After a bit of advice

[nurburg340]

Here's my story, despite my young age I own my own business which is a campsite, it's very successful but is only open for 6 months in the summer. I hate to say it but I cannot work for somebody else, I have tried to in the past but ended up walking out.

I am constantly thinking of new businesses to start up and open up and have thought of starting a recruitment agency.

It would be something that would start up small then expand (don't have thousands to throw at it to start up) but wondered if anyone had any experience with working with an agency/for an agency or even owning one?

Just after some advice with regards to it and if it's viable from other people's experiences..

[Krist]

Nurburg,

I have thought the exact same thing, however, to succeed you need to throw more than just money at it, it will be extremely time consuming as you will have to do some serious networking to gain the trust of clients and then to be on their approved suppliers list. I myself run my own business and considered the recruitment side of things, it is however, a massive market with some big players you will have to compete with.

Your best bet would be to find a niche, I myself work in the offshore industry and it is pretty hard to even get a client to accept.

Additionally, if it is contract positions rather than salary, you will need solid contracts and probably require professional help, a slick and up to date website, and most importantly, be able to cover wages for anything up to 3 months to cover delays in invoicing, for the offshore industry, that could be up to ?30-40k before you get any money, investment will be key for that. I think permanent jobs would be easier to be an agent for as you take a payment for the recruitment service, however contracts, NDAs and other issues will have to be covered.

I fancy a Sandwich and Coffee shop myself! something I can do when i'm not away.

[Simon G]

Someone I went to school with started up his own IT recruitment company. He's done v v well for himself financially. All the v best whatever you decide

[ValeTudoGuy]

As someone who once relied on a recruitment ageneny for work (many many moons ago.) Please bear one thing in mind.... You will be dealing with people and their livelihood, not numbers on a sheet of paper.

Sometimes the people will be difficult and this can often be related to the stresses of wondering where their next pay cheque is coming from. They also are often being put to work at companies who know full well that they can dish them out fairly terrible working conditions and just get rid of them at the tip of a hat.

They will be relying on you for support and help in possibly one of the most difficult times in their life.

[rascal]

Would you not be better looking at your existing asset in your case campsite and look what you can do to expand the length of time you receive income from it or expand what you offer on it in the off season for another purpose. Hard to recommend stuff as dont know your circumstances location or set-up. But if you did go down the route of a recruitment agency that would take up your time all year round. Would you be happy not personally running your site? It would be more a career change than a supplement to your income

[oskihen]

By the sound of it if you can make a good living running a camp site I'd be more inclined pushing that side of a business and looking to expand, fishing lakes , mountain biking or possibly in winter bushcraft courses, green woodwork pole lathes etc rather than go down the road of recruitment and stuck behind a desk and stuck to a phone and computer

[Budgie Smuggler]

I agree with Oskihen & Rascal, can you not think of something to make it profitable during your off season?

Surely increasing turnover from a current asset would be more rewarding financially than a new, unrelated startup that could (& invariably would) impact upon the time available for your current business?


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[oskihen]

I agree with Oskihen & Rascal, can you not think of something to make it profitable during your off season?

Surely increasing turnover from a current asset would be more rewarding financially than a new, unrelated startup that could (& invariably would) impact upon the time available for your current business?


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Which would inevitably result in disharmony somewhere along the journey , very very rare to be successful in two completely different fields .

[oskihen]

How big is your camp site and how ruraly located is it

[snooky]

I used to do the gas inspection for Caravan Club. Maybe get yourself trained and do your own inspections if on a static site of course.