Dakota Blue Consulting

Name: Dakota Blue Consulting
Address: Ashford, GB
Telephone: +441233662651

Home
United Kingdom
Ashford
Dakota Blue Consulting

Call Directions Website Contact the business

Qualified director level HR professionals working on a flexible basis to meet your business needs. As people experts, we provide you the “how”.

Dakota Blue Consulting provides experienced and qualified part-time HR Director support to SME’s with ambitious growth plans. We work alongside CEO’s, Managing Directors and their leadership teams to deliver flexible, tailored HR solutions. Many organisations know that a major contributor to their success is attracting, developing, engaging and retaining talent but struggle with the question of “how” to do this effectively. Our focus on your business goals ensures that we help you implement just the right HR solutions to unlock your growth potential and deliver profit.

05/11/2026

Has your business grown, but your HR processes haven't kept up?

It's something we see all too often with growing SMEs.

What worked when you had a small team doesn't always work when the business gets bigger.
More employees. More responsibilities. More people challenges.

And before you know it, you're spending more time reacting to problems than getting ahead of them.

That's exactly where BB4 Hospitality found themselves.
As Managing Director Alex Burden openly shared, their approach to HR had become outdated and reactive.

But with the right guidance, structure and support, they were able to take a more proactive approach and develop their managers along the way.

Because good HR isn't just about fixing problems. It's about building a business that's better equipped to prevent them.

And with 2027 approaching, now is a good time to ask: Is your HR keeping up with the business you've become?

If it's time to get your own HR back on track, our **2027 HR Ready campaign** can help you identify the gaps, agree your priorities and start making real progress.

Find out how we can help you get HR Ready for 2027. Link in the comments.

04/11/2026

What could you finally get sorted in 30 days with the right HR support?

The contracts you've been meaning to review. The probation meeting that keeps slipping. The conversation a manager needs to have but isn't sure how to start.

When you're running a small business, these things can sit on the list for months. You know they need attention, but finding the time to deal with them is another matter.

With January approaching, it would be a relief to know someone was helping you work through them.

That's what **2027 HR Ready** is about.

In your first 30 days with Dakota Blue, we'll review where things stand, agree what needs attention first and get the work underway. That could mean updating contracts and policies, preparing meeting paperwork or helping a manager handle a difficult conversation.

**We won't just hand you a list of jobs. We'll help you get them done.**

And when something else crops up, you'll have someone to call who knows your business.

👉 See what your first 30 days with Dakota Blue could look like. Link in the comments.

03/11/2026

That HR issue you've been putting off? January won't make it any easier to deal with.

The probation review that's overdue. The contracts you've been meaning to update. The employee whose performance is affecting the team, while their manager struggles to find the right words.

You know these things need attention. But when you're running a small business, finding the time and knowing how to handle them isn't always straightforward.

So they stay on the list. Meanwhile, the team is picking up extra work and you're still worrying about what to do.

With January approaching, now is a good time to get some support behind you.

That's why we've launched **2027 HR Ready**.

We'll look at where things stand, agree what needs attention first and help you get the work done. Whether that's updating contracts, working through an overdue probation review or preparing a manager for a difficult conversation.

You won't be left with another list of jobs to fit around running your business. We'll help you work through them.

You don't have to get everything sorted before Christmas. But you could start January with work already underway and someone to call when you need support.

👉 Find out how 2027 HR Ready could help your business. Link in the comments.

30/10/2026

👻 Some of the scariest workplace stories don't involve ghosts. They involve managers making decisions they think are perfectly reasonable.

A disciplinary hearing that goes ahead without the employee.
A complaint dismissed as harmless banter.
A sickness absence that leads straight to a warning.

Sound familiar?

These situations might seem straightforward at first. But one rushed decision, an uncomfortable conversation avoided or an assumption that turns out to be wrong can create a much bigger problem for your business.

And that's where the real HR horror stories begin. 🎃

**The good news? Most of these nightmares are avoidable.**

We've put together some workplace horror stories to show how easily things can go wrong, what managers should consider and how to handle tricky situations before they escalate.

👉 Read our blog for more HR horror stories and practical lessons to help you make better people decisions, avoid unnecessary disputes and manage your team with confidence.

🔗(See link in the comments section)

28/10/2026

What’s been sitting on your HR to-do list for longer than you’d like?

The contracts you’ve been meaning to check. The probation review that keeps slipping. The performance conversation you’re unsure how to handle.

Perhaps you’re still thinking about it after work, wondering, “Are we doing this properly?”

With January approaching and employment law changing, you may be feeling more pressure to get things sorted.

That’s why we’re opening six new client places for ongoing HR support, so small business owners can get the work moving and feel less alone with the difficult decisions.

