1. Dark side.tv
DIRECTOR DESIGNATE (x2)
SEPTEMBER
2011
ww
45k + Bonus + 10% Equity
Nr. Heathrow
w. the
The Opportunity of 2011
Page 18 for Details
Sometimes
it’s hard to
keep up with
everything ........
Inside this issue:
Be a VIDEO Star!
Is AWR Evil?
Business Blast Offs!
Start Your Own Business
Time to Sell Up?
July July
BLAST OFF! BLAST OFF!
SHOPFITTERS IN THE SOUTH
2011 2011
R N
RENEWABLE ENERGIES
?
New Business using highly With two years of specialist
skilled European Labour to service
a buoyant Retail & Construction
E renewable experience, this new
TEMP based business will be
Sector in the SE of England. Highly X exploiting the explosion in demand
U
experienced duo at the helm. for key staff within the North
For more info, contact:
T West. Big fees but hard work!
For more info, contact:
clare@supportservicesgroup.tv clare@supportservicesgroup.tv

2. w SG
?
SUPPORT SERVICES GROUP?
S
ho
Never heard of them!
Just in case you are wondering who Our Business Launch process is they actually make placements, there
Support Services Group (aka SSG) FREE & there are no fixed costs is no cost for the support provided by
is and what we do, perhaps I can for our ON-GOING SUPPORT SSG once the business has been
provide a quick & painless facility. We hope to make our launched.
overview? money (as they say) by charging a
percentage of the billings of the The business is 100% owned by the
We are a firm of Recruitment business once it is up & running. Recruiter and SSG exists to provide
Business Incubators. Our job is to services, advice and support (which
identify Budding Entrepreneurs So, the good news for our really means that all decisions are
from within the Recruitment Entrepreneurial Recruiters is yours and you do not have to listen to
Industry who may want to start that they can have a business what SSG says if you don’t want to...).
their own Recruitment Company & launched without the need for
then provide a ‘Business Launch’ any investment, loans or other
& ‘On-Going Support’ facility. weird caveats. In addition, unless
The Launch Process: On-Going Support:
Legal & Compliance Recruitment
Creative Back Office
Password Allocations Business Growth
Accounting Templates. Retain at least 70%
of all Revenues
Since 2003, we have launched There are no catches, no But it is fun and potentially hugely
over 130 new Recruitment hidden charges and no rewarding. If you want to find out more,
Businesses in a myriad of Perm’ & restrictions. Equally, there is no please have a browse through our web
Temp’ markets. We have detailed easy ride either! For our site (see the ‘Home Page’ screen shot
and expert knowledge in almost all Recruiter partners, the process above!) and then perhaps give me a call
recruitment markets and have is hard work, challenging and for the traditional ‘Confidential Chat’.
enjoyed tremendous success in relies upon their Recruitment
helping Recruiter Entrepreneurs Expertise. It isn’t easy and every David Jones
make the transition from Employee business that we have launched 01442 200 944
to Business Owner. will tell you that. david@supportservicesgroup.tv
Sept NOW
2011? 2011!
BLAST OFF! BLAST OFF!
?
WHY ISN’T THIS YOU?
COULD THIS BE YOU?
Will you ever decide How depressing is the
the time is right to phrase ‘What if?’
stop making could – Are you really going
money for someone to let that apply to
else and have a little
faith in your own
you you? Surely you can
do better than
ability? Maybe be that? Come on!
now is the time? Take the leap.
next?
For more info, contact: For more info, contact:
clare@supportservicesgroup.tv clare@supportservicesgroup.tv
2

3. EDITOR’S NOTE
ww
w. the Dark side.tv
16
Welcome to ‘The Dark Side’ (aka TDS) – a publication
aimed solely at Recruiters who are either already
recruitment Business Owners OR those Recruiters
Who’s
who might like to one day become recruitment
Business Owners. Afraid
We are nothing to do with ‘big businesses’ or
Corporate Recruitment Companies. In fact, we do
not want to exist for any demographic other than
of the
Owners of small Recruitment ventures OR potential
Owners of small Recruitment ventures!
We ought to be interesting to any Recruiter
striving to build a Company. We also ought to be
helpful to any Recruiter hoping to escape
AWR?
‘employment’ & ‘do their own thing’.
Clare looks at AWR
TDS is a free production highlighting services, issues,
problems and solutions relating to the set-up &
operation of independent Recruitment Businesses
within the UK. TDS is generated via a Recruitment Regular Stuff
Incubation & Support venture known as ‘SSG’
(www.SupportServicesGroup.tv).
5 I.T. Matters
We are hopeful that TDS will supplement the
8 Let’s Get Trained! M
More
information & services available via ‘SSG’ & provide
tangibly useful ideas to any Recruiter who has either 8
Business
Recruiters in a Bar
already turned to ‘the dark side’ and set up their own Launches
recruitment company or any Recruiter thinking that 9 Credit Control
they might like to own their own business.
TDS is complied by successful Recruitment
12 Voice of Vikki 4 Health Sector
Entrepreneurs drawing heavily on the experiences 13 Interesting Facts 11 N. East Commercial
(good and bad!) of over 130 businesses launched by
SSG since 2003. In addition, we will continue to 14 Frustration!! 14 Sunny Devon Temp’
cajole, encourage and pester ‘Industry Experts’
(as we have told to label our contributors!) to provide 15 Busy Month 14 Oil & Gas Up North
practical advice about how small, independent
Recruiters can compete with the big boys of the 16 Serious Stuff 14 S & M in W. Midlands
Corporate World.
Other Stuff
So, all we ask is that you ‘give it a go’ & have a look
through our first attempt? Of course we want you to
Features
enjoy your read but more important to us is the hope 4 Belly Laugh
that the information might actually be useful!
9 Comfort Food 4 Be a Video Star
It would be great to hear from you with any ideas or
thoughts which you may have. We can only get better 17 Help Needed at SSG 6 Survey Results
with your help – tell us what works and what doesn’t
and we will try to adapt. 18 Worth a Read? 10 Feeling Isolated?
For more information, please do not hesitate to get 18 Point the Finger 12 Pay Less Tax
in touch. Thank you.
info@the-darkside.tv 15 Time to Sell Up?
1. All the contents of The Dark Side are only for general information and/or use. Such contents do not constitute advice and should not be relied upon in making (or refraining from making) any decision. Any specific advice or replies to
queries in any part of the publication is/are the personal opinion of such experts/consultants/persons. 2. The information in The Dark Side is provided on an "AS IS" basis, and all warranties, expressed or implied of any kind, regarding
any matter pertaining to any information, advice or replies are disclaimed and excluded. 3. The Dark Side and its associates shall not be liable, at any time for damages including, without limitation, damages for loss of any kind(but excluding
personal injury or death caused by negligence) arising in contract, tort or otherwise from the use of or inability to use the publication, or any of its contents, or from any action taken (or refrained from being taken) as a result of using the
publication or any such contents or use of information contained in the publication. 4. No representations, warranties, or guarantees whatsoever are made as to the accuracy, adequacy, reliability, completeness, suitability, or applicability
of the information to a particular situation. 5. Certain references in the publication refer to third parties over whom The Dark Side has no control or connection, business or otherwise.
Material Submitted by Others
Some sections in The Dark Side contain materials submitted by users. The Dark Side accepts no responsibility for the content, accuracy, and conformity to applicable laws of such material, and any views or opinions expressed by such
third parties are those of the author alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the owners or publishers of the Dark Side.
Effect of these Terms
These terms constitute the sole basis on which the Dark Side is published and made available and supersede and replace all prior or contemporaneous understandings or agreements, written or oral, or any implied terms which might
otherwise apply.
3

