Where to Start When You Really, Really, REALLY Can’t Afford HR

We Get It—Starting a Business Is Expensive

You’ve poured everything into getting your business off the ground—time, money, energy, and maybe even your sanity. You’re juggling a million things, stretching every dollar, and trying to make it all work without taking on unnecessary expenses.

And HR? Feels like a luxury you can’t afford right now.

We get it. That’s exactly why we created Peopleish.

HR shouldn’t be out of reach for small businesses, and we’ve built our services to be affordable, flexible, and designed for businesses at every stage.

• For just $150/month, you can get help with one policy, form, procedure, or document at a time—building HR slowly, in a way that works for your budget.

• We also offer an HR-in-a-box solution—giving you the essential starting documents so you’re not flying blind.

But what if even that’s too much for you right now?

If you’re truly bootstrapping your business from nothing, here’s what you can do to start protecting yourself and your business—without breaking the bank.

Know What HR Laws Apply to You (So You Don’t Accidentally Break Them)

Some HR laws apply the moment you hire your first employee—and many small business owners don’t realize it until it’s too late.

At the very least, look up your state’s requirements for:

✔ Minimum wage and overtime laws (Even if you think you’re paying “fairly,” you might not be paying legally.)
✔ Payroll tax obligations (You don’t want to get this wrong—the IRS is not forgiving.)
✔ Required workplace posters (Most are free from government websites—don’t pay for them.)
✔ Anti-harassment and discrimination policies (Even tiny businesses can get sued for these issues.)

You don’t need to be an HR expert, but you do need to know what rules apply to your business.

2. Put Something—Anything—in Writing

When you can’t afford a full handbook or policies, start small. Even a basic document outlining expectations can save you headaches.

The bare minimum you should have:

• An offer letter or basic job agreement (even for friends & family hires)

• A time-off policy (so employees don’t assume they can take whenever they want)

• A disciplinary process (so you’re not making decisions on the fly)

You don’t need a lawyer-approved, 50-page handbook to create structure. Even a one-page document with clear expectations is better than nothing as long as those policies are compliant, non-discriminatory and fair.

Don’t Rely on Free HR Templates—They Might Hurt You More Than Help You

There are plenty of free HR templates online, but here’s the problem:

• They’re not state-specific, meaning they might not even be legal where you operate.

• They’re not customized to your industry, so they could leave out critical protections.

• If you download a bad policy and actually enforce it, you could create more liability instead of reducing it.

This is why Peopleish doesn’t hand out free compliance checklists or templates. We’d rather help you build something that actually works for your business than set you up with something that might work… but might backfire.

Keep Basic Employee Records (Yes, Even for Your First Hire)

A lot of new businesses hire casually—especially when bringing in friends, family, or part-time help. But the moment someone starts working for you, you have legal responsibilities.

You absolutely need to track:

✔ I-9 Employment Verification (to prove you’re hiring legally)
✔ Payroll records (hours worked, pay rates, deductions)
✔ Signed agreements (so employees can’t say they “never knew” about policies)

You don’t need fancy HR software—but you do need records. A simple folder (physical or digital) with these documents will save you massive headaches later.

Have a Plan for What You’ll Do If Something Goes Wrong

Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Before an issue happens, ask yourself:

• What will I do if an employee stops showing up?

• What if someone accuses a manager (or me) of discrimination?

• What’s my plan if an employee gets injured on the job?

• What if I have to fire someone—do I have documentation to back it up?

Even if you don’t have all the policies in place yet, thinking through these situations NOW can prevent you from making costly mistakes later.

When You Can Prioritize Peopleish’s Most Affordable Options

HR doesn’t have to be all or nothing. That’s why we built options that grow with your business.

• For $150/month, we can help you build HR one policy, form, or document at a time.

• Our HR-in-a-box solution gives you essential starting documents so you’re not guessing.

• If you’re totally DIY-ing it for now, use these steps to start without sinking your business.

The worst thing you can do? Ignore HR completely. Because sooner or later, it will cost you more to fix a mess than it would have to put basic protections in place.

You Can’t Skip HR—But You Can Start Small

We know HR feels like a cost you can’t afford right now—but doing nothing is a much bigger risk than starting with the basics.

If you’re truly scraping your business together from nothing, follow these steps:
✔ Know what laws apply to you.
✔ Put basic expectations in writing.
✔ Keep records (even if it’s just a simple folder).
✔ Plan ahead for issues before they happen.

And when you’re ready? We’re here with affordable, small-business-friendly HR solutions to grow with you.

Let’s get you started—the right way.