You Don't Have to Figure Out Hiring Alone

Join 500+ bootstrapped founders getting practical hiring advice, free templates, and peer support – without the sales pitch.

Hiring Your First Team Member Feels Overwhelming

You're Not Sure Where to Start

Should you hire a VA? A freelancer? Part-time employee? Every article you read says something different and you’re more confused than when you started.

You're Watching Every Penny

You can’t afford expensive recruiters or £3,000/month salaries. You need real strategies for hiring on a shoestring budget.

You Don't Have Time to Waste

You’re already working 60-hour weeks. The thought of sifting through 200 applications and conducting interviews feels impossible.
That’s exactly why we created this community.

What's Included (100% Free, Forever)

Office Hours with Helen

Join live Q&A sessions every month.

Ask your specific hiring questions and get practical advice from someone who’s helped 500+ founders make their first hires.

Can’t make it live? All sessions are recorded.

Template Library

Access job post templates, interview scorecards, reference check scripts, onboarding checklists, and contractor agreements.

Stop reinventing the wheel – use what works.

Peer Support from Fellow Founders

Connect with other bootstrapped entrepreneurs in the same stage.

Share experiences, get feedback on job posts, and learn from founders who’ve recently been through exactly what you’re facing.

Weekly Hiring Tips

Get actionable hiring strategies delivered to your inbox every week.

Hiring strategy updates, budget-friendly tactics, and real stories from community members who are building their teams.

✅ No sales pitches ever
✅ No upsells or hidden costs
✅ Cancel anytime (though there’s nothing to cancel – it’s free)
✅ Your email stays private – we never share or sell your information

Is This Community Right for You?

Perfect for you if...

Probably not right if...

What Community Members Are Saying

“I was drowning in applications and had no idea how to screen candidates. The interview scorecards from Helen saved me 10+ hours and helped me find my perfect first VA. Worth joining just for the templates alone.”

- Sarah M., Marketing Consultant, Aylesbury

“The monthly office hours are gold. I asked Helen about hiring internationally and got a 15-minute breakdown of exactly how to do it legally and affordably. You can’t get this kind of specific, practical advice anywhere else for free.”

- James T., E-Commerce Founder, Cyprus

“Best part? Connecting with other founders at the exact same stage. When I posted my job description for feedback, Helen and two other community members gave me suggestions that completely transformed it. I got 5x better applications.”

- Emma K., SaaS Founder, Newport

Helen Sanders, Founder of HFBAC and host of Bootstrapped Founders Community

Meet Helen Sanders

Hi, I’m Helen Sanders, and I’ve spent 20+ years helping entrepreneurs build great teams.

I started HFBAC (Hiring For and Building Awesome Companies) after watching too many brilliant founders burn out trying to do everything themselves.

Make expensive hiring mistakes because they were following corporate recruitment advice.

Or relying on traditional recruiters who don’t ‘get’ the needs (and stresses) of a bootstrapped founder, entrepreneur or business owner.

I’ve worked with hundreds of startups and small businesses, from solo consultants making their first hire to scaling teams of 20+.

I’ve seen what works (and what definitely doesn’t) when you’re building a team on a tight budget.

This community is my way of making practical hiring advice accessible to every founder and business owner – not just those who can afford to hire me directly.

No sales pitches.

No upsells.

Just real support from someone who’s been in the trenches herself, and with hundreds of founders, entrepreneurs and business owners, and wants to help you succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this really free?

Yes, completely free. 

No credit card required, no trial period that converts to paid, no hidden costs. 

This is a genuine free resource for bootstrapped founders.

 Three reasons: 

  1. I genuinely want to help more founders succeed at hiring.
  2. Building community creates better resources for everyone.
  3. If you eventually need more hands-on help, you’ll think of HFBAC – but there’s zero pressure and most members never need paid services.

Zero if you’re busy. 

Come to office hours when you have questions, grab templates when you need them, lurk in the community if you prefer. 

Participation is entirely optional – use what serves you.

Perfect! That’s exactly who this is designed for. Most community members are making their first first hires.

No, though Helen’s platform advice is UK-focused. 

The hiring strategies, templates, and community support work regardless of location. 

We have members from the US, EU, Australia, and beyond.

We are not lawyers so anything that requires HR or legal professional advice, we always guide you that way! Nothing we provide is legal or HR advice.

Helen is both a UK and US citizen, and worked as a recruitment consultant in both countries whilst also supporting German, French, Italian and Australian companies to hire well.

Of course. 

Unsubscribe from emails anytime.

No questions asked.

Email for weekly tips and office hours announcements, plus eventually we’ll have a Slack or Discord channel for ongoing discussions and peer support.

No. 

Office hours are purely Q&A – no pitches. 

If you specifically ask about paid services, I’ll explain them, but otherwise, you’ll never hear about them.