (save $398)Small businesses, 5–25 employees3 sites, 250 chemicals, unlimited SDS, 15 users
Professional$349/month$3,490/year (save $698)Growing businesses, 25–100 employees10 sites, unlimited chemicals, 50 users, API access
Business$449/month$4,490/year (save $898)Multi-site operations, 100+ employeesUnlimited everything, SSO, custom branding, priority support

Annual discount: 2 months free (pay 10, get 12).

Expansion revenue: Overage charges for additional sites ($29/site/month) and users ($9/user/month) beyond tier limits. This drives net revenue retention above 100%.

Why This Pricing

  • $99 Starter — Low enough for impulse sign-up; validates willingness to pay. Still 50% cheaper than cheapest competitor ($4,600/yr).
  • $199 Standard — The workhorse tier. Target ACV = $2,400. Need ~417 customers at this tier for $1M ARR.
  • $349 Professional — For businesses that grow into multi-site. Target ACV = $4,200. Need ~238 customers.
  • $449 Business — For larger operations. Comparable to EHS Insight's $4,600/yr entry point but with more features.

Blended ACV Target: $3,000

At $3,000 blended ACV → ~333 customers for $1M ARR.


Target Customer Segments

Tier 1: Primary (Highest urgency, fastest sales cycle)

SegmentEst. TAMWhy They BuyACV Target
Auto body & repair shops50,000+ shopsSolvents, paints, oils; OSHA fines terrify them$199/mo ($2,400/yr)
Pest control companies30,000+ firmsEPA FIFRA + OSHA HazCom double compliance burden; field workers need mobile$199–$349/mo
Small manufacturers250,000+ firmsMultiple chemicals, OSHA inspection risk, TRI reporting$349/mo ($4,200/yr)
Print & sign shops30,000+ shopsInks, solvents, UV chemicals; compliance feels overwhelming$199/mo

Tier 2: Secondary (Growing demand)

SegmentEst. TAMWhy They BuyACV Target
Labs (dental, medical, veterinary)100,000+Busy professionals, need simple digital solution$199/mo
Dry cleaners & laundry30,000+Perchloroethylene, single-chemical compliance need$99/mo
Agriculture & farming200,000+Pesticides, fertilizers; EPA + OSHA overlap$199/mo
Cleaning & janitorial services100,000+Multiple cleaning chemicals; mobile workforce$99–$199/mo

Tier 3: Strategic (Higher ACV, longer cycle)

SegmentEst. TAMWhy They BuyACV Target
EHS consultants10,000+Multi-client management; our platform is their tool$449/mo ($5,400/yr)
Construction firms100,000+Contractor safety + chemical compliance$349/mo
Education (schools, universities)100,000+Science lab chemicals, custodial chemicals$349/mo

ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) for Phase 1

Auto body shops and pest control companies in Texas and California with 10–50 employees, currently using paper binders or spreadsheets for HazCom compliance.

Why this ICP:

  • Texas and California have the most OSHA-regulated businesses
  • California adds Prop 65 requirement (more pain = more urgency)
  • 10–50 employees = enough pain to pay, small enough for fast decision
  • Auto/pest control = high chemical exposure, high OSHA inspection frequency

Go-To-Market Phases

Phase 1: First 25 Paying Customers (Months 1–4)

Goal: Validate product-market fit and willingness to pay.

Team: 2 people (founder + 1 sales/marketing hire).

WeekActionTarget
1–2Re-contact 3 original demo businesses; ask for the sale1–2 paying customers
2–3Ask each customer for 3 referrals6–9 warm leads
3–6Door-to-door visits: 30 auto shops + pest control companies in local area30 conversations, 5–8 trials
4–8Launch landing page + Google Ads ($1,000/month)10–15 inbound leads
6–12Close deals from all channels20–25 paying customers
8–16Publish 8 SEO blog posts (HazCom compliance guides, OSHA deadline content)Organic traffic foundation

Metrics to track:

  • Conversations → Demos → Trials → Paying customers (conversion funnel)
  • Days from first contact to payment
  • Top 3 objections heard
  • Which tier customers choose

Marketing spend: $2,000–$3,000/month (Google Ads + basic tooling).

