An interview with Derek Ludlow, CEO, at Financial and GRC recruitment agency, McBarron Wood International.
“I don’t envisage there being a time when I would ever want to stop using Simplicity”. It’s a bold statement but it’s an opinion that Derek Ludlow, CEO at respected agency McBarron Wood International is very keen to get across. Since he began working with Simplicity in 2009, he has had nothing but praise for the recruitment finance and back office experts and believes he would not be where he is now if it wasn’t for their support.
With a sales and recruitment background spanning 25 years, Mr Ludlow knows a thing or two about what it takes to build a successful recruitment business. He started out on his own in 2006 – with a small list of contacts and a grand total of five jobs, he set to work. With the support of Simplicity, McBarron Wood has become internationally recognised as a leading retained Finance Executive Search company, with hundreds of clients.
The journey towards greater success started in 2008 when he met Simplicity’s Sales Director David Vizard. “We were using Cash Friday from Lloyds’ at the time” says Derek, “but having met David, I realised a better option was available and there was a company I could really trust with this aspect of my business – Simplicity.”
“We wanted to free up cash flow to invest in our growth and we needed something to differentiate ourselves from the competition.” Simplicity ticked all of the boxes – not only do they offer 100% funding on all permanent placements, cash flow management, dedicated payroll services and back office management. Derek says, “Match all of that with the professionalism and expertise of the team and for me, it was a very sensible move.”
More time for sales and business development
For Derek, the partnership between McBarron Wood and Simplicity has enabled his success. He says, “We wouldn’t be where we are now without the help of Simplicity. It would have taken far, far longer – essentially, they have all of the back office covered so that I can concentrate on building the business. If I had to spend my days describing and explaining to people how the back office needed to work alongside keeping up to date with legislation, HMRC changes, pensions etc… there wouldn’t be enough hours in the day. It would never happen.”
Indeed, time is precious for any recruitment agency owner and with the help of Simplicity, they can spend that time more productively. When you bear in mind the current recruitment market and skills shortage crisis, the more time recruitment business owners can spend focused on developing their business – instead of raising invoices, chasing debt or managing a financial department – the better.
Derek says, “In a way, it’s like good cop, bad cop – if we get a query from a client, all I need to do is pass them on to Simplicity. There’s no need for me to get involved in chasing for payments.
“The Simplicity team gives me time to think. I send across the core information about a successful placement and forget about it – safe in the knowledge that the invoices will be raised correctly and sent out on time. They give me the confidence that I’ll have the cash in my bank at the end of the week – even though my client hasn’t even seen the invoice. All I need to worry about is winning new business. It’s a collaboration which reinforces what I originally set out to do – to do things right and create successful company.
The benefits don’t stop there. Derek says, “When I set up McBarron Wood, the aim was to stay true to my morals – build a recruitment business with integrity at its core. I demand best practice in my business and with Simplicity, that’s exactly what I get. He says, “I can’t sleep if I think something’s not right – with the backup and support of the experts at Simplicity, life is certainly a great deal more bearable. I don’t like surprises and thanks to Simplicity, I can make informed decisions – there are no nasty shocks.”
No ordinary recruitment industry supplier
Indeed, the management team behind Simplicity is unique in its breadth and depth of experience and the advice they can provide is second to none. In this sense, Simplicity is unlike any other form of recruitment finance provider – they’re not just a run of the mill invoice factoring company. Derek says, “Catherine Jenkins, my contact at Simplicity is outstanding. I called her just yesterday to discuss a new client and not only did she offer immediate answers – a solid solution – she also had ideas as to how we could secure the client. That’s the difference between Simplicity and other financiers. They really do understand the businesses they are working with. “It’s great to know you can have a grown up conversation with someone knowledgeable who actually cares about the success of your recruitment business.”
He says, “I outsource a lot of things – my server management, my marketing… but I don’t view Simplicity in the same light as those companies, they are an intrinsic partner in my success. I don’t see a time when I’ll want to stop using them; with their help, I’ve built a great business and helped them to succeed too. It’s an excellent partnership.”
Whether you’re looking to start up your own recruitment agency or you already run a successful recruitment business and want to take it to the next level, Simplicity can help you to achieve your objectives. To outgrow your competition and beat them to all of the best talent, get in touch today.