Obamacare sparked my startup

With many key provisions of Obamacare due to kick in next year, businesses and employees are under the gun to figure out how the new rules will affect their health benefits.

"It's an onslaught of information," said Joe Fernandez, who launched a consulting firm that educates companies about health reform last October. "It's confusing to me, and I've been doing this a long time."

His firm, The Benefits Expert, helps organizations enroll employees in plans that most fit their needs. It now has 30 employees and 50 clients. A third are small businesses, while the rest employ anywhere from 250 people to more than 1,000.

The startup, based in Dallas, has generated more than $500,000 in revenue so far. Fernandez expects business to accelerate dramatically in the next few years as employers seek to comply with the new regulations.

NEXT