Revenue target: $5K–$6K MRR ($60K–$72K ARR) by end of Phase 1.

Phase 2: Scale to 100 Customers (Months 4–12)

Goal: Build repeatable sales motion; start inbound engine.

Team: 3–4 people (founder, 1 SDR/AE, 1 content/marketing, 1 part-time customer success).

ActivityChannelBudget/MonthExpected Output
Google AdsPaid search$3,000–$5,00030–50 leads/month
Content/SEOBlog, guides, compliance checklistsTime investment100+ organic visits/month by Month 8
Webinars"How to Comply with HazCom 2024"$500 (tools)20–40 registrants per webinar, 2x/month
PartnershipsSafety consultants, insurance agentsRevenue share (10–20%)5–10 referrals/month
Referral programCustomer referrals1 month free credit3–5 referrals/month
OutboundCold email to ICP list$500 (tools)10–20 conversations/month
Product-led growthFree SDS lookup tool / compliance quizDevelopment time50+ signups/month

Key content pieces:

  1. "OSHA HazCom 2024: What Changed and What You Must Do by January 2026"
  2. "The Small Business Owner's Complete Guide to HazCom Compliance"
  3. "SDS Management: Paper Binder vs. Software — Cost Comparison"
  4. "What Happens When OSHA Walks In: A Real Inspection Story"
  5. "HazCom Compliance Checklist for [Auto Shops / Pest Control / Manufacturers]" (industry-specific)

Webinar topics:

  • "HazCom 2024 Deadline: What Small Businesses Need to Do NOW"
  • "Stop the Paper Binder: Digital HazCom Compliance in 30 Minutes"
  • "OSHA Fines Exposed: How $15,000 Violations Happen and How to Prevent Them"

Partnership strategy:

  • Recruit 10–20 safety consultants as referral partners (10–20% recurring commission)
  • Approach 5 workers' comp insurance agents (compliance reduces their claims risk)
  • Join 3 industry associations (auto repair, pest control, manufacturing)

Marketing spend: $5,000–$8,000/month.

Revenue target: $25K–$30K MRR ($300K–$360K ARR) by end of Phase 2.

Phase 3: Scale to $1M ARR (Months 12–30)

Goal: Predictable growth machine; hire first dedicated sales rep.

Team: 5–7 people (founder, 2 sales reps, 1 marketing lead, 1 customer success, 1–2 engineers).

ActivityChannelBudget/MonthExpected Output
Google Ads + retargetingPaid search + display$8,000–$12,00080–120 leads/month
Content engineBlog (4x/month), YouTube, case studies$2,000 (freelance writers)500+ organic visits/month
Industry events4–6 trade shows/year (auto, pest control, mfg)$2,000–$4,000/show20–40 leads per show
Partnerships at scale30+ active referral partnersCommission-based15–25 referrals/month
Product-led growthFreemium SDS lookup, compliance calculatorEngineering time100+ PLG signups/month
Outbound sales2 SDRs with cold email + LinkedIn$3,000/rep20–30 demos/month

Key growth levers for this phase:

  1. Annual contracts — Push annual billing (2 months free). Target 60%+ annual mix for cash flow predictability and lower churn.
  2. Expansion revenue — Upsell customers from Starter → Standard, Standard → Professional. Target 10%+ expansion MRR.
  3. Reduce churn — Invest in onboarding (first 30 days critical). Target < 5% monthly logo churn. Use in-app usage alerts.
  4. Industry-specific landing pages — Separate pages for auto shops, pest control, manufacturers, labs, etc. with industry-specific testimonials.
  5. Case studies — Publish 2 per quarter from paying customers.

Marketing spend: $15,000–$25,000/month.

Revenue target: $83K+ MRR ($1M+ ARR) by Month 24–30.


Financial Model: Path to $1M ARR

Customer Acquisition Trajectory

MonthNew CustomersTotal CustomersChurn (4%/mo)Net CustomersMRR (@ $250 avg)ARR
13303$750$9K
3818117$4,250$51K
61560258$14,500$174K
9201155110$27,500$330K
12251857178$44,500$534K
183533013317$79,250$951K
244050018400+$100K+$1.2M+

Assumes 4% monthly logo churn (typical SMB), $250 blended monthly ARPU, gradual ramp in acquisition.

