Member Article

Jobs at the drop of a hat

A NEW recruitment company is hoping to turn the industry on its head by making the process much easier for small businesses.

JobHAT, based at Lingfield Point, Darlington aims to simplify the recruitment process and reduce the costs of hiring new staff.

Adrian Green, 27, set up the business with his fiancee Cathi Harrison with the aim of offering a new approach to the recruitment sector.

The pair spotted a niche for SME focused recruitment after Cathi struggled to recruit a new member of staff for her financial planning business.

Cathi, 29, said: “The traditional options for recruitment either requires a lot of time or are often expensive, two resources many small business owners just don’t have.

“With help from Investment for Growth we’ve developed an easy to use online system that’s backed up by a personal, customer focused approach.

“What makes our web service so unique is the information, advice and support we provide to SMEs on how to recruit effectively, it’s not just about finding CVs.”

Delivered by the Investment Centre, Investment for Growth provided 40% of the funding needed by Adrian and Cathi to develop the website and help raise the awareness and profile their business

The £4.9million investment fund has been made available to support North East businesses from the European Regional Development Fund.

Adrian said: “The team at Investment for Growth really bought into our idea for JobHAT.

“As a young business I was well aware of how important funding would be to the growth of the company but worried I wouldn’t have the time to devote to the application process.

“In fact the Investment for Growth application process was incredibly easy and the ability to check our progress online a godsend.”

Grants of up to 40% of the total project value are still available to firms in the North East wanting to put into place business development projects that will secure jobs and help them grow.

Investment for Growth advisor John Heslop worked with Adrian throughout the application process.

John said: “I was very impressed with the thought and research that Adrian and Cathi had put into their business product development and planning.

“JobHat offers a bespoke service that’s also time and cost effective for SMEs, a group often overlooked by traditional recruitment agencies.

“The funding has a positive impact on the business and I fully expect it to be a success.”

Tracey Watson, senior project manager at Investment for Growthsaid: “JobHAT is yet another example of a North East business supported by Investment for Growth.

“Already the fund has helped more than 170 businesses across the region implement growth projects that have boosted the regional economy as well as created and secured jobs.”

The Investment for Growth Fund is available to established businesses but funds are limited so the need to apply is urgent.

Should any business wish to apply, a team of advisers will help guide the business through the preparation, submission and follow up of the application process.

To be eligible, businesses must be based in the North East and provide a business-to-business product or service.

To find out about Investment for Growth call 0191 426 6408 or email enquiries@business-enterprise.net.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ian Benet .