Name: Michelle Sandys
Business: Michelle Sandys HR Consultant
Location: Cranbrook, Kent
Founded: 2020
➡️ What does your business do, and who do you help?
I'm a freelance HR Consultant and I help small business owners, generally with less than 20 employees and more often than not less than 10. I can assist with everything from the recruitment process, to contracts and handbooks/policies, to employee relations issues such as disciplinaries, grievances, performance issues, to exiting an employee for various reasons, including redundancy. And most things that pop up in between!
What I'm NOT is a payroll specialist or accountant. You'd be surprised how many HR people have a fear of maths, so please don't ask me to start working out problems with salaries, tax or pensions - I'll break out in a cold sweat at 3am!
➡️ What sparked the idea for your business?
I had been working in the HR department of the same company since 1999, first as a temp, then as Admin/HR Assistant, then in 2013 promoted to HR Manager when my previous boss took early retirement. By 2019, I had completed my CIPD Levels 5 and 7, for which I will be forever grateful to my employer. However, I felt it was time to move on, so I handed in my notice in November 2019 and looked for a new role.
Nothing arrived. It was my brother, Matt, who reminded me that I had proposed an idea to become a freelance consultant and help small business employers with their HR. My Dad has had his own award-winning business since the mid-70s and I had seen him have a few HR issues in the past - I would say he is the inspiration behind me deciding to take the plunge. So just 6 weeks before the first pandemic lockdown (excellent timing) and over the course of one weekend, I started my business.
As If By Magic HR Services was born on 1st February 2020.
➡️ How did you win your very first customers?
My Dad's firm was my first client. It was great to build my confidence in such a secure environment. I suffer with imposter syndrome, as I'm sure many of us in business do, so it was very important to be able to prove to myself that I could do this.
My next client arrived via an old school friend, who I was in touch with via Facebook. She saw what I was doing and recommended me to her employer, based in Portsmouth.
Other clients slowly built purely from networking, which was all online during lockdown, and referrals/word of mouth. Networking is vital for small businesses - I cannot recommend it highly enough.
➡️ What do you enjoy most about running your own business day to day?
The flexibility is great. I can work when I want, where I want. If I need time off to take my parents to a hospital appointment, I can do that. If I want to time off to spend a day out with family or friends, I can do that. If I want to work on something at 10pm...well, you get the picture.
In between updating an employee handbook, or advising a client about an employee relations issue, I can be getting the washing done. I can work outside on a sunny day. I can have as many cups of tea as I like!
One of the best things is the unpredictability of the day - who might call and become my next lovely client, what challenges will they present, how can I help them and make a difference?
➡️ What has been the toughest challenge you have faced as a business owner so far?
Well, opening my business 6-weeks before the UK shutdown during Covid was probably a challenge none of us saw coming! I'm not sure I would have left my previous employer when I did, had I known then what I know now. They actually kept me on for 6-months on a part-time, zero-hours contract. I helped them with furlough from my kitchen table, while they helped me with some guaranteed pay.
As you might recall, financial assistance was available to a lot of people, but I was out on my own with a new business, no accounting history, no furlough opportunities. I ate through my savings quite quickly. I then had no option but to claim Universal Credit. It was a tough time and I questioned my life choices over and over during that period.
➡️ What moment has made you feel most proud of your business?
There have been a couple of times when flowers have arrived at my door, completely unexpectedly. They have been from clients who have been grateful. One due to me finding a grant that got them out of a sticky situation. One because I helped with an emergency staff issue while I was on holiday.
My main source of pride simply comes each time a new client rings me and says I've been recommended.
And having started during a challenging period in our lives, I'm just proud that my little business is still here 6 years later!
➡️ Have any mentors, role models, or other business owners influenced your journey?
Too many to mention by name. The folk I originally networked with online during the pandemic were amazing, some of whom I am still in contact with 6 years on, and some of whom have become valued clients.
I read a lot during the pandemic - books about succeeding in consulting, using Linkedin to the best advantage (it's a game with its own rules!). I also followed people like Tracey Hopkins and Sarah Hamilton-Gill on Facebook and Linkedin.