Unit Economics Targets

MetricTargetBenchmark
Blended ACV$3,000SMB SaaS: $1,000–$5,000
CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)< $1,000SMB target: $500–$2,000
LTV (Lifetime Value)> $6,000At 24-month avg lifetime
LTV:CAC ratio> 3:1Healthy: 3:1+
CAC payback period< 8 monthsMedian for $1M–$5M ARR companies
Monthly logo churn< 4%SMB average: 3–7%
Net revenue retention> 105%From expansion + upsells
Annual billing mix> 60%Reduces churn, improves cash flow

Revenue Composition at $1M ARR

Source% of RevenueMonthly
Starter ($99/mo)15%$12,500
Standard ($199/mo)45%$37,500
Professional ($349/mo)25%$20,800
Business ($449/mo)10%$8,300
Expansion (overages)5%$4,200
Total100%$83,300

Expense Budget at $1M ARR Run Rate

CategoryMonthlyAnnual% of Revenue
Team (5–7 people)$40,000–$55,000$480K–$660K48–66%
Marketing & Sales$15,000–$25,000$180K–$300K18–30%
Infrastructure (AWS, tools)$3,000–$5,000$36K–$60K4–6%
Total$58K–$85K$696K–$1.02M70–100%

Breakeven: At $1M ARR with lean operations, the business should be near breakeven or slightly profitable. Profitability improves rapidly above $1M as fixed costs are absorbed.


Team Plan

Current → Phase 1 (Months 1–4)

RoleWhoFocus
Founder/CEOYouProduct, sales, strategy
Sales + MarketingHire #1Outbound, Google Ads, content

Phase 2 (Months 4–12)

RoleWhoFocus
Founder/CEOYouProduct roadmap, key accounts, partnerships
Account ExecutiveHire #1Full-cycle sales, demos, closing
Content MarketerHire #2 (or contractor)Blog, SEO, webinars, social
Customer SuccessPart-time / founderOnboarding, retention, upsells

Phase 3 (Months 12–30)

RoleWhoFocus
Founder/CEOYouStrategy, partnerships, fundraising decisions
2x Account ExecutivesHire #1 + #3Demos, closing, quota: 8–10 new customers/month each
Marketing LeadHire #2 (promoted or new)Demand gen, events, partnerships
Customer Success ManagerHire #4Onboarding, retention, expansion revenue
Engineer(s)Hire #5–6Product improvements, PLG features, integrations

Compensation guideline (bootstrapped):

  • Early hires: $60K–$80K base + equity (0.5–2%)
  • Sales reps: $50K–$60K base + uncapped commission (15–20% of first-year ACV)
  • Contractors for content/design: $2,000–$4,000/month

Sales Playbook

The 60-Second Pitch

"Every business that uses chemicals — solvents, cleaners, pesticides, anything — is legally required by OSHA to maintain a HazCom program. That includes safety data sheets, labels, employee training, and a written plan. Most small businesses use a paper binder that's outdated or incomplete. If OSHA inspects you, that's a $15,000+ fine per violation.

Tellus replaces that binder with software. Upload your chemical products, we auto-pull the safety data sheets, flag regulatory issues, and generate your HazCom plan. Your employees access everything on their phones. If OSHA walks in, you show them the app.

It's $199 a month, no contract, cancel anytime. Most businesses set it up in under an hour. Want to see a quick demo?"

Objection Handling

ObjectionResponse
"We already have a binder""Great — when was it last updated? OSHA requires current SDSs for every chemical on-site. If even one is missing, that's a citation. Tellus keeps it current automatically."
"We've never been inspected""OSHA conducted 36,000+ inspections last year. HazCom is the #2 most-cited violation. The average first fine is $15,643. Insurance won't cover it."
"We can't afford it""It's $199/month — less than $7/day. One OSHA fine is $15,000+. And your time managing compliance manually is worth more than $7/day."
"We'll think about it""Understood. The HazCom 2024 rule takes full effect January 2026. Businesses that aren't compliant by then face updated penalties. Can I send you a compliance checklist so you know where you stand?"
"We use VelocityEHS""VelocityEHS is great for large enterprises. For a business your size, it's typically $5,000+/year and takes weeks to set up. Tellus is built specifically for businesses like yours — simpler, faster, and half the price."

