Your accounting firm started with just you and a laptop three years ago. Now you’ve got twelve staff, two office locations, and a growing list of people problems you never saw coming. Sarah wants flexible hours after maternity leave. Dave’s performance has tanked since his divorce. The new graduate keeps asking about career progression paths you haven’t even thought about yet. HR consulting for small businesses isn’t about fancy corporate programs—it’s about building systems that grow with you.
Start With the Basics Before You Need Them
Don’t wait for your first employment dispute to write a disciplinary policy. Create simple, clear procedures whilst everyone gets along. Basic job descriptions, straightforward contracts, sensible leave policies. Nothing complicated. Just foundations that won’t crumble when you hit inevitable rough patches.
Culture Happens Whether You Plan It or Not
Small businesses often assume culture develops naturally. Sometimes it does—badly. Be deliberate about the environment you’re creating. How do you handle mistakes? What behaviour gets rewarded? Do people feel comfortable raising concerns? Culture becomes harder to change as you grow.
Make Performance Conversations Normal
Avoid the dreaded annual review trap. Have proper conversations throughout the year about what’s working and what isn’t. People want to know how they’re tracking. Regular feedback prevents small issues becoming big problems and helps decent employees improve instead of leaving.
Plan for Growth Before It Happens
That promising junior will want promotion opportunities within two years. Your reliable office manager might need support as workload increases. Think about career paths, training budgets, delegation strategies. Growing businesses that ignore people development end up losing their best staff to competitors.
Document Everything Important
Memory fails. Conversations get misremembered. Important decisions need proper records. Not everything—just the stuff that matters. Performance discussions, policy changes, significant incidents. Future you will thank present you for keeping decent records.
Know When You’re Out of Your Depth
Employment law changes constantly. Workplace investigations require specific skills. Complex restructures need professional guidance. Recognise when situations need expert input rather than hoping Google has the answers.
Smart businesses understand that effective consulting for small businesses means building scalable people systems early, before growth creates problems you could have prevented with better planning.