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Business Tool ยท Industry BenchmarkIs your margin good? Now you can check.
Most owners never find out how their numbers compare with other businesses like theirs. Enter one year of figures and see your profit margin, revenue per employee, headcount, and payroll next to your industry and your state, with a plain-English read on what the gaps mean.
- 6 metrics vs. your NAICS industry
- State snapshot from Census data
- Sources and limits on every report
From a demo account. Business details blurred.
Your numbers, in context.
A report you can read in five minutes and bring to your next board session, your accountant, or your banker.
Six side-by-side metrics
Profit margin, revenue per employee, revenue per location, employees per location, payroll per employee, and payroll as a share of revenue, each with a clear read: ahead, in line, behind, or typical for your size.
Your industry, found for you
Boule Board suggests the right NAICS industry code from what you told your board. Change it if a closer match fits.
A snapshot of your state
How many businesses like yours operate in your state, their typical headcount, and their payroll per employee, from the Census County Business Patterns survey.
What the gaps mean
A written read: where the business is ahead, the focus areas, what each gap means, and the next moves worth considering.
Honest about its limits
Every report lists its sources, data years, and what public data cannot tell you, so nobody mistakes an average for a verdict.
PDF you can share
Download the full report as a PDF for your accountant, a lender, or a partner. Regenerate whenever your numbers or the public data change.
Five minutes with last year's numbers.
Have your year-end profit and loss statement open. Everything else is automatic.
Enter one fiscal year
Revenue, operating expenses, and headcount are required. Add cost of goods sold, net profit, and payroll for a sharper comparison.
Confirm your industry
Accept the suggested NAICS code or pick a closer one, and choose your state.
Read the comparison
Six metrics, a state snapshot, and a written read on where you are ahead and where to focus.
Take it to your board
Bring the report to your next session and decide what to do about the biggest gap.
Real sources. Stated plainly.
The industry figures come from IRS Statistics of Income and U.S. Census data, compiled in the PlainBizBench industry benchmarks dataset (CC BY 4.0). State figures come from the Census County Business Patterns survey.
Public data has limits, and the report tells you what they are instead of hiding them.
- Profit margin decides the overall read. It is the one metric where your number and the industry number come from the same kind of source.
- Mixed-source ratios are labeled directional. Revenue per employee divides IRS receipts by Census headcount, so it is shown as context, not a verdict.
- Owner pay is called out. Sole proprietors report profit before owner pay; corporations after. The report explains how that shifts your margin.
- It says what it is not. Not RMA Annual Statement Studies, not a bank peer report, and no balance-sheet ratios.
- It stays current. It flags when your inputs have changed or newer public data is available.
Frequently asked questions
How does the Industry Benchmark compare my business to my industry?
You enter one fiscal year of figures: revenue, operating expenses, employees, and optionally cost of goods sold, net profit, and payroll. Boule Board matches your business to its NAICS industry code and compares six metrics against public IRS and Census figures for that industry, plus a snapshot of your state from the Census County Business Patterns survey.
Where does the industry data come from?
IRS Statistics of Income and U.S. Census data, compiled in the PlainBizBench industry benchmarks dataset (CC BY 4.0), with state figures from the Census County Business Patterns survey. Every report lists its sources and data years.
Is this the same as an RMA or bank peer report?
No, and the report says so. Public data gives industry-wide averages, not medians or quartiles, and it cannot show balance-sheet ratios like current ratio or days receivable. Treat the comparison as a well-sourced starting point for a conversation with your board, your accountant, or your banker.
Which numbers drive the overall read?
Profit margin, because it is the one metric where your figure and the industry figure come from the same kind of source. Ratios that mix IRS revenue with Census headcount are shown and clearly labeled as directional.
What happens when I update my numbers?
The report notices that your inputs changed and offers to regenerate. It also tells you when newer industry or state data is available.
Included in the same plan.
Every Boule Board plan includes all four tools. See them side by side.
Find out where you actually stand.
One year of numbers, five minutes, and a report worth bringing to your next board session.
Included on every plan, including Classroom. Plans from $49 a month with a 30-day free trial.