A Stirling woman who followed her passion for HR consulting into self-employment has now been running her own company for the last 15 years.
Alison Bell started Bell HR Consulting in 2010 after gaining experience working for large corporations.
She hopes to make a difference by providing support and advice to small and medium sized local enterprises.
Alison answered our questions on her biggest struggles, achievements and more.
How and why did you start in business?
I worked for a large corporate organisation providing outsourced employment law advice for businesses.
This job gave me the opportunity to understand what SMEs need in relation to HR support. I enjoyed the work, but this was done in a call centre environment. I missed building relationships with the businesses I worked with.
I decided to become a freelance HR consultant in 2010 to use the skills I had developed but to also built my own client base mainly of local small businesses.
How did you get to where you are today?
Working hard and keeping focused on my objective and providing a reliable and professional service for my clients.
Who helped you?
My husband has always been there for me supporting me every step of the way. My dad was a successful business owner, he sadly passed away in 2019 but his words of wisdom still ring in my ears.
Working as an associate for larger organisations providing related services helped me to build my network. I am eternally grateful for the support they gave me and advice I got in the early days from these connections.
Memberships for the FSB and Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce have also been helpful.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever had?
Value the service you provide and keep going even when it is tough.
What is your biggest mistake?
Being persuaded to spend lots of money on formal networking groups. It is important to understand how much value these subscriptions are likely to bring – especially when they are expensive. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
What is your greatest achievement?
Still being in business after 15 years and being valued by my clients for the support I provide.
What do you still hope to achieve?
2026 will see lots of change in employment law so I hope that I will be able to help more businesses navigate these changes.
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