Episode 312: Growing A Support Platform For Independent Contractors - with Mike Minett, Founder of PORTABL

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben and his guest, Mike Minett, Founder of PORTABL, an innovative platform reimagining financial, health, and wellbeing services for today’s independent workforce, to discuss how freelancers and gig workers can finally access the support once reserved for full-time employees.

Mike Minett is the Founder and Chief Growth Officer at PORTABL, a platform helping businesses manage and support the global independent workforce. He is focused on enabling organisations that rely on freelancers, contractors, and contingent workers to better retain, engage, and protect their flexible talent through modern benefits and workforce infrastructure.

Alongside PORTABL, Mike is a growth advisor to a range of businesses and passion projects. He also works on building access to global AI, software, and tech talent, including developing pathways for distributed freelance talent in emerging markets such as Ghana, aligned to global time zones for remote delivery.

PORTABL is a SaaS platform and orchestration layer for the flexible workforce, designed to close the gap between traditional employees and independent workers. While permanent employees typically receive structured benefits such as health cover, pensions, and wellbeing support, freelancers and contractors often do not. PORTABL addresses this by providing access to health, insurance, financial wellbeing, and savings products, alongside tools that help businesses improve retention, engagement, and compliance across their contingent workforce.

Recognised by organisations including Zurich Innovation, the MetLife Techstars Digital Accelerator, and Plug and Play, PORTABL is building a new category in the future of work. It is founded by a team with deep experience across freelancing, insurance, employee benefits, fintech, and B2B platforms, and is built by independent workers for independent workers to help them connect, stay protected, and thrive.

You’ll hear practical strategies for starting an HR consulting business, finding consulting clients, and business growth strategies for consultants. Whether you identify as HR, workplace, L&D, OD, recruitment, or people & culture, you’ll discover real stories and actionable advice to attract clients, win contracts, and grow sustainably.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Lessons from moving out of corporate and launching an HR-related business.
• The unique challenges and opportunities of supporting freelancers, gig workers, and consultants.
• How to validate new consulting and HR tech ideas with real market feedback.

Episode highlights:

• Mike’s background in investment banking, his transition to entrepreneurship, and writing his book, “Follow Me Out the Door”.
• The problems faced by freelancers and the inspiration behind founding PORTABL.
• How PORTABL delivers employee-style benefits to independent workers, and how the model works.
• The bulk buying/group buying power of the platform and how it benefits users.
• Validation of the business concept through over a thousand one-to-one conversations with freelancers.
• Challenges of building a marketplace for diverse types of independent workers.
• The business model: B2B2C (working through coworking spaces, associations, etc.).
• Marketing and growth: targeting both organizations and end users, go-to-market strategies, and the challenge of telling the story to multiple audiences.
• Attracting investment: The story of connecting with investors and how AI-powered networking led to a partnership with Alligator, a leading HR tech investor.
• Advice for other HR tech founders: the importance of resilience, community, and persistence.
• The significance of community for independent workers and how to find support networks.

Marketing and Business Growth:

Mike explains that PORTABL’s business model is B2B2C, meaning it reaches freelancers via organizations such as coworking spaces, business teams, or industry associations. Marketing efforts focus on educating both the organizations providing access to freelancers and the individuals who will use the platform.

Mike notes the complexity of storytelling when there are multiple audiences and highlights the importance of focus and segmentation for early growth. PORTABL is currently concentrating on launches in the UK and Ireland, with plans for expansion into Germany and further afield. Building partnerships, leveraging AI-powered tools for investor connections, and forming a community around the platform are key elements of their growth strategy

Resources & Links Mentioned:

• Company’s website: www.portabl.co
• Mike’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mikeminett

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About The A Better HR Business Podcast

The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients.

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For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here:

www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast

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