My main influence is my Dad, with his business. I also often (mis)quote Richard Branson and his advice to say 'yes' to something and then learn how to do it as you go - that's definitely something I've done in my business, having tweaked my business model on more than one occasion, and changed my business name from As If By Magic HR Services to Michelle Sandys HR Consultant - again, on the advice of someone who helped me with my website, and then became a lovely client!
➡️ If you were starting your business again today, what would you do differently?
I wouldn't undervalue myself. I started with a lot of freebie offerings and a ridiculously small consultation fee, simply because I lacked confidence and didn't think anyone would pay me more for my services.
I wouldn't waste time leaflet dropping. That got me nowhere. Networking is the key and building relationships with people. Consistency. I have clients I met a few years ago with whom I did no business, only to have them come back to me months/years later.
➡️ Where do you want your business to be in five years' time?
In 5 years' time, I will be approaching my pension. Depending on what life looks like at that point, I might carry on as I am, or look to sell the business on, or simply wind-down and retire! Having said that, I've just started a new business with my brother and my fiancé, so who knows!
➡️ What makes your way of doing things different?
I was once told 'you're not like usual HR people. You're nice!' - I took it as a compliment. I think the HR department are often seen as the 'fun police' and we're often vilified at work, unfortunately. But I'm actually quite friendly, I don't bite, and I have a sense of humour. I just try to ensure you can deal with all the 'people' bits of your business in the correct way, so you minimise the risk of ending up in an Employment Tribunal!
➡️ Can you share an example of a customer, project or job that sums up what you do well?
I've recently completed a recruitment process with a client. We had 60+ applications that I was able to filter on my clients behalf, sending through those I felt strongly matched her criteria. We interviewed 6 in all (I can assist with interviews, including the right questions and what not to ask!), and could probably have filled the role 3 times over. A majority of the unsuccessful candidates wrote to say how much they appreciated and enjoyed the interview, and wished my client well with her new staff member. It was a rewarding process all-round, even though we had to turn many hopeful people down.
➡️ What is one thing people often misunderstand about your industry or the work you do?
We are human too. Some of the comments we get as HR people are hurtful, some border on bullying, some are downright vile. What a lot of employees don't realise is that we take our instruction from the employer - we don't make the rules, we simply advise on the correct process, much of which is written into employment law.
HR is becoming more and more complex for employers to understand. Trying to keep up with all the legislative changes is a job in itself - more than 60 new rules or amendments are being brought in over the next 18-24 months since the introduction of the Employment Rights Act 2025. I think the main thing employers and employees need to realise is that mediation is a great thing, as is compromise, and a decent day's pay for a decent day's work is still a good rule to live by.
➡️ What advice would you give to someone in Kent who is thinking about starting their own business?
Just do it!
I know it's scary. I know you will suffer with imposter syndrome. But remember, you have skills and experience that someone else doesn't have, and they will pay you to help them. Don't undervalue yourself. Work out what you need to earn on an hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, annual basis and work back from those figures to find your fee. Don't be afraid to tweak your business model if it isn't working for you.
Network, network, network! Choose your network forum wisely. You don't have to pay ridiculous annual fees and feel like you're in some strange cult that you can't escape from! Ask for recommendations from other business owners and find your tribe.
Get a good accounting system in place - one that will help you keep track of your income and expenses, and one that will invoice your clients without you having to slave over a spreadsheet every week/month - I need to listen to my own advice here as I'm still doing that but have reached a point where my number of clients is making me worry I'm forgetting to actually ask them to pay me!
➡️ What is your favourite place in Kent to grab a coffee, take a break, or find inspiration?
My current favourite spot is Willow & Sage in Stone Street, Cranbrook. Their Eggs Royale are a delicious treat, and they do very good cake!
We are National Trust members, so escaping to an historic property or garden is where I love to take a break. I used to work at Sissinghurst Castle when I was an A-level student at Cranbrook School, and I still love to visit NT and English Heritage venues.
You can contact Michelle here:
Contact: Michelle Sandys
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 07754 424082
Website: www.hrconsultantkent.co.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/michellesandys-hrconsultant
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Magic0105
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