Why Is In2America the Only PEO That Welcomes Startups with Just 1–5 Employees?
If you're a startup founder launching in the US—especially as an international founder—you've likely been told you need 5 to 10 employees before any PEO (Professional Employer Organization) will talk to you. That’s a frustrating reality, particularly when you're trying to do things properly from day one: offer healthcare, stay compliant, and attract top talent with a strong EVP.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In2America is the only PEO designed to support founding teams from 1–5 employees. Here's why other PEOs impose headcount minimums—and how we’ve built a completely different model to support early-stage growth.
1. Risk Pooling & Insurance Economics
Most PEOs only offer access to things like:
- Group health insurance
- Workers’ compensation
- Unemployment insurance
...if you meet their minimum headcount. Why? Because they need to aggregate enough employee volume across clients to negotiate favorable rates with insurance carriers. A company with one or two employees doesn’t move the needle—but still adds administrative complexity and risk.
How In2America is different:
We started as a staffing business, already providing benefits to a large pool of individual contractors. So we already meet the scale thresholds that traditional PEOs need to offer discounted benefits—without forcing early-stage teams to meet arbitrary headcount targets.
2. Operational Overhead
Whether you hire 1 or 10 employees, every PEO must still:
- Run payroll
- File tax reports
- Onboard benefits
- Maintain compliance across jurisdictions
The cost and time to set up a single employee is often just as high as it is for a larger team. That’s why most PEOs say no to small teams—they’re just not profitable.
How In2America is different:
Because we’ve onboarded hundreds of solo contractors and micro-businesses, we’re already operationally geared for this. Our processes were built to serve one-person corporations, not just big teams—so offering full PEO services to teams of 1–5 employees was a natural extension.
3. Compliance Burden Per Client
Every client adds:
- Federal filings (W-2s, 941s)
- State-level business registration and employment law compliance
- Benefits reporting under ACA, COBRA, etc.
Traditional PEOs balk at these costs unless there’s enough headcount to justify it.
How In2America is different:
We’re already doing this for independent contractors across multiple states. So whether you're hiring your first US-based developer or building your first 5-person GTM team—we’ve got you covered.
4. Administrative Simplicity
Most PEOs are designed for scale, not service. They want to plug you into a self-serve dashboard and be done. If your needs are complex or you're unfamiliar with the US system? That’s your problem.
How In2America is different:
We’re a service business first. You get a dedicated client manager who acts as an extension of your team. We’re hands-on and high-touch because we know how important those first hires are to your business—and how easy it is to make costly mistakes without the right support.
5. Profitability & Focus
Let’s be honest—most PEOs don’t want small clients. They make more money from companies with 10–250+ employees, especially when they can upsell benefits, 401k plans, and bolt-on services.
How In2America is different:
Our model is designed for 1–100 employees, with a particular focus on startups in the 1–20 range. We don’t need to upsell. In fact, the more you scale, the less you pay per employee—because as you grow, your team becomes more self-sufficient, and our support becomes more streamlined.
Our growth comes from referrals. We do great work. You tell your founder friends. Everyone wins.
Built for Founders—Especially International Ones
We built In2America with founders in mind, not HR directors at mature businesses. Whether you're a US-based entrepreneur or relocating on a visa, we provide:
- Full PEO services (benefits, payroll, HR, compliance)
- Support for Visa-sponsored founders (who can’t use EOR models)
- EOR services for immediate hiring in all 50 states
- Seamless transition from EOR to PEO when your entity is ready
- A solution that matches your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) from day one
Before In2America, early-stage founders often had to choose between:
- Launching with no benefits, or
- Taking the risk of hiring with no HR or compliance infrastructure
That “startup struggle” might sound romantic—but it has killed countless businesses before they had a chance to grow.
In2America: Aligned with Your Success
We built In2America to be the PEO we wish had existed when we were trying to scale small, ambitious teams across the US.
Other PEOs have their rules for their own reasons.
We rewrote the rules in your favor.
We serve the startup community because we’ve been in your shoes. We know what it takes to land, launch, and scale successfully in the US—and we’re here to help you every step of the way.
Ready to hire your first US employee—or thinking about relocating your team?
Let’s chat about how we can support your journey from day one.