By the HR experts at MJV Consulting – With over 40 years combined experience supporting small and medium-sized businesses across Sussex, Surrey, and London. Since 2016, we’ve supported small businesses in Sussex, Surrey and London with forward thinking HR strategies designed to support your business growth.
Author: Ewen Bonnyman | Last Updated: October 2025 | Reading Time: 9 minutes
Introduction
Let me guess – when you launched your business in Horsham, Crawley or Guildford, HR compliance wasn’t exactly top of your priority list. You had customers to win, services to deliver, and a business to build. Managing your small team felt manageable. A quick conversation sorted most issues, and you handled the occasional employment contract yourself.
That approach worked perfectly. Your hands-on style wasn’t just efficient – it was part of your competitive advantage.
But something’s shifted, hasn’t it?
Perhaps you’ve encountered your first serious employee relations issue that left you Googling “UK employment law” at midnight. Maybe you’ve noticed different managers applying different rules to similar situations. Or you’re simply drowning in people problems when you should be growing your business.
If this sounds familiar, you’re experiencing what hundreds business owners across of South-East England face: the moment when informal HR management stops working. And here’s the important part – this isn’t a failure. It’s a sign of success.
When DIY HR Management Becomes a Business Risk
Most successful entrepreneurs are natural problem-solvers. When something needs doing, you work it out. This resourcefulness has built your business, and rightly so. But HR management for small business presents distinct challenges that intensify as you grow.
The difficulty isn’t that you’re managing people badly – it’s that the informal systems that functioned brilliantly at 5 employees start breaking down at 15 or 20.
The Real Cost of Informal HR Processes
Without proper HR solutions for small businesses, you’re likely experiencing:
Repeated problem-solving without progress. Every disciplinary matter, annual leave dispute, or new starter becomes a fresh challenge. You’re spending valuable time recreating solutions you’ve already developed because nothing’s documented.
Inconsistent management creating friction. One team leader addresses lateness with an informal chat. Another issues written warnings immediately. Both mean well, but your employees spot these inconsistencies – and it erodes trust in your leadership.
Reactive firefighting instead of strategic planning. You’re buried in today’s HR problems with no capacity to consider tomorrow’s opportunities: attracting better talent in competitive markets like Guildford or Cobham, retaining your top performers, or building teams that support your three-year growth plan.
Delayed decisions costing you money. How many times have you postponed addressing an underperformer because you weren’t confident about the process? How often have you avoided necessary restructuring because you didn’t understand the employment law implications?
A 2024 CIPD study found that UK businesses with fewer than 50 employees lose an average of 38 working days per year to HR issues that could be prevented with proper systems. For a business owner whose time is worth £100 per hour, that’s nearly £30,000 in lost productivity annually.
Signs Your Business Needs HR Consultancy Services
This transition rarely announces itself clearly. Instead, you gradually notice the personal approach that served you well is being stretched thin, or you’re constantly firefighting instead of leading.
The inconsistency trap. Different managers handle identical situations in completely different ways. Employees notice, morale suffers, and you’re dragged into more disputes personally – time you simply don’t have.
The recruitment struggle. Hiring takes months, you attract the wrong candidates, or you make rushed decisions out of desperation. Without structured recruitment processes, every hire becomes a gamble. And in small businesses across Horsham and Haywards Heath, bad hires hurt everyone. The average cost of a bad hire in the UK is £30,614 according to Oxford Economics – potentially devastating for a 20-person company.
The compliance shock. This often arrives suddenly: an employee threatens tribunal action, you receive a formal grievance, or someone raises a discrimination complaint. Suddenly you realise you’ve been unknowingly exposed to significant legal risks. Employment tribunal claims cost UK businesses an average of £8,500 to defend even when successful – and awards can exceed £50,000 if you lose.
The key person dependency. You rely heavily on specific individuals but haven’t considered succession planning or knowledge transfer. When they resign, panic follows.
The management time drain. You and your leadership team spend increasing hours on people issues rather than business development. Every HR problem lands on your desk because there’s no alternative. Meanwhile, strategic priorities like financial planning and business growth get repeatedly postponed.
The culture drift. You know company culture matters, but you can’t articulate what yours is anymore. New starters struggle to understand “how we do things here,” and maintaining your founding culture becomes harder with each new hire. You notice increased absences, and team members who previously stayed late to finish projects now leave promptly at 5pm.