Sales Process

Step 1: Discovery (5 min)
→ "How many chemicals do you use?"
→ "Where do you keep your SDSs?"
→ "Have you ever had an OSHA inspection?"

Step 2: Demo (15 min)
→ Show inventory, SDS auto-fetch, label generation, mobile access
→ "Let me show you what OSHA sees when they ask for your HazCom program"

Step 3: Trial or Close (5 min)
→ Offer 14-day free trial with full onboarding
→ Or close directly: "Ready to get set up? It takes about 30 minutes."

Step 4: Onboarding (within 48 hours)
→ Help customer add their first 10 products
→ Show them mobile access
→ Schedule 30-day check-in

Marketing Strategy

Channel Mix (Budget Allocation)

PhaseSEO/ContentGoogle AdsEventsPartnershipsOutboundPLG
Phase 130%40%0%20%10%0%
Phase 235%30%10%15%5%5%
Phase 325%25%15%15%10%10%

SEO Strategy

Target keywords (high intent):

  • "OSHA HazCom compliance software" (low competition, high intent)
  • "SDS management software small business"
  • "HazCom 2024 compliance requirements"
  • "digital SDS management"
  • "OSHA chemical inventory software"

Industry-specific keywords:

  • "auto body shop OSHA compliance"
  • "pest control chemical compliance"
  • "manufacturing HazCom program"
  • "lab safety data sheet management"

Content calendar (Phase 2):

  • 4 blog posts/month (SEO-optimized compliance guides)
  • 1 webinar/month (lead generation)
  • 1 case study/quarter (social proof)
  • 1 industry guide/quarter (gated lead magnet)

Product-Led Growth (Phase 3)

  • Free SDS lookup tool — Search any chemical, get SDS preview. Captures email for full access.
  • HazCom compliance quiz — "Is your business OSHA-compliant? Take the 2-minute quiz." Scores and recommends plan.
  • Free tier (evaluate carefully) — Limited to 5 chemicals, 1 user. Converts to paid for real use.

Partnership Strategy

Referral Partner Types

Partner TypeValue to ThemOur OfferExpected Volume
Safety consultantsRecurring revenue on client base they already serve20% recurring commission for customer lifetime3–5 referrals/month per active partner
Insurance agents (workers' comp)Reduced claims risk = better loss ratios15% commission + compliance reports for their underwriting2–3 referrals/month per agent
Industry associationsMember benefit, sponsorship revenueDiscounted pricing for members + sponsorship fees5–10 leads per association per quarter
OSHA training providersNatural upsell after training15% commission + co-branded materials2–5 referrals/month
Accountants/bookkeepersValue-add service for business clients10% commission1–2 referrals/month

Target: 30 Active Referral Partners by Month 18

At 3–5 referrals/month per partner → 90–150 leads/month → 15–25 new customers/month (at 15–20% close rate).


Key Metrics Dashboard

Weekly (Founder Reviews)

  • Conversations with prospects
  • Demos completed
  • Trials started
  • Deals closed / revenue added
  • Objections logged

Monthly (Team Reviews)

MetricPhase 1 TargetPhase 2 TargetPhase 3 Target
New MRR$1,500$4,000$8,000+
New customers5–815–2025–35
Churn rate< 5%< 4%< 3.5%
Trial → Paid conversion25%+30%+35%+
Demo → Trial conversion50%+50%+50%+
CAC< $500< $800< $1,000
NPSEstablish baseline> 40> 50

Quarterly (Strategic Reviews)

  • LTV:CAC ratio (target > 3:1)
  • Net revenue retention (target > 105%)
  • Channel ROI by source
  • Expansion MRR %
  • Annual billing mix %

