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Gainesville-based · Supporting businesses near and far

HR tailored to the
fabric of your business.

Expert, flexible HR support built for your small business — practical, accessible, and tailored to your team. No full-time hire needed.

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Why HR matters

Small businesses are the
heart of community.

Small businesses create gathering places, offer something no big-box store can, and give every neighborhood its personality. But building one is hard. Resources are stretched, the to-do list never ends, and somewhere in the middle of it all, you're also managing people.

HR is one of the most overlooked opportunities to support your business, not because you don't care, but because it can feel hard to prioritize. A solid HR foundation helps you stay compliant, navigate challenges early, and build a team that's motivated to show up and do great work. A motivated team means happy customers, and a thriving business.

Patchwork HR exists to make that accessible. Whether it's your first hire, a compliance question, a performance issue, or building HR foundations for a fast-growing team — I'm here to handle the people side so you can focus on running your business. A genuine interest in you, your people, and what you're building.

Who I Help

Built for the businesses that
make every community unique.

People challenges don't wait for the right moment. Whether you're a Main Street shop figuring out your first hire or a growing team that's outpaced your HR foundation, Patchwork HR meets you where you are.

Main Street Businesses

Restaurants, bars, retail shops, boutiques, salons, and nonprofits are all built on people. Managing a team is one of the most rewarding parts of running a business, and one of the most complex. Patchwork HR helps you build the people foundation that lets your business run the way you always imagined it would.

Handbooks Hiring & Onboarding Wage Compliance Terminations Manager Training

Growing SMBs

Every growing business hits a point where the informal approach that worked at five people starts to feel stretched at fifteen. That's not a failure — it's an exciting side effect of growth. Patchwork HR helps you build the structure to match where you're headed, without the overhead of a full-time HR hire.

Fractional HR Compliance Audits Performance Systems HRIS & Operations Leadership Training

Remote & Distributed Teams

Managing a team across multiple states comes with its own set of considerations, like different laws, different policies, and a culture that has to thrive virtually and travel well. It's entirely manageable with the right foundation. I help distributed teams build HR practices that work for everyone, wherever they're based.

Multi-State Compliance Remote Policies HRIS Setup Contractor vs. Employee Fractional HR

Tech & Startups

Early-stage companies move fast, and HR often gets built on the fly — which works until it doesn't. Getting the right foundations in place early means your culture, your compliance, and your hiring practices can actually keep up with your growth. I've built HR functions from scratch inside early-stage companies and know what that pace feels like from the inside.

First HR Hire Strategy Equity & Comp Planning Culture & Values Work HRIS Implementation Fractional HR
What I Do

HR support across the full
life of your business.

Hire & Grow

Hire the right people, the right way.

From writing your first job posting to building a full-scale recruiting function, I help you find great people and set them up for success.

Recruiting & Hiring

Job descriptions, interview design, sourcing, structured scorecards, offer letters, and compensation benchmarking. Done right so you hire the right person the first time.

Onboarding Programs

First-day experiences, new hire paperwork, 30/60/90-day plans, and onboarding checklists that make new employees feel welcome and ready to contribute.

Org Design & Job Leveling

Org charts, role clarity, and job levels that grow with your team. So everyone knows where they fit, what is expected, 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, engaged, and growing alongside your business.

Performance & Reviews

Build performance review systems from scratch, design goal-setting frameworks, and create feedback processes that actually work for your team and culture.

Training & Development

Manager coaching and training, learning needs assessments, and internal knowledge bases that help your people grow alongside your business.

Culture & Engagement

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

Stay Protected & Compliant

Solid foundations that protect your business and your people.

Employment compliance can be complicated, but it doesn't have to be. I help you build HR practices and policies that protect your business and your people in plain, easy to understand language.

Employee Handbooks

Your first handbook or a long-overdue refresh. Clear, readable policies that protect you legally and give your team a real reference point for how things work.

Compliance & Policy

Federal and Florida employment requirements, leave policies, classification audits, wage guidance. Translated into plain language and real action steps.

HR Operations & HRIS

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

My Approach

HR the way it should be.

01

Practical

No walls of policies, legal disclaimers, or corporate jargon. HR doesn't have to be complex, and the simplest approach is the most effective, easiest to adopt, and most likely to stick. Your people are your greatest asset. HR should support them, not overwhelm them.

02

Accessible

Good HR applies to every company, from your very first employee. But for too many companies, it feels out of reach — too expensive, too complicated, or too time-consuming. It doesn't have to be. Every business deserves a solid HR foundation, and I make it my job to build one that's right-sized for you.

03

Tailored

Your business is unlike anyone else's. Your team, your culture, your goals — they're specific to you, and your HR should be too. I take the time to understand what makes your business tick before I offer a single recommendation. No templates dropped in your lap. Just HR that actually fits.

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

Gainesville grown.
Community rooted.

I grew up in South Florida (Plantation, for those that know) and moved to Gainesville in 2012 for school, earning a bachelor's in English from UF. I quickly fell in love with Gainesville, and it's been home ever since. The community here is something I admire. Genuinely supportive, deeply entrepreneurial, and full of people building something they believe in. Gainesville has my whole heart, and the small business community here is a big reason why.

My path to HR wasn't a straight line, and it was something I fell into. I started out pursuing a career in teaching, until an opportunity came up at a local startup that changed everything. I found myself building their HR function from the ground up, then scaling it as the company grew. It was equal parts challenging and exciting, and it lit something up for me. The owners took a chance on me before I fully knew what I was capable of, and it was because of them that I found my profession and my passion. Ten years later, I'm SPHR and SHRM-CP certified, and I've had the chance to work with organizations across Gainesville at all different stages — early and scrappy, growing fast, and everything in between. Starting Patchwork HR felt like the natural next step. I want to offer the same kind of opportunity to other small businesses and growing teams that was once offered to me — someone in your corner who's genuinely invested in what you're building. And when I'm not working, I'm spending time building out my next DND campaign, working on my native landscape, and thrifting at local stores and popups.

Dungeon Master Native Landscaping Thrifting Gainesville Local since 2012
Get In Touch

Let's talk —
no obligation

No pitch, no pressure — just a conversation. Tell me what's going on in your business, and we'll take it from there. If we're a good fit, great. If not, I'll still point you in the right direction. Local clients are always welcome to meet over coffee or lunch. Otherwise, a quick video call works just as well. I'll reply within one business day.

(352) 448-5701 patchworkhr@gmail.com Kaitlyn McGowan on LinkedIn

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

Common Questions

You probably have
a few questions.

Here are the ones I hear most often. Don't see yours? Just reach out — there are no silly questions in HR.

Do I need HR support with only a few employees?

Yes, and the earlier, the better. Employment law applies from your very first hire. Getting the basics right protects you and your team before a problem arises, not after.

I'm not in Florida — can you still help me?

Absolutely. Most of my work is done remotely and I serve businesses across the country. If you're in Gainesville, I'm happy to meet in person. If not, video calls work just as well.

What if I just need help with one thing?

That's exactly what project-based work is for. Need a handbook, a job description, or help navigating a tough termination? Hire me for one specific task or project.

How is this different from HR software?

Software gives you tools. I give you judgment. A platform can store your policies, but it can't tell you how to handle a difficult conversation, whether your classification is correct, or what to do when something goes sideways.

What does "fractional HR" actually mean?

It means having a dedicated HR professional without the full-time salary. I become your part-time HR department: available regularly, invested in your business, and there when you need me, on a schedule that fits your budget.

Is everything confidential?

Yes. Everything you share with me stays between us. I operate with the same discretion you'd expect from a trusted HR professional on your own team.