We’ll agree the priorities, update documents, prepare paperwork and support your managers through those conversations.

We won’t hand you another HR to-do list. We’ll get on with the agreed work.

And when something’s worrying you, you’ll have someone to talk it through with who knows your business and stays involved.

Join through our 2027 HR READY offer and receive Manager Essentials training worth £1,200 at no extra cost.

See what’s included and express your interest:
https://www.dakotablueconsulting.com/2027-hr-ready/

No commitment at this stage. Let’s talk through what you need before you decide.

23/10/2026

Your biggest customer makes an inappropriate comment to one of your employees.
Your employee complains. The customer laughs it off.

What do you do?

It's an uncomfortable situation for any business owner, particularly when that customer represents a significant amount of revenue.

But from 30th October 2026, employers will face strengthened legal obligations to protect their people from harassment by third parties.
That includes customers, clients and contractors. And it's not just about sexual harassment.

The changes also strengthen the requirement for employers to take **all reasonable steps** to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.

For small businesses, this raises some important questions.

Would your employees feel comfortable reporting inappropriate behaviour from a customer?
Would your managers know how to respond?
And could you demonstrate what you've done to prevent harassment in the first place?

Having a policy is one thing. Having people who understand it and know how to act is another.

Our Sexual Harassment Awareness Training helps businesses take practical steps towards building a safer, more respectful workplace.
👉 Find out more: https://www.dakotablueconsulting.com/people-development-programmes/sexual-harassment-awareness-training/

22/10/2026

*Are you putting off a business decision until after the Autumn Budget?*
Perhaps you've been thinking about taking on another employee, but you're not quite sure whether you can afford it.

Or you know some of your team deserve a pay rise, but you need to understand what your costs are going to look like first.
Maybe you've got plans to grow, invest in training or restructure your team, but you're holding off until you have a clearer picture.

And who can blame you?

When you're running a small business, every decision has a financial consequence. And when employment costs are already high, the last thing you need is another unexpected increase.

The challenge is that **waiting has a cost too.**

That vacancy you're not filling could be putting pressure on the rest of your team.
That pay review you're delaying could mean losing someone you really don't want to lose.
And those growth plans you've put on hold? Your competitors might not be waiting.

We're not suggesting you rush into decisions before the Chancellor has spoken.

But there's a difference between making a sensible decision to wait and putting everything on hold because you're worried about what might happen.

If there's a people decision you're unsure about, give us a call. We'll bring an experienced HR perspective and practical advice, with your business costs and priorities in mind.

22/10/2026

Handling a harassment complaint can be difficult in a small business, especially when everyone knows each other and has worked together for years.

Getting that first conversation wrong can make it harder for someone to speak up or trust that their concern will be taken seriously.
Would your managers know how to respond and what to do next?

A complaint doesn’t automatically mean disciplinary action. You need to understand what’s happened before deciding how to proceed.

Our ‘Before You Start a Disciplinary: Manager Checklist’ helps you consider what needs looking into, who should be involved and what to do before starting a formal disciplinary process.

You’ll find it in our Resources Hub. Create your free account to download it using the link in the comments.

21/10/2026

“It was only a joke.”
Would your managers challenge it, or let it go because they don’t know what to say?

From 30th October 2026, employers will need to take **all reasonable steps** to prevent sexual harassment. That means doing everything you reasonably can to prevent it, based on the risks in your workplace.

A policy alone won’t give your team the confidence to act.

Our 𝗦𝗲𝘅𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 helps employees understand what’s acceptable and gives managers the confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviour and respond to concerns.

Help your team deal with it before “only a joke” becomes a bigger problem.

Explore the training:
https://www.dakotablueconsulting.com/people-development-programmes/sexual-harassment-awareness-training/

20/10/2026

Another Budget is coming. And we suspect many small business owners are wondering what it's going to cost them this time.

Running a small business isn't getting any easier.

Employment costs have gone up. Margins are being squeezed. And there's a seemingly endless stream of changes employers need to keep up with.

Meanwhile, you've still got a business to run, customers to look after and people who rely on you for their livelihoods.

With the Autumn Budget approaching on 28th October, we'll be watching closely for anything that could affect the cost of employing people, recruitment, pay and business growth.

These aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet, they're real decisions business owners are having to make every day.

Can I afford another employee? Can I give my team a pay rise? How much more can the business absorb?

We've highlighted five areas we think small employers should be keeping an eye on.

👉 Swipe through to see what they are.

We don't know what the Chancellor will announce yet, but one thing we'd certainly welcome is a Budget that gives small businesses some breathing space and the confidence to invest in their people.

Address

Ashford

Telephone

+441233662651

Website

https://www.dakotablueconsulting.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Dakota Blue Consulting posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.