Business Sherpa Group is proud of our unique approach to SME support, an approach that is customizable to unique circumstances and budgets. How does it work in each practice area? Continue reading to find out.
After the sale of her previous co-founded startup, Margo Crawford wanted her next focus to be on creating something that addressed a need she had felt working in the startup: the lack of affordable back-office support for small and medium-sized businesses. She had realized that a traditional consulting model would not work for the needs of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), but that they still needed access to the type of support that was typically delivered by traditional consulting. That train of thought led her to what was to be her next focus – Business Sherpa Group (BSG).
Set up on the embedded support model, an approach that we still use today. What sets our way of working apart from typical consulting? We want to lay it out, solution area by solution area.
Supporting SMEs in Human Resources
When SME’s approach BSG for help with their human resources, we hear that they cannot afford a full time HR specialist, that they’re having trouble with performance management, that they cannot keep up with compliance regulations, or that they’re having trouble attracting skilled talent.
These are completely normal challenges for SMEs – it’s tough to be small, but small is mighty.
We partner with SMEs to simplify and optimize backend operations. When a request comes in for HR support, we match the client with an HR expert who’s background fits well with that business. This HR expert becomes embedded within the business, feeling like an extension of the team whilst being supported by the complete BSG team, so continuity and breadth of experience is built in. Each SME is unique, and an HR expert works with a client at the level of involvement that is advantageous and appropriate for that individual business. This could be part-time support, a few hours a week, leading an ad-hoc project, all with moments when support is scaled up or down.
The outcome for a business is having streamlined access with all its HR needs in one place. This includes guidance on strategy and tough situations, training, personnel data management, up to date policies, benefits administration, compliance, engagement, managing and upkeep of your HR information system (HRIS) – and more.
You’ll be able to operate with peace of mind knowing that your HR expert is dedicated to your business, keeping an eye on any new compliance requirements, policies, or training required by your staff, and that they are backed up by a full team to minimize disruptions and maximize expertise.
It’s your human resources on autopilot, with engineers constantly working to improve it. You’re then freed up to spend your time and energy focusing on what you love doing in your business.
Supporting SMEs in Cloud Based Accounting
Business Sherpa Group’s Cloud Based Accounting (CBA) services are designed to fit the reality of SMEs in the modern economy. When we launched this solution, we wanted to deliver continuity, stability, and clarity for our clients. Businesses – no matter the size – should have access to up-to-date records, easily understand their complete financial picture and feel confident in the decisions they are making based on their data.
That’s why when you request our support in CBA, you’re paired with an expert who joins your existing finance team or becomes it if you don’t have one, backed up by the latest in accounting and finance technologies as well as the larger CBA team, which includes senior VCFOs. This model creates a robust, value-based solution that optimizes your finances in a sustainable, flexible, and affordable way. You have the hands-on tasks handled alongside strategic guidance and are more efficient overall with leading software brining in automation where appropriate.
From payroll, bookkeeping, accounts receivable and payable, to forecasts and budgeting, it’s streamlined and simplified. We believe this approach provides more value to our clients than other consulting methods or software alone because it is value-based, designed for SMEs and tailored to each unique business.
Supporting SMEs in Recruitment
A workplace can’t be a workplace without workers! But getting those workers can be difficult. Recruitment is a costly and time-consuming endeavor for a small business. Our Managed Recruitment function aims to take the stress off SMEs, who often end up doing their recruitment from the side of the desk.
Like with Cloud-Based Accounting and Human Resources, our Managed Recruitment experts are paired with your organization, working with your team under your branding to optimize and simplify the recruitment process. We can execute on the end-to-end process or step in where you need a boost, whether it is preparing job posts, sourcing candidates, or screening. This flexible approach means that you only pay for the services you use – no surprises or headhunter fees.
The difference between our Managed Recruitment practice and agencies comes from the embedded role our experts play. Organizations that opt for headhunter or agency often experience higher rates of turnover as the people brought in are not a culture fit with the organization due to the placement-based model these firms typically use. Our embedded approach allows us to learn how your organization works, and who would work best within it. That way, we can help to hire not only the most qualified person, but also the person who fits the organization’s mission, vision, and values, setting the new employee up for long term success within the organization.
Our experts are always backed up by the larger Managed Recruitment team as well, amplifying networks and expertise to truly meet the unique needs of each SME client we work with.
Conclusion
There’s a lot that separates what BSG does from typical consulting firms, and that is not accidental. Margo Crawford founded BSG with that in mind, after realizing there were limited options available for small businesses looking for help with administrative functions. Our solutions prioritize flexibility, stability, and affordability, making sure SMEs get quality access to the resources they need and have partners to lean on for the long term.
We’re able to do this without compromising on quality thanks to our team of experts who chose to work with BSG because of a shared sense of values – both at the corporate and work-lifestyle levels.
But of course, this is only a shallow dive into the difference SMEs experience when working with Business Sherpa Group. We pride ourselves on being experts with a ‘never stop learning mindset’ where each new experience brings out a new set of skills and new chances to innovate.
