It's the crisis every business owner dreads - a crucial team member is suddenly and unexpectedly out of action, with no warning and no handover. In small businesses, unexpected absences hit hard. You're balancing genuine concern for your colleague with the very real pressure of "but who's going to do their job now?" The way you handle these first 48 hours affects everything - your legal compliance, team morale, customer experience and when (or if) that employee returns. I've put together a practical guide that walks you through exactly what to do – and, importantly, what NOT to do - when you find yourself in this situation. Read it below 👇

Our September newsletter is here! In this month's edition, we cover: ⚠️ What small businesses can learn from a franchise culture failure 🧑‍💼 How to handle underperformance before it affects your bottom line 💸 Simple ways to manage rising labor costs ❓ Answers to your most-asked HR questions Read it here.

We all know that one team member... 👀 The eye-roller. The constant complainer. The person whose mood determines everyone else's day. Most of us put off dealing with these situations because, let's face it, those conversations are about as appealing as a root canal. But here's the thing - I've seen small businesses completely transform once they tackle this head-on. The relief is immediate, and not just for you. Your team notices everything, especially who you allow to get away with what. In today's newsletter, I'm sharing my simple framework for handling those tricky team members - without needing a law degree or turning into the bad guy. Read it below 👇

Is your team scattered across different locations? 🏠 🏭 🏢 Managing performance isn't easy when you can't see everyone in the same room. I'm hearing from business owners daily that this is one of their biggest headaches. How do you keep everyone on track without micromanaging? And how do you make sure on-site staff don't resent those working from home? In today's newsletter, I share 6 practical steps to manage your remote team's performance effectively, without creating unnecessary admin or frustration. These aren't theoretical ideas - they're battle-tested approaches that I've helped to implement with businesses just like yours. Read it below. ⬇️

With rising prices hitting us all, we're all looking for ways to cut costs right now.  But cut from the wrong places and you'll pay a much higher price. Just look at Meta, where recent large-scale performance-based layoffs sparked employee backlash and public criticism over how the cuts were handled. The lesson? Cost-cutting isn't just about the numbers. It's about how you implement changes. I've helped many business owners, like you, to trim expenses without damaging their culture or breaking employment laws. Let me show you how to do it right. Start with a strategic approach Before making any cuts, consider these questions: Which costs are truly draining your profits? What can you trim without affecting quality or service? What are the potential ripple effects of each decision? The best way to cut costs is to be targeted and thoughtful. Not just slash everything by 10% and hope for the best. 5 smart ways to reduce costs (that won't backfire) 1. Review your workspace needs With mixed home and office work now common, do you really need all that office space? Many of my clients are saving thousands by downsizing premises or negotiating better lease terms. Consider shared desks, flexible arrangements or even co-working spaces if your team isn't in every day. 2. Get your staffing levels right Are you staffed correctly for your current workload? Look at your busy and quiet periods. Could flexible hours, part-time contracts or seasonal staffing help you to match costs to income more effectively? This isn't about cutting jobs. It's about having the right people at the right times. 3. Streamline your processes Inefficient processes aren't just frustrating. They're expensive. Where are your team members spending time on manual tasks that could be automated? What bottlenecks are causing delays and overtime costs? Simple process improvements can deliver immediate savings without reducing quality. 4. Handle sick days better Unplanned absence is a hidden cost that affects your whole operation. A clear policy, brief check-ins when people return and supporting staff health can make a real difference. 5. Keep your best people The cost of replacing an employee can be 1.5 to 2 times their annual salary. Sometimes your most effective cost-cutting strategy is reducing staff turnover. Regular check-ins, fair pay and chances to grow are far cheaper than constant recruitment. What NOT to do – learn from others' mistakes I've seen businesses get this wrong, much like Meta, who've damaged their reputation with poorly executed cost-cutting: Don't change pay or contracts without discussion Changes to employment terms require proper discussions and agreement. Rushing these decisions can lead to formal complaints, legal challenges and even walkouts. Don't ignore the legal stuff Reducing health and safety measures, skipping required training or cutting corners with wage rules will always cost more in the long run. Never keep people in the dark When staff suspect cost-cutting but aren't told what's happening, rumors fill the vacuum. Be transparent about challenges while involving your team in finding solutions. Here's my perspective I've seen how cutting costs can either make or break a business. The difference is always in the approach. With proper planning, open communication and a smart approach, you can protect your profits while keeping your team motivated and productive. The smartest business owners I work with know that cutting costs intelligently today helps to secure growth tomorrow. Need help with finding the right balance between savings and sustainability? I'm here to help. Let's have a confidential chat about how we can reduce your costs without increasing risk.

