Well you can..this is exactly what fractional HR provides. It is still the expert HR support, tailored to your business and YOU the business owner, but at a fraction of the cost.
We meet you where you are - based on your needs, your employees, your growth plans, or just the need to steady the ship.
So if you are ready to scale, let us guide your people plans because after all, a strategy is nothing without delivery.
Contact us for a no obligation discovery call.
Meet Sophie, Smooth’s HR Advisor who not only has a depth of expertise and experience but is the star trainer you need to help ensure your business up to speed with best practice and employment law.
It is always her passion, core understanding of working relationships and human dynamics within business that shines through and helps her deliver.
Chat to Sophie to see what training she can deliver whether this is on Neurodiversity in the workplace, Sexual Harassment or performance and probation to grow and develop the business. Drop us a DM and we will set up a coffee #betterbusiness #growth #workplace #hr
Meet Lauren - the founder and director of Smooth HR. Her mission of better business for everyone has been clear from day one and 2026 is the year she wants to really make it happen.
She sees first hand the impact that not being protected by HR can have on a business. Too often she gets the call when it’s getting difficult, legal and very time consuming. Plus the employer is really feeling the stress. And the challenge is getting even greater from April 2026 so she is putting her knowledge and experience out into the world to help businesses not fall into bad fates and difficult times.
After all, running a business is hard enough as it is.
So if you have anything from 5 employees to over 50 or more - it’s never too late to get protected. Plus it can be as low cost as monthly retainer from £300 per month. ��Get in touch to chat to Lauren at [email protected] or drop us a DM. #betterbusiness #founder #businessmindset #growth
Your employees are not templates. Dealing with them is not a system. There is a myth that you have to treat every member of staff the same. Our experience is to meet people where they are. For example some would respond better to softer feedback, others need clear direction. To be fair you need to understand the differences in your staff so you can support and lead with empathy. This is why at Smooth we do not offer templates or webinars, or copy and paste - all our clients are different, with different teams and need a more bespoke supported approach. We meet you where you are and the business you want to be.
#betterbusiness #workplace #growth #smallbusinessowner
Last week marked Dying Matters Week, and the theme "Let's talk about Death and Dying" couldn't be more important for workplaces.
Our HR Director Lauren joined a panel hosted by The Life After, to explore how employers can better support employees through grief.
The conversation was a powerful reminder that communication is everything. Employees need to feel genuinely supported. Employers need to understand their own capacity. And the two don't have to be in conflict.
For smaller businesses where long-term leave isn't always financially viable, there are still compassionate options — remote working, phased returns, access to counselling. Flexibility and care can coexist.
But the single biggest takeaway from Lauren and supported by the panel was - it is always best to establish the approach and draft the policy ahead of time.
When employees know in advance what support is available — how much leave they're entitled to, how to hand over work, who to speak to — it removes so much of the weight from an already difficult moment. And it gives employers the freedom to go above and beyond that baseline with confidence.
At Smooth HR, we help businesses create safe spaces where both employer and employee can navigate these moments with dignity — because that's what better business looks like.
If you'd like support creating a compassionate leave policy, training your team, or simply having these conversations with more confidence, get in touch.
We see time and time again that the businesses that invest in training have stronger cultures, higher retention rates, and less employee relations issues.
Training not only informs, it empowers. As a business owner, you will feel protected knowing your team knows the expectations and are equipped to manage, and manage well.
Enquire today about our standalone training packages. We want better business for everyone and sometimes that can simply be a session, which improves the culture without the big costly commitment.
We put a group of business owners in a room. Here’s the truth they don’t say out loud.
Business owners are silenced by liability.
Employees can vent on any platform. And it very rarely comes back to bite them.
But a business owner? One wrong word can end up in a tribunal.
So they stay quiet. Not because they don’t care — but because the risk is too high. And the judgment? Even higher. Say the wrong thing and suddenly you’re painted as cold, selfish, uncaring.
The reality right now is that businesses are feeling unsupported.
Rising National Insurance. Constant legislative change. And a sense that none of it has been properly thought through.
We advocate for better conditions for employees — always. But we also believe business owners deserve a space to be heard too.
We work with business owners as consultants, partners and HR to make sure their businesses can move forward without ANYTHING holding them back.
Why are you paying HR companies that make YOU do all the work? We understand that they may look cheaper - but cheap doesn’t mean value.
Template letters for to you fill in, generic contracts you check and complete, webinars you don’t have time to watch - that’s not a HR partner, that’s a DIY package.
At Smooth HR we do the work FOR you.
Because we believe you should leave HR to the experts, and focus on what you do best, and what makes you money.
Sophie, HR Adviser at Smooth HR, recently sat with a room of employers. The conversation was honest and they shared everything they think of on a day to day basis.
How do we keep good people when we can’t compete on salary? How do we support their wellbeing when we’re stretched ourselves? How do we stop worrying about losing them to bigger companies?
These are the things at the forefront of employers’ minds, something employees rarely see. But we do. We hold spaces for these thoughts and questions to be shared.
The truth is, most retention problems aren’t about money. They’re about strategy and communication
If this sounds familiar, it’s time to get proper HR support in your corner.
As part of our Bloom Talks Series, we hosted a free workshop in partnership with @smooth_hr and @worthyconsultancy on the New Employment Rights Act.
The workshop covered all the major changes that the Employment Rights Act 2025 brings, such as changes to unfair dismissal rights, day 1 sick pay, sexual harassment and family leave. It gave the businesses in attendance clear, practical guidance on what's changing and what they need to do as a result.
Huge thanks to @smooth_hr and @worthyconsultancy for the excellent, informative workshop and to @lpoolcitycouncil Business Support Service for the food and refreshments.
📸 - @smooth_hr
#BalticCreative #BalticTriangle
Empathy and resilience are the skills we feel good business owners have in common, particularly those who manage teams. Lauren really understands however, that the business owners themselves are only human. Life happens to all of us, and their own personal issues are set aside while they support their teams. She really recognises and empathises with the heavy load they carry. Empathy in leadership is about recognising somebody else’s experience, even if you can’t relate or understand. But employers often play the role of therapists, doctors, friends and even parents to their employees. A responsibility that is rarely given the recognition it deserves.
This is where Lauren can step in. Helping you support your team, put boundaries in place and ensure none of this impacts performance. #betterbusiness #workplace #growth #smallbusinessowner
These statistics are not comfortable to read and we hope business owners want to make their workplace safe and their employees feel protected.
From April 2026, employers have stronger legal duties around sexual harassment at work.
That means if you haven't trained your team — you're already behind.
Having the right processes, policies and training in place is no longer a luxury - it’s a necessity.
Our training will:
Help you understand your new legal responsibilities
Spot the signs — even the less obvious ones
Know exactly what to do when something gets reported
Give employees a clear path if they're ever harassed — no ambiguity
Give managers the confidence to handle it properly
Protect your people AND your business
The result is a safer, more respectful workplace with staff who feel supported and confident to speak up.
Sliding into our DMs to book a session is appropriate in this instance.
