If you run a small or growing business, you've probably reached the point where you know you need HR support but don't want (or can't justify) a full-time HR manager. So you start looking, and you quickly find two very different options: the big national HR firms with slick websites and 24/7 advice lines, and independent consultants like me.
On paper, the big firms can look like the safer bet. But in my experience, for most SMEs, an independent HR consultant is the better fit. Here's why.
You get me. Every time.
With a larger HR company, you'll often sign up with a friendly account manager and then find your day-to-day queries going into an advice line. Each time you call, you speak to whoever's free. You explain your business again. You explain the employee again. You explain the history again.
When you work with me, there's no call centre and no rotating cast of advisers. I'm the person who picks up the phone, answers the email and sits in the meeting. If we spoke about a tricky absence case three months ago, I'll remember it, because I was there.
That matters most when things get difficult. A grievance, a disciplinary or a dismissal is not the time to be bringing a stranger up to speed.
It's personal, because your business is
Good HR advice depends on context. The right answer for a 200-person manufacturer isn't always the right answer for a 12-person pre-school or a family-run shop.
Because I work with a small number of clients, I get to know each business properly: how you operate, what your culture feels like, who your key people are and what keeps you up at night. That means the advice you get is shaped around you, not lifted from a script.
It also means I'll tell you straight. If something you're planning carries a risk, I'll say so, explain why, and help you find a way through it. That's what a trusted adviser should do.
No long lock-ins
Many larger providers ask you to commit to multi-year contracts, often with automatic renewals and hefty exit fees buried in the small print. Plenty of business owners only discover this when they try to leave.
I don't work that way. Whether you need a one-off project, a few hours a month or ongoing retained support, the arrangement is flexible and clear from the start. If your needs change, we change the arrangement.
I'd rather keep your business because you value the support, not because a contract says you can't go. If I'm not earning my place, you shouldn't be stuck with me.
Practical advice from someone who's done the job
I'm CIPD Level 5 qualified, and I spent more than 15 years in senior in-house HR roles across food manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, education and the charity sector. I've handled the redundancies, the tribunals, the restructures and the 4pm-on-a-Friday problems from the inside.
That shapes how I advise. You won't get a 40-page policy you'll never read, or a cautious answer that leaves you no clearer. You'll get practical, plain-English guidance that works in the real world, alongside the documents and processes that keep you compliant.
It's what HR PPL is built on: People. Process. Protection. The right people in the right place, clear processes that are actually followed, and protection for you and your business.
So, is an independent consultant right for you?
In fairness, a bigger firm can suit some businesses, particularly if you want an insurance-backed product or a large team supporting a big, multi-site workforce. If that's you, it's worth weighing up.
What you don't need to worry about is availability. Going independent doesn't mean waiting until Monday morning for an answer. I'm available whenever you need me, including evenings and weekends, because HR problems don't keep office hours.
But if you want HR support from someone who knows your business, answers your call, gives you a straight answer and doesn't tie you into a contract you can't get out of, an independent consultant is likely the better fit.
If that sounds like what you're looking for, I'd love to have a chat. No hard sell, no obligation, just an honest conversation about where you are and what would help.
Tasha
HR PPL: People. Process. Protection.