First impressions count. And when it comes to new employees, a brilliant onboarding experience can transform a nervous newcomer into your next superstar. To help you, here's a suggested onboarding checklist you can use:  Pre-arrival (1–2 weeks before the start date) Send a formal offer letter and employment agreement Receive the signed documents and confirmation of acceptance Confirm the start date and working hours Complete all necessary pre-employment checks (e.g., references, background check, right-to-work verification) Set up payroll and collect new hire forms (e.g., W-4, direct deposit info) Create an employee profile in your HR/payroll system Assign a manager and onboarding buddy Agree and document first-month objectives with their manager Prepare workstation, equipment and system access (email, tools, phone, etc.) Share employee handbook, policies and welcome materials Send a welcome email Day 1 Greet them personally on arrival Conduct a welcome meeting with their manager Complete ID verification and right-to-work documentation (e.g., I-9) Confirm emergency contact and personal details Give a tour of the workplace (kitchen, restrooms, fire exits, etc.) Introduce them to the team and key collaborators Ensure that they can access their email, calendar and internal systems Provide health and safety overview Review their role, responsibilities and first-month goals Take them for a welcome coffee or lunch Give them space to settle in at their own pace Week 1 Schedule brief daily check-ins with their manager Assign their first meaningful task or project Provide training on the systems, tools and processes that they'll use Set clear expectations for the probationary period and how performance will be reviewed Introduce them to cross-functional teams they'll work with Confirm benefits, paid time off and how to request vacation or sick leave Ensure that all HR documents are completed and stored securely Create space for questions and end-of-week feedback Month 1 Conduct a formal 1:1 check-in to see how they’re settling in Review first-month objectives and offer feedback Share more about company goals, values and vision Help them to build relationships—invite them to team events, lunches or collaborative projects Identify any training needs and offer support Start discussing growth and career development opportunities Ask for feedback on their onboarding experience so far Celebrate early contributions and wins Month 3 (end of introductory period) Review performance against agreed goals Discuss what’s going well and where they need more support Set next steps for growth, development and future objectives Need help with creating a great onboarding experience for your new team? Get in touch and we’ll help you to build a process that works for your business.

I was helping a business owner last week with a formal employee complaint which has ended up costing her a lot of time and money. Frustratingly, the issue and complaint could have been easily prevented with the right advice at the time. BUT the business owner didn't think she needed HR support because she only employed 3 people and thought she could handle it by herself.  What's the lesson from this? Whether you employ 1 or 100 people, you need HR support. Reason 1: Legal protection To employ 1 or 100 people, you need to have all the compliance basics in place. Reason 2: You can't afford costly employment issues Whether you're employing 1 or 100 people, you're at risk of costly employment disputes. Like the garden center owner who made a casual arrangement about flexible hours that ended in a costly dispute. Or the tech startup whose verbal warning (with zero documentation) led to a wrongful termination claim. Or the café that missed a right-to-work check and faced penalties from the Department of Homeland Security. Reason 3: Grow faster I worked with a marketing agency that grew from 3 to 15 people in 18 months. Because we'd set up proper HR from the start, they could onboard new team members efficiently and maintain consistent management practices without the usual growing pains. Getting it right from day 1 means that you won't need to rebuild your HR foundations and procedures from scratch later, often at a greater expense and disruption when you're busy with other priorities. If you employ people and don't have HR support, you need to take action now: Independent HR consultants, like me, offer flexible, scalable support tailored to businesses of all sizes. This might include: Creating legally compliant contracts and handbooks that protect your business Setting up efficient onboarding processes that get new people up to speed quickly Providing advice on those tricky employee situations (we all have them!) Conducting an HR audit to spot and fix risk areas before they become problems Guiding you through performance or conduct issues when things get sticky Want to chat about getting your HR foundations right? Reach out for a no-obligation conversation about how I can support your business.

HR admin piling up? HR software is a productivity hack for your business I was chatting with a client last week, who told me that she was spending her Sunday afternoons updating vacation spreadsheets. Sounds familiar? When you employ people, a lot of your time can get eaten up in managing the day-to-day tasks, like absences, schedules and time off. That’s why you need HR software in your business. It’s the biggest productivity hack if you have a team. Here are 6 ways that HR software could make your life easier: 1. Manages absence efficiently Remember the last time someone called in sick and you had to scramble to rearrange everything? With HR software, that chaos becomes manageable. One of my clients reduced their absence rate by 22% just by having better visibility of patterns. They could see who was frequently off on Mondays and have those crucial conversations before it became a bigger issue. 2. Takes care of vacation requests Picture this: no more sticky notes on your desk asking "Can I have the 15th off?" or trying to remember if someone else is already approved for that date. My favorite client story is from a small manufacturing business where overlapping vacations used to cause production nightmares. Now their team books time off from their phones, can see who else is off and the owner approves with one click. Public holiday planning is finally stress-free. Happy days. 3. Stores important employee files securely Let me ask you... how quickly could you find your office manager's latest performance review or your technician's training certificates if you needed them right now? One business owner I work with used to keep everything in a filing cabinet. When an employee made a records request, it took her three full days to gather everything. Now it takes 30 minutes, tops. That’s real time back in your business. 4. Deals with payroll seamlessly We’ve all felt that end-of-month payroll pressure. The fear of making a mistake that affects someone’s mortgage payment is real. A restaurant client of mine used to spend hours reconciling tips, overtime and vacation pay. He now saves nearly two days every month with integrated payroll and his team loves the digital pay stubs they can access anytime. 5. Helps you to make data-based decisions Gut feeling is valuable, but data gives you confidence. I worked with a creative agency that couldn’t figure out why they kept losing good people. Their HR software showed that employees who hadn’t had a performance review in six months were the most likely to leave. Simple fix, massive impact on retention. 6. Offers employee self-service “Where’s the latest version of the handbook?” “How many vacation days do I have left?” Sounds familiar? A client recently told me that her favorite feature is that her team can find these answers themselves. Her interruptions have halved and her team feels more independent. Win-win. The bottom line for your business I’ll be honest. Most of my clients initially think HR software sounds like just another expense. Then they implement it and call me a few weeks later, amazed at how much time they’ve reclaimed. One business owner recently calculated she’d gained back about 12 hours a week. That’s 624 hours a year she now spends on business development instead of admin. What could you do with an extra day and a half each week? Ready to stop drowning in people admin? Let’s jump on a call and chat about finding the right HR software for your business. No hard sell, just practical advice from someone who’s helped dozens of businesses, like yours, to make the transition.