How to Set Up a HR Consultancy Business Using the 5C’s Corporate to Consulting Model

If you’ve been searching for how to set up a HR consultancy business or asking yourself how to start your own HR consulting business, you’re not alone. Every year, more HR professionals consider stepping away from corporate life to embrace freedom, flexibility, and fulfilment through consultancy.

But knowing how to start a human resource consulting business and do it successfully can feel overwhelming. That’s why I created the 5C’s Corporate to Consulting Model, a proven methodology designed to fast-track your move into consulting and help you build a sustainable, fulfilling business from day one.

Why Most Struggle When Starting an HR Consulting Business

When you're starting an HR consulting business, it’s easy to rush into creating a website or branding yourself as a generalist in hopes of attracting any kind of work. But this approach often leads to wasted time, money, and energy.

What I’ve found, working with hundreds of consultants, is that many lack clarity in:

• What they want to offer

• Who they want to serve

• The real problems they’re solving

That’s why the 5C’s Model is so effective. It helps consultants avoid common pitfalls and build with purpose, strategy, and confidence.

The 5C’s Model: From Corporate to Consulting

This step-by-step model will help you gain clarity, build visibility, and create momentum in your business journey.

1. Confidence – The Strengths Finder

The journey begins with building confidence in yourself. You explore your attributes, strengths, values and experience to understand how you can serve clients and stand out in a crowded market. This stage sets the foundation for all future business decisions.

2. Clarity – The Expert Elevator

Here, we dig deep into who your ideal client is, how you will package and price your services, and how this all connects to your lifestyle goals. This is where your offers are aligned with the kind of business you want to build.

3. Credibility – The Presence Platform

Once you’re clear on your niche and services, we help you develop your visibility and brand presence. This includes auditing your LinkedIn profile, building a strong online presence, and creating valuable content to position yourself as an expert.

4. Collaboration – The Income Generator

Growth doesn’t happen in isolation. This stage focuses on how to collaborate, outsource, or build partnerships that help you generate more income without burning out. It’s also about expanding your reach and network effectively.

5. Courage – The Action Accountability Plan

The final step is about taking action and staying accountable. This includes building habits, using smart tech tools, managing your time effectively, and tapping into our Accountability Community Groups for ongoing support.

Tools Needed to Start an HR Consulting Business

If you’re starting your own HR consulting business or wondering about the tools needed to start an HR consulting business, the 5C’s framework gives you:

• Proposal and pricing templates

• Personalised roadmaps

• Visibility and marketing checklists

• Ongoing support from our community

• Confidence-boosting coaching

Whether you’re setting up HR consultancy business from scratch or looking to scale, this model will help you do it in the right order, with the right tools and support.

Join Our Next Webinar

If you’ve been wondering:

How to start my own HR consulting business

Then join us for our next free webinar, where I’ll walk you through the 5C’s Corporate to Consulting Model and show you exactly how to make your move into consulting with clarity, courage, and confidence.

👉 Reserve your place now

🎧 New Podcast Episode Summary:

Struggling to show up confidently on camera? Avoiding sales conversations because they feel too “salesy”? You’re not alone – and in this episode, Sarah Hamilton-Gill explores how confidence isn’t something you're born with… it's something you build.

This episode is packed with practical strategies for HR and People Consultants ready to own their value, increase their visibility, and embrace sales with integrity.

Whether you're just starting out or refining your message as a more experienced consultant, this is your confidence boost in audio form.

🔍 In This Episode, Sarah Covers:

• How your DISC profile influences confidence and communication

• Why clarity is the foundation of confidence in your consulting business

• Simple reframes to make sales feel more natural and client-centred

• Why feedback is fuel – and how to seek it to grow

• Confidence-boosting habits and rituals for recording videos

• How to prepare your 30-second intro video for the new
  Link into HR Consulting matching platform

💡 Key Takeaways:

• Confidence comes from clarity – not perfection

• Your personality style doesn’t limit you – it informs how you thrive

• Sales is just serving with structure

• Feedback (the right kind!) accelerates growth

• Rituals can help you show up even when your nerves kick in

🎬 Bonus:

If you're joining the Link into HR Consulting platform, you’ll need to record a 30-second intro video. This episode helps you prepare for it with confidence, energy, and authenticity.

Rate & Review:
Loved this episode? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review and share with a fellow HR professional ready to take the leap.

If you’re an in-house HR professional secretly daydreaming about swapping endless meetings for freedom, flexibility, and a tiny bit more sunshine in your life... you’re not alone.

I was right where you are once, juggling employee relations, last-minute board papers, and wondering if there was ever a way to do what I loved without burning out.

Spoiler alert: there is.

And if you recognise these signs, you might be more ready to launch your HR consultancy than you think, even if your inner critic is still clinging to the corporate ID badge.

1. You’re Feeling Restless (and Maybe a Bit Grumpy)

You used to get excited about new projects, but now every new initiative feels like just another line on a never-ending to-do list.

If "Groundhog Day" has become your career soundtrack, it’s a sure sign that you’re craving something more, more impact, more control, and dare I say it, more joy.

Restlessness = readiness. Trust it.

2. You’re the Go-To Person (Even Outside Your Job Description)

Let's be honest: you're the one everyone turns to when they want real advice, not corporate jargon.
People ask you everything from "How do I handle this tricky employee?" to "What should I do with my career?" ,and you’re brilliant at it.
That’s not a coincidence. It’s your consultant muscle already flexing!

3. You’re Craving Flexibility (More Than Another Pay Rise)

It’s not just about money anymore.
You want time for school runs, dog walks, Greek island getaways (trust me, it's possible), or even just a peaceful lunch without a Teams notification ruining it.
Consulting gives you the freedom to design your days ,not just squeeze life around your job.

