For business owners and leaders

When the business starts to feel harder to run.

Growth is creating pressure. Your team is stretched thin. Systems haven’t kept pace, or profits aren’t matching the effort. It can be hard to know where to start.

We help you see how those challenges connect, bring the right people around the table, and decide what needs to happen first.

Ester Pike and Kris Sigmeth in conversation
Ester Pike & Kris SigmethCo-founders, Benchmark Forward

How we work

The Roadmap

Understand your business. Agree on the priorities. Build a practical path forward.

  1. 01

    Diagnose.

    Understand the business

    Through conversations, information, observation, and the right expertise, we look across your business before jumping to solutions.

    What you gainA clear picture of your business
  2. 02

    BENCHmark.

    See what matters

    We bring the findings and the right people around the same table. Your Bench adds expertise where it’s needed, helping you connect the dots and agree on the priorities.

    What you gainShared understanding of the priorities
  3. 03

    Forward.

    Drive what matters

    Together, we build a practical roadmap: what happens next, who owns it, who needs to be involved, and how progress will be measured.

    What you gainA practical plan with ownership and measures

Want a closer look at the process? Read our booklet (PDF, 4.6 MB; opens in a new tab).

Meet the founders

Who we are

Founded by Ester Pike and Kris Sigmeth. We’ve both owned businesses and know how much the decisions matter. We work alongside owners, teams and trusted advisors, bringing in the right expertise for the business.

Ester Pike, co-founder of Benchmark Forward

Ester Pike

Co-founder · Strategic Functional Architect

Ester on LinkedIn

Ester connects strategy to performance, drawing on business ownership, executive development and operations, supported by a Master of Science in Occupational Psychology.

Kris Sigmeth, co-founder of Benchmark Forward

Kris Sigmeth

Co-founder · Chief Connector & Impact Officer

Kris on LinkedIn

Kris brings more than 25 years in business ownership, management consulting and operational leadership. She connects people and perspectives to help uncover what needs attention.

Contact us

What’s happening
in your business?

Tell us what you’re working through. You don’t need to have it all figured out before you get in touch.

Prefer email?

We’ll use the details you share to respond to your enquiry. Open form in a new tab.