The Hidden Financial Impact of Outgrowing Your HR Systems
The financial consequences of outgrowing your current HR approach aren’t always visible, but they accumulate quickly. Even with good intentions, operating without proper HR management creates expensive problems:
Staff turnover costs. UK businesses spend between £11,000-£30,000 replacing each departing employee when you factor in recruitment, training, and productivity losses – rising significantly for senior roles. If inadequate management causes just two preventable departures annually, that’s £22,000-£60,000 wasted.
Employment tribunal exposure. Beyond the average £8,500 defence cost, tribunal claims consume hundreds of management hours, damage your reputation in local business communities like Crawley and Burgess Hill, and create stress throughout your organisation.
Underperformance from mismanaged employees. Team members who should have been developed properly or transitioned out can easily cost 20-30% of their salary in lost productivity each year.
Opportunity cost of management time. If you’re spending just 5 hours weekly on preventable HR issues and your time is worth £100 per hour, that’s £26,000 annually that could have driven business growth.
Reputation damage. Being known as a difficult employer affects your ability to attract quality candidates in competitive South-East England markets. In areas like Guildford and Cobham where talent is highly sought-after, reputation matters enormously.
Total the figures, and informal HR management in a 20-person business often costs exceeding £50,000 yearly in direct expenses and missed opportunities. This isn’t about assigning blame – it’s recognising when success creates new requirements.
Professional HR Solutions Don’t Mean Losing Your Personal Touch
Here’s the misconception that stops many business owners seeking HR consultancy for small business: they believe professional HR means abandoning the personal approach that makes their company special.
It doesn’t.
Strategic HR support for small business means creating frameworks that enable you to maintain your personal leadership style whilst ensuring consistency and fairness across a growing team.
The Difference Between Administrative and Strategic HR
Administrative HR covers policies, paperwork, and compliance. Essential, but not transformative.
Strategic HR management is different. It uses structure to enhance your leadership approach. It asks:
When you’re managing everything informally, these strategic questions never get addressed. You’re too consumed with daily firefighting to consider the bigger picture.
Real Results from Strategic HR Consultancy Services
Consider this example: one MJV Consulting client needed to understand “what was driving our organisational culture, key risks and issues, what our priorities should be, and to understand what we could achieve with our limited resources.”
Our lead HR Consultant, Mary Ewen, conducted a comprehensive assessment of current capabilities, helped clarify the longer-term vision, and designed a team structure and development framework to help the owner step back and bring on the next generation of leadership.
The results? Engagement increased, productivity improved, and staff turnover dropped significantly. The client noted that Mary Ewen‘s pragmatism and positivity “helped us achieve many of our goals including organisational restructures, re-design of several key HR processes and upskilling of our teams.”
That’s the impact strategic HR consultancy services deliver – not just resolving problems or treating symptoms, but identifying root causes, preventing future issues, and driving sustainable growth.
Why HR Outsourcing Companies Offer the Smart Alternative
You might be thinking, “We clearly need professional HR support, but we definitely can’t afford a full-time HR manager.”
You’re probably right. With 15-20 employees, a £45,000+ salary plus benefits, pension contributions, and office space for an HR professional doesn’t make financial sense.
But here’s what many South-East England business owners don’t realise: you don’t need someone full-time to access the expertise you need.
The Outsourced HR Support Advantage
Most of our clients across Horsham, Crawley, Gatwick, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Guildford and Cobham don’t want, don’t need, or simply can’t afford a full-time HR role at their stage of growth. But they’ve all experienced the benefits of accessing senior-level, commercially-focused HR expertise on a flexible basis.
HR outsourcing companies like MJV Consulting provide:
Most of our clients work with us through one of our Retained HR Packages for dedicated monthly support. Often just one or two days monthly provides enough strategic direction to handle complex issues, build the processes and accountability you need, and transform your HR management – typically for less than £1,500 per month. That’s about £18,000 annually compared to £50,000+ for an internal hire.
What Outsourced HR Support Looks Like in Practice
A typical engagement with HR services for small business might include:
Strategic planning sessions to align your people strategy with business objectives, identify risks, and create development plans.
Policy and procedure development that protects your business legally whilst reflecting your culture and values.
