Andrew Brown was back on the conference stage last week at Web Summit in Lisbon. He was on a panel which discussed how technology and HR tools serve businesses with all-in-one solutions and where those tools are headed.
Last week, I had the privilege of sharing the stage at Web Summit alongside Sharee Campbell of Fresha and our moderator, Britta Muzyk - Tikovsky. A key takeaway for me was how the historical notion that enterprises have access to superior tools compared to SMBs is rapidly changing. The recent surge in vertical SaaS innovation has led to all-in-one tools for SMBs — something larger enterprises lack access to. Fresha exemplifies this shift. Serving over 120,000 local salons and similar beauty and wellness businesses, Fresha offers a comprehensive suite: appointment booking and scheduling, payment processing and POS, marketing promotions, inventory management, analytics, and soon, payroll—all in a single platform. This integration significantly simplifies business operations for the SMBs they serve. In contrast, larger companies often rely on a patchwork of disparate solutions—ATS, HRIS, team management, benefits administration, payroll, and more—each handled by different tools. While companies like Rippling are striving to unify these functions, the diverse needs of larger businesses mean a one-size-fits-all solution doesn't work. SMBs are actually at an advantage with the tooling available to them, built specifically for their needs. I believe that in the coming years, we'll witness a wave of innovation in the mid-market HR space, mirroring the advancements seen in SMBs recently. Check partners such as Miter, Seso Inc., and Belfry—operating in the construction, agriculture, and security sectors, respectively—are already at the forefront of this transformation.
