Things people
usually ask.

The honest answer is: it depends on how much is currently on your HR plate. Foundation (10 hrs/mo) works well for businesses that are mostly stable but need someone available for questions, compliance checks, and the occasional project. Anchor (20 hrs/mo) is the most popular — it's enough time to stay ahead of things without feeling like you're rushing through work. Build (40 hrs/mo) is right for organizations going through growth, change, or building something new. Principal (80 hrs/mo) is for teams with active people operations who need a full strategic partner.

Not sure? Book a free 30-minute discovery call. That conversation alone usually makes it obvious.

You choose a monthly retainer tier based on how many hours of support you need. That amount is prepaid at the start of each month, or split into two payments mid-month — whichever works better for your business. Your hours are yours to use however your business needs that month: policy work, compliance questions, a sensitive employee situation, a payroll issue, onboarding setup — anything.

There are no hidden fees, no billing surprises, and no nickel-and-diming for every email. You pay for your tier, you get Montanna's full attention within that time.

Your rate stays exactly where it is until your scope changes. We don't do annual rate increases, surprise adjustments, or fee changes without a conversation first. If your business grows and you need more hours, we'll discuss moving to a higher tier together. If your needs shrink, same thing. Nothing changes unilaterally — ever.

We'll talk about it before it becomes a problem. If a particular month is unusually busy, additional hours are available at our standard rate of $135/hour. If it starts happening consistently, we'll look at whether moving up a tier makes more sense. You'll never be cut off mid-project without a heads up.

Yes. Clients who prepay in full for a 6-month commitment receive 2% off their total. Clients who prepay in full for a 12-month commitment receive 4% off. Both options lock in your current rate for the full term. Reach out to discuss which option makes sense for your situation.

No long-term contracts required. We work month to month. Per our engagement agreement, we ask for 30 days notice to end services — that time allows for a proper transition, documentation handoff, and making sure nothing falls through the cracks when we part ways. It protects you as much as it protects us.

Absolutely. One-off project work is available at $135/hour with no retainer required. Many of our longest retainer clients started with a single project — a handbook audit, an entity formation, a compliance question. There's no obligation to continue beyond the project, and no pressure to convert.

Yes — always. There are no account managers, no junior staff, no handoffs to someone you've never met. When you work with The Opal Agency, you work with Montanna. That's not a marketing line — it's how we're structured, and it's non-negotiable. The only exception is if Montanna is physically unable to work, in which case you'll be notified immediately and continuity plans are in place.

Same business day during business hours. Messages received outside of business hours — evenings, weekends, or holidays — will be responded to the next business morning. HR issues don't always wait for a convenient time, and neither do we — within reason.

That's genuinely fine — and more common than you'd think. Most clients come to us knowing something feels off, or that they've been ignoring something they shouldn't, without knowing exactly what to ask for. Tell us what's on your plate, what's keeping you up at night, or just that you're not sure where to start. We'll figure out what needs attention first and tell you clearly what we think you need. You don't have to arrive with a plan.

Because quality of work matters more than volume of clients. Keeping the roster intentionally small means every client gets the same level of attention on day 900 as they did on day one — same responsiveness, same depth of focus, same Montanna. While Montanna leads every engagement directly, select administrative and research support runs behind the scenes so nothing falls through the cracks. And the cap doesn't apply to project-based or short-term work — there's always a way to work together. The clients who've been with us since the beginning are still here. That's not a coincidence.

All of them. We work with solo founders making their first hire, small businesses building structure for the first time, mid-size organizations managing complex multi-state compliance, and large companies that need a specialized outside perspective. Size doesn't determine fit — your needs and your willingness to do the work right do.

Our client base spans a wide range of industries including legal and professional services, financial services, estate planning, healthcare and behavioral health, audiology, urgent care, mental health and therapy, medical devices, entertainment and media, advertising and ad sales, documentary film, beauty and wellness, supplements, wellness and ayurveda, technology, cybersecurity, AI and HR tech, home security, digital marketing, brand design, agrotourism, childcare and early education, and growth-stage startups across sectors. If your industry isn't listed, reach out anyway — the fundamentals of HR and compliance apply broadly and chances are we've worked in adjacent spaces.

Yes. We've supported clients across all 50 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and 15+ countries internationally including Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, India, the Philippines, Jamaica, and more. International HR and compliance work requires careful attention to local requirements — we approach it with the same rigor we bring to domestic work.

Absolutely. Several of our current clients have internal HR staff and still retain us as a strategic oversight layer — for compliance expertise, a second opinion on complex situations, or senior-level guidance their internal team doesn't have. We work alongside your existing HR team, not in competition with them.