It is at

Recruitmentnick.net

So come watch my progress over on my starting a recruitment company blog

Surely these consultants get shown the basics? It seems not. One such consultant was amazed when I showed him the applegate directory for technical companies, surely the bread and butter directory for any consultant?

So just in case those of you that are reading this blog are in anyway as backwards as these guys with regards developing new business patches and relationships I will give you the 3 most basic methods of finding new clients.

1. CV’s

THE most important client location method for me, especially when developing new business. Simply run through the CV’s of your candidates. See all those companies named there? Guess what, they employ people. Even better by looking at the skill sets the candidate used there you will know the sort of person they recruit, and what previous companies might be useful. As most CV’s will have at least 2 companies on them and contractors could even have as many as 20+ they are perfect for our uses.

Make sure you strip EVERY CV you register on your system and I can guarantee that you will add a huge amount of new clients to your database within a month. When I am not desperate for new business this can often be the only patch development method I use.

2. Directories.

Every niche has directories devoted to them, whether the aforementioned applegate (which includes numerous sub niches), kellysearch and many others, they can be a vital mine of company information.

Usually the details the directories will include are such vital things as website, email address, telephone number and main areas of business. Why pass up websites that have done all your work for you? Take as much as possible for yourself, its information that is there to be used.

3. Job Boards

This one is often over used by consultants so beware of making this a vital part of your new business strategy.

Many companies advertise on job boards directly and so you are able to see what they are recruiting for easily, as well as contact information etc. Other times look at adverts placed by other consultants, if you have strong market knowledge within your niche (a target EVERY consultant should be setting him/herself) then you may well be able to work out who the client is by the information and location given.

Now of course there are many other methods, but at the very least you should be using these basic, but very major, sources to find new business and new clients. It amazes me that any consultant is able to do his/her job without knowing these systems.

At the moment I am at the data entry part of the business start up, and expect to be there for the next month or 2. Whilst I know it will be worth it, and I am very excited about getting the business up and running ‘live’ as it were, these evenings filled with repeated data entry would be enough to make me tear my hair out… if I had any left!

So all this post is about is the chance to moan at the general public? In part, yes. But the other part is more of a question. Currently I am using the age old ‘picture the goal’ style of things. Reminding myself of how good it is not to have a boss you want to kill, to answer to yourself and make better money. But I want to know, does anyone use a better method? When starting up your own businesses how did you motivate yourself to do the mundane, the stuff that bores you senseless? Any special tricks you want to share with me and the other readers, I would really appreciate it and I am sure everyone else will.

UK Recruiter Forum

I whole heatedly recommend giving that a look over. Some very interesting information there, as well as the usual forum arguments and what not.

Not really found any other forums of use, as yet, but I am on the case and will let you know if I do manage to stumble across any.

A couple of days ago I came across this free online recruitment database. I have only played around with it so far but it seems decent. Better than the usual suggestion of CRM tools when you are looking for free things as it allows tagging of clients and free CV search of candidates.

Not found too many bugs, but hardly given it a full test run yet. One aspect that does jar is that the tags for the client side don’t sort themselves alphabetically (they go chronologically instead), leaving you to try remember when you tagged them – I have found this difficult with only 40 or so tags, never mind the hundreds I expect to use! When asked though they did assure me this was going to change.

Well that’s all I have so far. Anyone else have any free online recruitment software us cheap as chips bussiness start ups could try make use of?

Seagrass Baskets

It is entirely as it suggests, a blog about me starting a recruitment company.

So a little about me.

I have done engineering recruitment for about 5 years, earning good money doing it. However a year and a bit ago I decided to move back to my home town and buy into friends marketing company. Unfortunately this didn’t go so well, the company folded leaving us both in debt.

Thankfully I have managed to pay off most of my debts by getting another marketing role. But I miss being my own boss, and I miss the buzz that recruitment gave me. So I have decided to go it alone.

The problems I face are pretty big to be honest. Though not in debt I had to use the last of my savings to get out of it, meaning I have no money. The job I have is not at all well paying, and obviously I have to earn a living whilst I set up.

So I shall continue to work in marketing for now, whilst saving and working to get my recruitment company off the ground.

The idea of this blog is to show you the traps I fall into, the mistakes I make and the good choices I stumble across by accident in the hope that anyone reading this can help gain some inspiration for starting their own recruitment, or otherwise, company.