Small Business HR Consulting · Gainesville, FL

HR done right.
Without the
complexity.

Small businesses are the backbone of every community. You deserve HR support that's practical, approachable, and built around how you actually work — not how a Fortune 500 does.

Get Started → See What I Do
🤝

Community-first approach

Built for Gainesville's small businesses
🧩

Full spectrum HR support

From first hire to full operations
✨

Flexible by design

One question or ongoing partnership

Small businesses build
the heart of every community.

You opened your doors because you believed in something — your craft, your neighborhood, your people. HR shouldn't be the thing that slows you down or keeps you up at night.

I'm the HR friend you didn't know you needed. No jargon, no corporate runaround — just practical, honest guidance that helps you hire well, stay compliant, and genuinely take care of your team.

Whether you need help with your first hire, a performance review system, or someone to just talk through a tricky situation — I've got you.

Who I Help

Built for the businesses
that make Gainesville, Gainesville.

Whether you're running a kitchen, a storefront, or a bar — your people challenges are real, they're common, and I know them well.

🍽️

Restaurants & Bars

High turnover, tipped wage rules, late-night manager calls, kitchen culture — hospitality has some of the most complex people dynamics of any industry. I help you get ahead of them.

Tip & Wage Compliance Manager Training Onboarding Terminations Handbooks
🛍️

Retail & Boutiques

Seasonal staffing, part-time scheduling, and knowing how to handle a theft situation without creating more liability — retail HR is its own world, and I speak it fluently.

Seasonal Hiring Leave & Accommodation Discipline & Termination Policy Design
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Growing Small Businesses

You've outgrown winging it. Whether you're making your first hire or your fifteenth, I help you build the HR foundation that lets your team and your business scale with confidence.

First Hire Setup HRIS Implementation Fractional HR HR Audits
What I Do

HR support across the full
life of your business.

Whatever stage you're at — first hire, fast growth, or somewhere in between — there's something here for you.

Hire & Grow

Bring the right people in, the right way.

From writing your first job posting to building a full recruiting process, I help you find great people and set them up to succeed from day one.

🔍

Recruiting & Hiring

Job descriptions, interview design, structured scorecards, offer letters, and compensation benchmarking — done right so you find the right fit.

🚀

Onboarding Programs

First-day experiences, 30/60/90-day plans, and onboarding checklists that make new employees feel welcome and set up for success from the start.

🏢

Org Design & Job Leveling

Org charts, role clarity, and job levels that make sense as your team grows — so everyone knows where they fit and where they're headed.

Take Care of Your People

Build a workplace where people want to stay.

Your team is your biggest asset. I help you create the systems, structure, and feedback loops that keep people supported and growing.

📊

Performance & Reviews

Build performance review systems from scratch, design goal-setting frameworks, and create feedback processes that actually motivate people.

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Training & Development

New manager training, learning needs assessments, and internal knowledge bases — helping your people grow alongside your business.

💬

Culture & Engagement

Employee engagement surveys, culture and values work, and action planning to turn feedback into real, meaningful change.

Stay Protected & Compliant

Solid foundations that keep you covered.

Employment law is complicated. I make it clear. From handbooks to terminations, I help you build HR practices that protect your business and your people.

📖

Employee Handbooks

Your first handbook or a long-overdue refresh. Clear, readable policies that protect you legally and help your team understand what's expected.

⚖️

Compliance & Policy

Federal and Florida employment law, leave policies, classification audits, wage guidance — translated into plain language and actionable steps.

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HR Operations & HRIS

HRIS selection, setup, and administration. Offboarding processes, documentation systems, and HR audits to find and close the gaps.

The Process

Simple from the first conversation.

1

Tell me what's going on

No forms, no intake questionnaires. Just a conversation about what you're dealing with and what you actually need help with.

2

We figure out the fit

One question, one project, or ongoing support — we'll find the engagement that makes sense for your business and your budget.

3

You get clear, actionable help

No jargon, no fluff. Just practical guidance you can use to make better decisions for your team — starting now.

How We Work Together

HR support that works
your way.

Not every business needs the same thing. You might need me for one afternoon or every single week. Both are completely fine.

There's no minimum commitment and no one-size-fits-all package. We start where you are and build from there.

Find your fit →

Piecemeal / Project-Based

Hire me for a specific task — a handbook, a job description, a termination review. Pay for what you need, nothing more.

On-Call Advisory

Keep me on speed dial for gut-check questions. Before you make a call, run it by me. Fast, low-commitment, high value.

Monthly Retainer

Ongoing HR support as your business grows. I'm your fractional HR partner — available, consistent, and invested in your team.

Full HR Operations

Need someone to run your HRIS, own hiring, and handle your HR function end-to-end? I can step in and make it happen.

Kaitlyn McGowan, Patchwork HR Consulting
Kaitlyn McGowan
SPHR · SHRM-CP
SPHR SHRM-CP 10 Years in HR
Instagram LinkedIn
About Me

Gainesville-grown,
community-rooted.

I grew up in South Florida and moved to Gainesville for school — a bachelor's in English from UF — and honestly, I never left. That was 2012, and this city has been home ever since. I fell in love with the food scene, the local businesses, the way people here actually show up for each other.

My path to HR wasn't a straight line. I started out teaching, then found my way into HR at a local tech startup — and it clicked immediately. That was ten years ago. Since then I've worked across local companies here in Gainesville, built up my practice, and earned my SPHR and SHRM-CP certifications along the way.

The small businesses of this city gave me opportunities and experiences I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. Patchwork HR is my way of giving that back — putting the skills and knowledge I've built to work for the people and places that make Gainesville what it is.

I believe HR doesn't have to be intimidating. It can be a conversation. That's how I work.

🎲 Dungeon Master 🌿 Native Landscaping 🛍️ Thrifting 🌱 Gardening 📍 Gainesville Local since 2012
Get In Touch

Let's talk about
what you need.

No pressure, no pitch. Tell me a little about your business and what's on your mind — I'll get back to you within one business day.

patchworkhr@gmail.com @patchwork_hr Kaitlyn McGowan on LinkedIn

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I'll be in touch within one business day. Looking forward to connecting.