4. You Can See Gaps That Others Can’t

You notice the gaps in strategy, culture, and leadership that no one else does ,and you already know how to fix them.
In a consultancy, those insights aren’t just “nice ideas” in a SharePoint folder, they become your offer, your service, and your income.

5. The Idea of "Safe" Isn’t Enough Anymore

Yes, corporate life feels safe (pensions, bonuses, annual appraisals with no real outcomes 🙃).
But deep down, you know there’s no such thing as real security unless you're building it yourself.
Consulting might feel scary ,but it's the kind of scary that grows you.

6. You're Already Curious About How to Start

You're reading blogs like this (👋🏻 hello!), Googling "how to launch an HR consultancy," and secretly stalking HR consultants on LinkedIn.
That curiosity isn’t random. It’s your future tapping you on the shoulder saying, "Oi, it’s time!"

7. You Believe You’ve Got More to Give

Maybe you can’t explain it fully yet, but there’s a fire in you that says you're meant for something bigger than org charts and HR metrics.
Consulting isn’t just about leaving something behind ,it’s about stepping into your true potential.

Final Thoughts:

Launching your consultancy isn’t about feeling “100% ready”, because no one ever does.
It’s about spotting the signs, choosing courage over comfort, and trusting that your skills are needed right now.

And if you want a hand-holding, cheerleading, slightly cheeky mentor in your corner ,well, that’s where Leap into Consulting® comes in.

Ready to plan your leap? Find out more about the Bootcamp here.

By Sarah Hamilton-Gill FCIPD

While wellbeing has become a mainstream conversation in the workplace, the wellbeing of HR professionals themselves is still largely overlooked.

In my latest podcast episode, I explore the rising crisis of burnout in HR – especially among those who’ve left corporate life to run their own businesses. The data is clear: burnout is not just common, it’s become dangerously normalised.

Entrepreneurs at Breaking Point
Running a business brings freedom but also intense pressure. Recent stats show:

• 42% of US small-business owners have experienced burnout
  
  

• 37% of UK founders say work has harmed their health
  
  

• Nearly 50% of Canadian entrepreneurs face ongoing mental health issues
  
  

We often swap corporate stress for entrepreneurial stress – and it’s taking a toll.

HR Professionals: Supporting Everyone but Themselves

According to the HR Wellbeing Survey 2024:

• 74% have experienced burnout at least once
  
  

• Over 60% report multiple episodes
  
  

• 91% feel lonely in their role
  
  

• Half are considering leaving within a year
  
  

• A third have taken stress-related sick leave
  
  

• Over half have had no recent performance feedback
  
  

These figures reflect a sector in crisis, and for HR consultants juggling both people and business demands, the impact can be even more intense.

What’s Driving the Burnout?

The causes are layered: unrealistic expectations, emotional labour without support, lack of visibility or boundaries, and little opportunity for feedback or reflection. Many feel constantly "on" and professionally isolated.

How We Start to Recover
Burnout is not a badge of honour. It’s a red flag. Here's what can help:

• Setting and maintaining boundaries
  
  

• Seeking support through coaching or peer networks
  
  

• Creating time for personal reflection
  
  

• Saying no when necessary
  
  

• Joining communities designed to support HR professionals – like the HR Consultancy Academy
  
  

This episode is an invitation to start taking our own well being seriously. The calm exterior so often expected of HR masks a growing internal crisis – and it’s time we addressed it.

Listen to the full podcast for the full conversation and practical ways forward.

#LeapIntoHRConsulting #TheHRConsultancyAcademy #HRBurnout #MentalHealthInHR #EntrepreneurWellbeing #WellbeingAtWork #BoundariesInBusiness

Example: The Financial Impact of a 10% Discount

Scenario: HR Consultant Charging £950 Per Day

Let’s assume an HR consultant works three days a week (12 days per month) at a standard rate of £950 per day.

• Current Monthly Revenue = 12 days × £950 = £11,400
• With a 10% Discount (£855 per day) = 12 days × £855 = £10,260
• Revenue Loss Per Month = £1,140
• Revenue Loss Per Year = £13,680

🔻 That’s a loss of over £13K per year – the equivalent of nearly 15 days of unpaid work!

Now, let’s see how much extra work is needed to compensate for the discount:

• At £855 per day, to maintain £11,400 revenue, you’d need to work
  13.3 days per month instead of 12 – essentially working an extra 16 days per year for free.

This shows that even a small discount can force you to work harder for the same income.

🔄 What to Do Instead of Discounting?

1. Offer Added Value Instead of Cutting Prices

• Include an extra 30-minute strategy session for retainers.
• Provide a customised HR audit as part of the onboarding process.
• Give access to exclusive templates or compliance toolkits.

2. Tier Your Retainer Packages Instead of Discounting

• Basic Retainer (£X per month) – Core HR support
• Premium Retainer (£Y per month) – Includes extra advisory time
• VIP Retainer (£Z per month) – Includes strategy consulting & leadership support

3. Offer a Paid Strategy Session First

• Instead of discounting, offer a one-off paid strategy session (£500-£750) to help clients understand the value of ongoing support.

4. Incentivise Upfront Payments

• If cash flow is a concern, offer a small incentive (not a discount) for clients who pay upfront for 6-12 months.

5. Highlight the Business Impact, Not the Cost

• Shift the conversation from price to ROI:
  • “What’s the cost of a tribunal vs. having proactive HR support?”
  • “How much is turnover costing you compared to retaining top talent?”
  • “What’s the risk of compliance issues without a structured HR strategy?”

 Final Thought: Value-Based Pricing Wins

🔹 Instead of focusing on cost, position yourself as a strategic partner whose services save businesses money, reduce risk, and improve profitability.
🔹 Discounting erodes your brand, your revenue, and your time—charging based on impact keeps your business sustainable.