Do you want to be your own boss?

Do you want to be a recruitment entrepreneur?

Ever thought about it?

I thought you might have. Many, it seems, have considered setting out on their own at some time or another. In the highly competitive, highly driven, and highly ambitious recruitment sector, it often seems like the majority feel this way.

Why is it that only a tiny handful of recruiters take the leap and set up on their own, then? When I ask recruiters this, I hear the whole range of answers: ‘It’s too risky’, ‘I’m making good money, why give that up?’, ‘the setup costs are too high’, ‘I can’t face dealing with all the back office tedium’, and so on and on and on.

The start-up risk is lower than you think

Don’t get me wrong — setting out on your own is not risk-free.

However, take it from someone who has been there and done it: If you’re a successful recruiter than you have already proven you have the essential skills — gregariousness, confidence, and guile in spades — needed to make a success of it on your own.

The risk reduces further when you think about the true start-up costs of a one person band recruitment agency. Think about it for a minute. What do you actually need to get up and running? A phone, a laptop, an internet connection, and the willingness to relentless put your name out there. That’s it.

Going from a team of one to a team of many

Getting up and running on your own is all well and good but how do you grow it into something big, successful, and profitable? Very few people have all of the skills necessary to be a salesperson, marketer, accountant, personnel manager, lawyer, debt collector, and recruiter all at once.

You can get started on your own for sure. To grow, though, you’re going to need a team. If that sounds like a bit of a chicken and egg situation to you, that’s because it is. It’s why most new businesses, especially those that start out on a shoestring budget, fail — they can’t afford to bring on the right skills at the right time to ensure continued growth.

Investment, but not as you know it, is the answer

The standard solution to this conundrum is to seek seed capital from an outside investor. Recruitment entrepreneurs look to people who have been there, done it before, and have the excess cash to fund you.

Under this scenario, you’re putting your trust (and very often most of your new business, too) into the hands of someone who’s made their fortune in an entirely unregulated, unfair, and extremely stale environment.

Ultimately, these deals involve some cash, some token advice, and the bare bones of a back office in exchange for giving away substantial chunks of equity or control. Or both. It seems the traditional investment mode in our industry is broken.

There is another way, though.

Introducing 11 Investments

11 Investments is a new seed-stage investment and startup accelerator program, exclusively for recruitment businesses.

We’ve broken with the old model. We don’t just invest money in you: We invest our time, energy, networks, and real back office resources as well. We’re not simply investors in you; we’re partners who are equally committed to your new business’s success.

So, what really makes our investment model unique?

●     We’re a group of six (and growing) highly experienced recruitment directors. Between us we’ve racked up more than 50 years in the industry and, crucially, all still practice recruitment every day. The pace of change in business and technology means that having been and done it 20 years ago is almost meaningless compared with coaching and advice from a team with real, up to date, and practical experience.

●     We’ve done this ourselves, so we understand fairness. Because we’ve all set out on our own and established successful recruitment businesses, we know how important it is to retain control. We’ll strike up a fair investment and reward program that works for you. We believe in simple contracts with no hidden costs, charges, or equity changes.

●     You’ll get access to all the expertise and tools you need to succeed. Partnering with us means you gain access to our network of professional contacts — some of the best accounting, marketing, and business development contacts around. You’ll also get hands-on help and advice setting up every aspect of your back office.

The recruitment industry is changing and, if it is to continue to thrive in the future, needs to continue to do so. The big players in this industry are slow, lumbering beasts that are failing to adapt and to recognise the need to change.

The future of recruitment is in fast, nimble, and high tech start-ups. New recruitment companies, like those in our network, are successfully challenging the staid old time players and, in doing so, are shaking up the industry.

We want to help you to join us by setting up your own recruitment business. We’re setting out to shake up the industry by building a unique community of successful, niche recruitment companies.

Join us. We’re having a lot of fun.

Take a look and learn more about us at 11investments.co.uk