Recruitment support including role definition, interview training, candidate assessment, and onboarding systems.
Performance management frameworks that give managers confidence to address issues early and develop team members effectively.
Employee relations support for handling disciplinary matters, grievances, redundancies, and TUPE transfers in compliance with UK employment law.
Management coaching and training to develop your leadership team’s capability to manage people confidently and consistently.
On-call advisory support so when urgent questions arise, you have expert guidance available immediately.
Making the Evolution from Informal to Strategic HR Management
The transition from informal to professional HR solutions for small businesses doesn’t happen overnight, and it certainly doesn’t mean sacrificing what makes your business special. Here’s how businesses across South East England typically evolve whilst keeping their personal touch.
Starting Your HR Transformation
As one client reflected: “I used to have the view that HR was managing difficult cases and moving people on with occasional recruitment support.” But working with experienced HR consultancy services transformed that perspective entirely.
Assessment phase. A good HR consultant for small business starts by understanding your current situation: what’s working, what’s causing problems, what risks exist, and what your growth plans require. This typically involves reviewing existing documentation, speaking with key people, and observing how things currently operate.
Quick wins. Within the first month, you’ll typically see immediate improvements: urgent compliance issues addressed, critical policies implemented, and pressing employee relations matters handled properly. These quick wins build confidence and demonstrate value rapidly.
Foundation building. Over the next 2-3 months, you’ll develop the core frameworks your business needs: employment contracts fit for purpose, an employee handbook that’s actually useful, clear policies that reflect your culture whilst protecting you legally, and management processes that create consistency.
Capability development. As systems embed, focus shifts to developing your management team. Training on performance conversations, handling difficult situations, recruitment interviewing, and building their confidence to manage people effectively without always escalating to you.
Strategic evolution. After 6 months, you’re operating differently. Day-to-day issues are handled systematically. Your management team is more capable. You have headspace to consider strategic people questions: building your employer brand, developing succession plans, creating career pathways, and aligning your team behind ambitious growth objectives.
What Success Looks Like with Professional HR Management
When you implement proper HR solutions for small businesses, the transformation becomes visible across your organisation:
Recruitment becomes easier and more cost-effective. You’re clearer about what you need, your processes are tighter, and you’re building a reputation as a good employer in competitive South East England markets. Time-to-hire drops, and quality of candidates improves.
Management time reduces significantly. Processes handle routine matters automatically. Your managers feel confident addressing issues early rather than letting them escalate. You’re spending hours monthly on HR instead of hours weekly.
Employee engagement improves measurably. People understand expectations clearly, feel fairly treated, and trust that issues will be handled consistently. This shows up in reduced turnover, lower absence rates, and improved productivity.
Business growth accelerates. With people problems under control, you can focus on strategy, business development, and delivering exceptional service to your customers.
Legal risks diminish substantially. You’re operating within proper UK employment law frameworks, documenting decisions appropriately, and handling situations before they become tribunal risks.
Culture strengthens as you grow. Rather than diluting as you add people, your culture becomes more defined and deliberate. New starters integrate faster, and your team feels more cohesive despite increased size.
Real-World Tools and Approaches
Working with HR consultancy services typically means implementing practical tools that make daily HR management straightforward:
Cloud-based HR systems for storing employee records securely, tracking holidays, managing absence, and generating reports. Systems like BreatheHR Software are popular with our South-East England clients for their simplicity and affordability (typically £2-4 per employee monthly).
Performance management frameworks including regular one-to-ones, objective-setting processes, and annual reviews that drive development rather than just ticking boxes.
Recruitment toolkits with interview guides, assessment criteria, and onboarding checklists that ensure consistency and improve candidate experience.
Management training programmes tailored to your business, often delivered in short workshops that fit around operational demands.
HR advisory support via phone, email, or video call whenever questions arise, meaning you’re never stuck wondering what to do next.
Taking the Next Step: HR Support for Your Business
If you recognise your business in this article, you’re in excellent company. This evolution is a natural part of successful business growth, and the fact you’re considering it demonstrates you’re ahead of many competitors.
You don’t need to transform everything immediately, and you certainly don’t need to abandon the personal approach that makes your business special. Professional HR management means adding structure that supports your leadership style, not replacing it.
