Having spent decades advising organisations of every size, from ambitious SMEs to global businesses, Steve recognised that many talented HR professionals dreamed of running their own consultancy but were held back by uncertainty. Winning clients, building a brand, developing marketing, creating systems, pricing services and generating recurring income can all be daunting when working alone. Joining the BFA was an important part of the business plan and one that will be instrumental in our future growth.
Rather than leaving professionals to reinvent the wheel, Steve built a proven business model based on everything he had learned throughout his career.
Today, ourHRpeople has become one of the UK's most respected HR franchise opportunities, helping experienced HR specialists launch their own successful consultancies with comprehensive mentoring, practical business development support and an established national brand behind them. Franchise partners benefit from director-level coaching, marketing, HR resources, legal support, sales training and a collaborative network of like-minded professionals who genuinely want each other to succeed.
The philosophy is simple: Work for yourself, but not by yourself.
That message sits at the heart of everything the business does.
Unlike many franchise models, ourHRpeople doesn't simply provide an initial training programme before leaving partners to navigate business ownership alone. Instead, Steve and the leadership team work closely with every franchise partner, helping them build confidence, win clients, develop recurring revenue and grow sustainable businesses that fit around the lifestyle they want. Steve only handpicks a few new franchisees per year so that he can support them fully and support their success.
The support extends far beyond HR expertise. Franchisees receive ongoing mentoring, business coaching, marketing support, SEO, PR, social media content, commercial guidance and access to an extensive library of proven HR documentation, training materials and consultancy tools. Every aspect has been developed from years of real-world consultancy experience, allowing new partners to avoid common mistakes and accelerate their growth.
For Steve, success has never been measured solely by financial performance.
After three decades in senior HR and leadership roles, he understands the pressures that many HR professionals face. Long hours, office politics, lengthy commutes and limited flexibility often leave experienced people questioning whether there is a better way to use their expertise.
ourHRpeople offers exactly that alternative.
Partners retain the freedom to choose how they work, the clients they support and the lifestyle they want to build, while knowing they have experienced directors and an established national team behind them every step of the way.
As employment legislation continues to evolve and businesses increasingly outsource specialist HR support, demand for experienced consultants has never been stronger. This creates significant opportunities for franchise partners to establish thriving consultancies in their local areas while supporting clients nationally, without geographic restriction.
The growing network is built around collaboration rather than competition. Partners regularly share expertise, refer work to one another and benefit from the combined knowledge of experienced HR specialists across multiple sectors. It is an environment where everyone succeeds together.
That supportive culture has become one of the reasons so many experienced HR professionals choose ourHRpeople over setting up independently.
Jackie Hudson - Area Director, Hampshire East
Jackie joined ourHRpeople in 2020 as its first franchisee, and demonstrates exactly what can be achieved with the right support and determination.
Within just five weeks of launching her ourHRpeople business she had recovered her initial investment, and within her first year was billing around £16,000 every month, while dramatically improving her work-life balance. Today she enjoys the flexibility of running a thriving consultancy without the 13-hour days and lengthy commute that came with corporate life.
Having held senior HR Director positions for many years, Jackie wanted the freedom of owning her own business without sacrificing the support and collaboration that had always been important to her. She found exactly that through ourHRpeople.
Her success has since become one of the franchise's standout case studies, demonstrating how experienced HR professionals can build profitable consultancies while enjoying greater flexibility and control over their lives.
Carla Read - Area Director, Manchester Central & North
Carla joined ourHRpeople after building an outstanding reputation as a trusted HR leader, supporting growing businesses with commercially focused people strategies and organisational development.
Working with technology businesses and ambitious SMEs, Carla specialises in helping organisations build scalable people strategies that support sustainable growth while creating positive workplace cultures.
Months after launching her business with ourHRpeople, Carla received industry recognition by winning the Newcomer Business Consultancy of the Year in the Greater Manchester Business Awards, highlighting both the strength of her expertise and the impact she has already made within the business community.
Carla was attracted by the freedom to build a business that reflects her own values while benefiting from the strength, credibility and support of an established national network. Like every ourHRpeople partner, she combines the independence of business ownership with the reassurance that experienced mentors and colleagues are only ever a phone call away.
For further information please visit www.ourHRpeople.co.uk [1] or email steve@ourHRpeople.co.uk [2]