One-Year Anniversary Interview with the Lighthouse Personnel Keeper!
It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster, I have loved it, absolutely loved it. It’s been very hard work, and it’s been really good working with Rosey, having Paddy involved and it’s exciting having Laura and looking to have another Apprentice to join the team. We have superseded all expectations, we didn’t think we would have an office until year three or a new employee. Its been really good and enjoyable.
Did you ever think you would have come this far in your first year of business?
No, not at all. We would have expected to still be working at home at this point and not to be working with this number of clients. Its been wonderful seeing the impact we’ve had on various companies with our Recruitment strategies. Its good to have come this far.
You’re now working in an office, have new team members and consistently growing the business, are you happy with where the company is at?
Yes, definitely, we really are proud of it on a day to day basis. It’s really nice coming in and one thing I feel now when I come into the office, for example, last night I came to drop off some new furniture for the office. I look around and I think ‘I really don’t want this to fail, I just love it and I want us to push on further from here’
Have there been any positives and drawbacks of starting your own business?
The positives have been wonderful, we’re doing things how we want them to be done. Doing things to positively impact people and having a real control over that, in that we work ethically and with high values. Drawbacks are the amount of time to put in, but I think the positives massively outweigh any drawbacks we’ve had so far.
You have clearly made a positive impact on clients and candidates after having repeat business, why do you think this is?
Because of our honesty, being trustworthy and delivering the expectations that we set out with clients and candidates initially. We really like to manage people’s expectations properly and that’s what really does us well.
What has been the biggest challenge(s) you have faced?
It’s a chicken and egg situation with Recruitment because one time you have too many candidates and the other time have too many clients, so it’s always about trying to find the right balance. That’s probably been the biggest challenge throughout but it just requires more work rate when you come to have more clients and not enough candidates and vice versa, you have to put in the graft on the other side. So, you have to be as best prepared as possible so that situation happens less frequently.
What has the support been like since starting the business?
It’s been awesome, we’ve had so many people like and share our posts on social media, we’ve had other people referring people to us and we’ve had clients come to us through personal connections. It’s been really positive and it’s made me have faith in the local community and how people do support you as a small business.
What has been your stand out achievement in your year so far?
The feedback we’ve had from people we’ve placed, and where we’ve made a positive difference to their lives. Where it’s been really successful, they’ve gone in and they’re really enjoying their job and their clients are really happy with them. That’s always the end goal is for it to work really well and that’s the biggest achievement when that happens on a regular basis.
Would you change anything if you could go back a year and are at the point of starting the business up again?
I would have more confidence in doing it, that’s the only thing I would change is to say to myself when I started out ‘This is going to work really well and be confident because the idea we have is great and we’re going to constantly add value to it’
What plans do you have for the year ahead?
To add value to what we do, so to make our Recruitment service more effective for both the candidates and clients- that’s always going to be the aim. To make sure we are as best as we can possibly be at getting it right for the people we place people with, and getting it right for the companies we place them with. So, by constantly adding new processes and procedures and a personal touch as well to make sure we get it right. The other changes we look at is growth and expansion, taking on new people and growing the business.
What has been your drive day in and day out?
Providing for my family, as always, that’s always my drive. And doing a good thing to help people, when that’s your inspiration rather than making as much money as possible it makes it easy.
Did you ever think you would have come this far in your first year of business?
No, not at all. We would have expected to still be working at home at this point and not to be working with this number of clients. Its been wonderful seeing the impact we’ve had on various companies with our Recruitment strategies. Its good to have come this far.
You’re now working in an office, have new team members and consistently growing the business, are you happy with where the company is at?
Yes, definitely, we really are proud of it on a day to day basis. It’s really nice coming in and one thing I feel now when I come into the office, for example, last night I came to drop off some new furniture for the office. I look around and I think ‘I really don’t want this to fail, I just love it and I want us to push on further from here’
Have there been any positives and drawbacks of starting your own business?
The positives have been wonderful, we’re doing things how we want them to be done. Doing things to positively impact people and having a real control over that, in that we work ethically and with high values. Drawbacks are the amount of time to put in, but I think the positives massively outweigh any drawbacks we’ve had so far.
You have clearly made a positive impact on clients and candidates after having repeat business, why do you think this is?
Because of our honesty, being trustworthy and delivering the expectations that we set out with clients and candidates initially. We really like to manage people’s expectations properly and that’s what really does us well.
What has been the biggest challenge(s) you have faced?
It’s a chicken and egg situation with Recruitment because one time you have too many candidates and the other time have too many clients, so it’s always about trying to find the right balance. That’s probably been the biggest challenge throughout but it just requires more work rate when you come to have more clients and not enough candidates and vice versa, you have to put in the graft on the other side. So, you have to be as best prepared as possible so that situation happens less frequently.
What has the support been like since starting the business?
It’s been awesome, we’ve had so many people like and share our posts on social media, we’ve had other people referring people to us and we’ve had clients come to us through personal connections. It’s been really positive and it’s made me have faith in the local community and how people do support you as a small business.
What has been your stand out achievement in your year so far?
The feedback we’ve had from people we’ve placed, and where we’ve made a positive difference to their lives. Where it’s been really successful, they’ve gone in and they’re really enjoying their job and their clients are really happy with them. That’s always the end goal is for it to work really well and that’s the biggest achievement when that happens on a regular basis.
Would you change anything if you could go back a year and are at the point of starting the business up again?
I would have more confidence in doing it, that’s the only thing I would change is to say to myself when I started out ‘This is going to work really well and be confident because the idea we have is great and we’re going to constantly add value to it’
What plans do you have for the year ahead?
To add value to what we do, so to make our Recruitment service more effective for both the candidates and clients- that’s always going to be the aim. To make sure we are as best as we can possibly be at getting it right for the people we place people with, and getting it right for the companies we place them with. So, by constantly adding new processes and procedures and a personal touch as well to make sure we get it right. The other changes we look at is growth and expansion, taking on new people and growing the business.
What has been your drive day in and day out?
Providing for my family, as always, that’s always my drive. And doing a good thing to help people, when that’s your inspiration rather than making as much money as possible it makes it easy.