Why Businesses in Sussex and Surrey Choose MJV Consulting
Based in Sussex and working extensively across Surrey and London, MJV Consulting understands the specific challenges facing growing businesses in your region. Whether you’re based in Horsham, Crawley, Gatwick, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Guildford, or Cobham, we’ve helped businesses like yours transform their HR management.
The informal approach that brought you this far has served its purpose excellently. Now it’s time to build on that foundation with professional HR consultancy services that will take your business to the next level whilst preserving what makes you distinctive.
After all, you wouldn’t handle your finances, legal compliance, or IT infrastructure informally at this stage of growth. Your people strategy deserves the same thoughtful, professional approach – and your business will be considerably stronger for it.
Ready to discuss how outsourced HR support could work for your business? Visit MJV Consulting or call us to arrange a no-obligation conversation about your HR challenges.
Frequently Asked Questions About HR Services for Small Business
How much do HR consultancy services cost for small businesses?
Outsourced HR support typically costs significantly less than employing a full-time HR professional. At MJV Consulting, our Retained HR Packages start from around £995 per month for dedicated support, compared to £45,000+ annually for an internal HR manager. Most businesses in Guildford find that 1-2 days of expert consultancy monthly provides everything they need at a fraction of the cost of full-time employment.
When should a small business consider HR outsourcing companies?
Most businesses benefit from professional HR support for small business once they reach 10-15 employees. Key indicators include: spending significant time on people problems, inconsistent management approaches, compliance concerns, difficulty recruiting, or experiencing your first serious employee relations issue. If you’re reading this article, you’re probably already at that stage.
What’s included in typical HR consultancy for small business?
HR solutions for small businesses in Horsham usually include: employment law advice, policy and contract development, recruitment support, performance management frameworks, employee relations guidance (disciplinaries, grievances, redundancies), management training, and strategic people planning. MJV Consulting offer flexible packages tailored to your specific requirements rather than one-size-fits-all solutions.
Do I need an HR consultant based in my local area?
While location flexibility has increased with video technology, working with an HR consultancy familiar with your regional market offers advantages. MJV Consulting works extensively across Sussex, Surrey and London including Horsham, Crawley, Guildford, and surrounding areas, understanding local employment markets, salary benchmarks, and business challenges specific to your region. We offer both on-site and remote support depending on your preference.
How quickly can outsourced HR support make a difference?
Most businesses notice immediate improvements once professional HR management begins. Urgent compliance issues get addressed within days, critical policies are implemented within weeks and pressing employee relations matters are handled properly straight away. Within 3-6 months, you’ll typically have robust foundations in place, more capable managers, and significantly reduced time spent on HR firefighting.
Will professional HR systems make my business feel less personal?
Absolutely not. The best HR consultancy services enhance rather than replace your personal leadership style. Professional HR support for small business means creating frameworks that enable you to maintain what makes your company special whilst ensuring consistency, fairness, and legal compliance as you grow. Your culture becomes stronger and more deliberate, not diluted.
What’s the difference between HR outsourcing and employing an HR manager?
HR outsourcing companies provide senior-level expertise flexibly without the commitment and cost of full-time employment. You access experienced consultants who’ve solved similar challenges across multiple businesses, scale support up or down as needed, have team backup for continuity, and avoid recruitment risks, benefits costs, and office space requirements. For most businesses under 50 employees, outsourced HR support delivers better value and higher expertise than an internal hire.
How do I choose the right HR consultancy services for my business?
Look for HR consultancy for small business that offers: relevant experience with businesses at your stage of growth, understanding of your industry and region, flexible engagement models rather than rigid contracts, strategic thinking alongside administrative support, and cultural fit with your business values. Schedule exploratory conversations with 2-3 providers, ask for case studies or references, and trust your instinct about who understands your specific challenges and ambitions.
About MJV Consulting
MJV Consulting provides specialist HR support to estate agencies and small businesses across Sussex, Surrey and London. We offer retained HR services, compliance audits, policy development, and HR systems implementation, helping businesses manage their people effectively without the cost of full-time HR staff. Contact us at www.mjvconsulting.co.uk or 01403 916727 to discuss how we can support your agency’s growth.
If you’d like to discuss your HR challenges or explore how we can support your business, contact us at MJV Consulting on 01403 916727 or email us at info@mjvconsulting.co.uk. We’re here to help small businesses across Sussex, Surrey and London build teams that thrive.