Risk Mitigation

RiskLikelihoodImpactMitigation
SMB churn too high (> 5%/mo)HighCriticalInvest in onboarding; require 30-day check-in; usage alerts; annual billing push
HazCom 2024 deadline gets extendedMediumHighDiversify value prop beyond compliance deadline (efficiency, insurance discounts, audit readiness)
Competitor launches SMB productMediumMediumSpeed to market; customer relationships; industry-specific depth; switching costs increase over time
CAC too high for SMBMediumHighDouble down on SEO/content (lower CAC); PLG features; referral partnerships
Founder burnout (wearing too many hats)HighCriticalHire sales/marketing person by Month 2; don't try to do everything alone
Free trial abuse (sign up, export, cancel)LowLowTrack usage; require credit card for trial; build sticky workflows

What NOT To Do

TrapWhy It Fails
Build more features before sellingYou'll build the wrong things; sell what you have
Target Fortune 500 / enterprise6–18 month sales cycles, RFPs, procurement, legal review
Compete on features with VelocityEHSThey have 641 employees and $70M revenue — compete on simplicity and price
Offer a free plan too earlyFree users don't give actionable feedback; they have different needs than paying customers
Hire a VP of Sales before $500K ARRToo expensive, wrong skillset for founder-led phase
Spend > 30% of revenue on paid ads before PMFOptimize conversion first, then pour fuel on it
Try to serve all industries at oncePick 2–3 ICPs, dominate them, then expand
Skip annual billing pushMonthly-only = higher churn, worse cash flow, lower LTV

Milestones & Decision Points

MilestoneTarget DateDecision
First paying customerMonth 1If no → pivot pricing or ICP
10 paying customersMonth 3If no → reassess product-market fit
$5K MRRMonth 6Hire AE #1; increase ad spend
$15K MRRMonth 9Hire marketing lead; launch partnership program
$30K MRRMonth 14Hire AE #2 + CSM; evaluate raising capital
$50K MRRMonth 18Consider seed round OR stay bootstrapped
$83K MRR ($1M ARR)Month 24–30Evaluate: bootstrap to profitability vs. raise Series A for accelerated growth

The Fundraising Decision at $1M ARR

At $1M ARR with healthy metrics (LTV:CAC > 3:1, churn < 4%), you have two paths:

Path A: Stay Bootstrapped

  • Grow at 50–80% annually
  • Profitable by $1.5M ARR
  • Full ownership, full control
  • Reach $3–5M ARR in 3–4 years

Path B: Raise Seed ($1–3M)

  • Accelerate to $3M ARR in 12 months (3x growth)
  • Hire sales team of 5–8 reps
  • Launch enterprise tier
  • Target Series A at $5–8M ARR
  • EHS SaaS valuations: 20–30x revenue for leaders

Immediate Action Items (This Week)

  1. Re-contact the 3 demo businesses — Ask for the sale. Offer $99/month Starter or $199/month Standard with 14-day free trial.

  2. Set up Stripe billing — Be ready to take credit cards today.

  3. Create a simple landing page — One page: headline, 3 benefits, pricing, "Start Free Trial" button. No perfection needed.

  4. Write the first blog post — "OSHA HazCom 2024: What Small Businesses Must Do by January 2026". Publish immediately.

  5. Post a job listing — Sales/marketing hire #1. Part-time OK initially. Look for someone with SMB sales experience, ideally in safety or compliance.

  6. Set up Google Ads — $30/day targeting "OSHA HazCom compliance software" and "SDS management small business".


Long-Term Vision: Beyond $1M ARR

The 3-3-2-2-2 Growth Path

YearRevenueCustomersTeam Size
Year 1$300K–$500K ARR100–1703–4
Year 2$1M–$1.5M ARR330–5006–8
Year 3$3M–$4.5M ARR1,000–1,50015–20
Year 4$6M–$9M ARR2,000–3,00030–40
Year 5$12M–$18M ARR4,000–6,00050–70

Exit Potential

EHS SaaS companies command premium valuations:

  • Sphera: $1.4B acquisition (Blackstone, 2021)
  • Intelex: $570M acquisition (Fortive, 2019)
  • VelocityEHS: explored $2B sale (2023)
  • Typical multiples: 15–30x revenue for growing EHS SaaS

At $10M ARR with strong growth → potential valuation of $150M–$300M.

The EHS SaaS market is growing at 10–12% CAGR with active PE consolidation. This is a good market to build in.