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HR Consultancy Launch Programme · Stage 5 of 10
Stand Up Your Software Stack
Stand up the software a new consultancy runs on: the HR platform you implement, the templates that make delivery fast, and the tools that move files securely and keep the back-office tidy.
How long
~1–2 days
You’ll have
An HR platform chosen, a current template library, secure signing and exchange, and a back-office set up
Steps
4 steps
Resources
2 resources
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01 Step 01
Step 01
Choose the HR platform you’ll recommend
HR software implementation is a service line and a recurring-revenue hook, so you need one platform you know cold.
Do it yourself
- Shortlist the SME-focused UK platforms and their positioning: BreatheHR (very small-team friendly, flat tiers), PeopleHR / Access PeopleHR (per-employee, feature-rich), Sage HR (modular, scalable), CharlieHR (small-team core HR), BrightHR (bundles HR software with an employment-law advice line and an EAP), Personio (most end-to-end, aimed higher, heavy for micro-SMEs).
- Decide your stance: become a partner or reseller for the margin, which ties you to one vendor, or stay platform-neutral and recommend per client need. Be transparent about any partner commission.
- Learn one platform deeply for confident implementation, and know a second well as the alternative.
- Check where special-category data lives in the platform and whether the vendor offers a data processing agreement (ties to Module 3).
Common mistake · Recommending whatever platform pays the best commission rather than what fits the client, and hiding the commission.
Time~4–8 hours of real learning time CostIndicative: BreatheHR ~£18–£24/mo; PeopleHR ~£3–£9.50/employee/mo; Sage HR ~£4–£10/employee/mo; CharlieHR from ~£20/mo; BrightHR ~£16.67–£28.20/mo; Personio higher (confirm all current) DifficultyMediumResource for this step
PDFHR platform comparison matrix
Compare the main SME HR platforms on best-for size, rough monthly cost, partner/reseller option, and whether they offer a DPA.
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02 Step 02
Step 02
Build your document and contract template library
Delivery speed depends on ready, current, legally-sound templates rather than writing each document from scratch.
Do it yourself
- Assemble the core templates: employment contract, offer letter, staff handbook, key policies (disciplinary, grievance, sickness, absence, data protection), and letter templates for common processes.
- Source from reputable, current providers and re-check against the law changes you tracked in Module 4, never random internet templates.
- Consider a template or document-generation tool for SME employment documents (e.g. Legislate), or your platform’s built-in document features.
- Version-control the library so every client gets the current edition after a law change.
Common mistake · A static template folder that silently goes out of date after the next employment-law reform.
Time~4–6 hours CostIndicative: £0 to build your own, up to a few hundred £/yr for a template subscription DifficultyMediumResource for this step
CHECKLISTTemplate library inventory
The core documents and contracts a consultancy needs, each tracked by source, last legal review and version so nothing goes silently out of date.
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03 Step 03
Step 03
Set up e-signature and secure document exchange
You are moving sensitive HR files, so signing and sharing must be secure and legally valid, not email attachments.
Do it yourself
- Choose an e-signature tool (DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat Sign, Juro, PandaDoc). Electronic signatures are legally valid in the UK under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 and eIDAS, including for employment contracts.
- Set up secure document exchange: a client portal (Module 7), or a properly-controlled Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace with access controls and encryption.
- Align retention and deletion with the schedule from Module 3.
Common mistake · Using free personal file-sharing with no access controls for special-category HR files.
Time~2–3 hours CostIndicative: DocuSign ~£10–£40/user/mo; Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace business ~£6–£12/user/mo DifficultyEasy -
04 Step 04
Step 04
Set up your back-office (CRM, notes, time and billing)
A simple system to track prospects, client notes and billable time stops revenue and follow-ups leaking away.
Do it yourself
- Pick a lightweight CRM or pipeline that feeds Module 9: a well-structured spreadsheet to start, or a simple CRM like HubSpot’s free tier or Pipedrive.
- Set up secure client notes, mindful they may hold special-category data, and apply the Module 3 security controls.
- Choose time-tracking and invoicing that connects to your accounting software (Module 2), so billing flows to Module 10.
Common mistake · Keeping client notes in scattered documents with no security, or mixing sensitive HR detail into insecure tools.
Time~2–3 hours CostIndicative: £0–£20/mo DifficultyEasy
What you’ll have after this stage
- An HR platform you know well enough to implement, plus a second as an alternative
- A commercial stance on partner/reseller versus platform-neutral, with any commission disclosed
- A core template library, version-controlled and checked against current law
- E-signature and secure document exchange for sensitive HR files
- A lightweight back-office for prospects, client notes and billable time