Email: belinda@belindacoghlan.com.au | Phone: 0414 642 921
Perth-based Small Business HR Consulting
WHAT
is Small Business HR Consulting?
Small business HR consulting is practical, right-sized HR support for businesses too small to justify a full-time HR hire, but too exposed to run without any HR support at all.
You're already doing the job of ten people. Most Fair Work obligations don't care how many hats you're wearing — the minimum wage, award and record-keeping rules that apply to a 200-person company apply just as much to a business with three employees, just without an HR team to manage them. Dismissal is one of the few places the rules genuinely differ by size — and knowing exactly how is where small business owners most often get caught out.
As a Perth-based HR consultant with over 25 years' experience, I work with small business owners to close that gap - without the cost, or the overhead, of hiring HR in-house.
WHO
needs Small Business HR Consulting?
Almost every small business owner reaches a point where the DIY approach to HR stops being sustainable, and that's where small business HR consulting earns its place.
Why? Because the small business owners I work with are usually facing one or more of the same pressures.
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No time or headspace to keep up with changing Fair Work obligations while running the business
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A handshake employment arrangement or an outdated template contract that hasn't been looked at in years
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Uncertainty about whether they're actually meeting minimum wage, award or superannuation obligations
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Poor supervisor or manager skills that leave your business exposed
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A difficult conversation with an underperforming or problem employee they've been putting off
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Growing past the point where informal, ad hoc HR still works
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Anxiety about getting a dismissal wrong and facing an unfair dismissal claim
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No budget for a full-time HR hire, but real exposure without one
Whatever's brought you here, if HR has been the thing you get to last, after everything else, I'm here when you need me.
HOW
does Small Business HR Consulting work?
Fair Work doesn't have a small business exemption for most obligations. Every employer, regardless of size, must meet the National Employment Standards (NES), pay at least the relevant Award or minimum wage, keep accurate employment records and pay slips, and provide a Fair Work Information Statement to every new employee.
Under Fair Work Ombudsman rules, a small business is defined as an employer with fewer than 15 employees — and that status changes a few important things around dismissal:
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A 12-month minimum employment period before an employee can bring an unfair dismissal claim (instead of 6 months for larger employers)
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An exemption from paying standard redundancy pay under the NES
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The use of the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code, which sets out the process for a fair dismissal
I help you understand exactly where you stand — what's genuinely optional, what's not, and what a 'purpose fit' HR setup looks like for a business your size, not a scaled-down version of what a large company would need.
As a value add, I can also help you meet your WorkSafe obligations — every business, regardless of size, carries work health and safety duties under the relevant state legislation.
I can help you with:
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Employment contracts that actually reflect how your business runs, not a generic template
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Award and pay compliance checks, so you know you're paying correctly
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A simple, compliant HR toolkit — policies, procedures and forms sized to your team
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Support through performance issues and dismissals, done the right way
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HR guidance on an as-needed basis, without a retainer you don't need
WHERE
to apply Small Business HR Consulting?
Wherever you're carrying HR risk without HR support, that's where small business HR consulting earns its place - most small business HR problems are cheaper to prevent than to fix.
Good small business HR support starts with knowing exactly where you stand, then builds outward: contracts and pay that are actually compliant, not just 'probably fine'; the confidence to manage a difficult employee conversation without dreading a claim; and HR that scales with you, not a system built for a business five times your size.
If you specifically need a documented, defensible check of your current compliance position, that's my HR Compliance Audit — a discrete service, and often the right place to start before anything else. As your team grows past around 15-30 people, this connects into my broader HR Consulting work, built for businesses with more complexity to manage.
WHY
choose me?
I'm a Perth-based HR consultant with over 25 years' experience in HR and organisational development — including advising businesses at exactly this stage, where the DIY approach has run its course but a full HR department isn't the answer either. I keep the advice practical and the cost proportional to your business, not scaled to enterprise pricing.
What clients say
"Belinda has been amazing in helping our rapidly growing business (servicing the mining industry) become compliant in the HR and WHS space. She has taken our business to another level with fit-for-purpose policies, procedures and automated forms stored in a new employee library on SharePoint. Belinda has helped with shaping our cultural behaviours, facilitated WHS staff consultation workshops and conducted supervisor coaching sessions. We are more confident in dealing with people issues now we have a robust system to back us up. I highly recommend Belinda."
Emma Duckworth, Owner, Elite Auto Electrical Pty Ltd
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need HR if I only have a few employees?
Yes — Fair Work applies to every employer, regardless of size. The question isn't whether HR obligations apply, it's whether you're currently meeting them.
What's the difference between this and your HR Compliance Audit?
The audit is a discrete, documented check of exactly where you stand against Fair Work, Award and record-keeping obligations. Small Business HR Consulting is the ongoing support that follows — building and running the HR systems your business needs.
I've never had a written contract with my staff — is that a problem?
It's a common starting point, and a fixable one. Every employee needs a compliant contract, even if you've operated informally until now.
What happens if I need to dismiss someone?
If you have fewer than 15 employees, the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code sets out the process to follow. Getting it right upfront is far cheaper than defending a claim after the fact. This means several conversations with the underperformer to clarify the performance issue, the standards expected, a joint plan to address the issue and clear consequences if the standard is not achieved.
Do you work with sole traders and very small teams?
Yes — HR obligations apply from your very first employee, and getting the basics right early is far easier than fixing them later.