4. Something New
Get your business into the Movie
Business from £2.74 (plus a family bag
of Revels)
It takes more than a Company web Site
and a splattering of Internet Job Adverts
to promote your Recruitment Business
these days!
The central VIDEO presentation is
typically ‘top & tailed’ by movie clips and
Increasingly, the competition out there
music to generate a really impressive
is turning to Video to attract new Clients
advert for the business.
and Candidates. You Tube, Plug In’s,
stand alone videos – they seem to be all
Chris views this offering more as a
the rage.
service to any existing SSG Clients than a
revenue earner! Quite how he arrived at
SSG has recently created an impressive
£2.74 per video is a mystery, but
facility at our Hertfordshire office which
knowing Chris and his sweet tooth (or
is designed to create high calibre VIDEO
two) the family bag of Revels
Presentations for small, independent
requirement is less difficult to explain.
Recruitment Companies.
This product is also available to any
“We can design, record, edit and upload
‘Having said that, we understand from independent Recruitment Business and
to your web site a promotional video for
personal experience that anyone new to is great value (typically around
your business” – confirms Chris Ion of
this idea will need help, guidance and £150-£200 ‘all-in’). If you want to find out
SSG – “It is really quite easy and not
support to get the job done – it can be more, just get in touch for an initial chat.
something to get worried about”.
quite a daunting prospect for any
Recruiter, but we are here to help’
Chris and his team are have put in place
all of the technology required to
produce these 3-4 minute masterpieces
& really just need any would-be Video
Stars to do a little preparation work and
then arrive at SSG’s Dower House
head-office ready to read their chris@supportservicesgroup.tv
pre-prepared script from the autocue! T: 01442 200 941
May
BLAST OFF! 2011 GIVE US A BELLY LAUGH!
Great new business
launched by two
£50 We’re always looking for
funny jokes to feature in the
Recruiters with key
experience in The Dark Side, so if you have any vaguely
Recruiting European amusing quips about Recruitment
Labour to work within
the UK Health Sector. Consultants or the Recruitment world in
Lots of paperwork but
stacks of potential
general we’d love to hear them. £50
for this Home We’ll give £50 for each joke we
Counties team!
publish and also a mystery gift (oooooh!).
For more info, contact:
So come on, give us a laugh!
clare@supportservicesgroup.tv jokes@the-darkside.tv
4

5. Chris’s IT Matters
How to NOT be a Donut!
’t Be a Donut
on !
Backup you Donut!
D
How many times have you heard
SOMEONE (it could be You!) say “My
computer’s crashed, I don’t have the data D
oi y!
... I’m screwed” (or words to that effect!). t R eg ularl
So many times we rely on our PC just
Email Files are a bit trickier to find – it
“working” – until that f/hateful day when
would be worth getting an IT
it “doesn’t”!
professional to locate all these for you as
the location changes between different
If you take regular backups you can sit
versions of Outlook / Outlook Express etc. What to Back Up (Online solution):
there a bit smug with yourself. The rest of
You may choose to create shortcuts on
this article probably isn’t for you.
your desktop to each of the main folders You will select the relevant files / folders
so you just have to open the shortcut and in the software before it runs. It will then
If you don’t know what a backup is / don’t
drag and drop your files onto your automatically collate the data, compress
do it regularly, are unsure of what to
chosen backup device. it and then pipe it up to the online server.
backup then read on......
Highly recommended if you aren’t very
The idea of doing it this way is to take good at regular file copying. Also highly
What is it?:
your essential data, uncompressed as a recommended where you have an office
straight “copy” that can always be copied full of donuts and want a central backup.
Taking a copy of your essential data in
back.
case of a blown up machine (or just
Drawbacks:
losing it or it being stolen)
This is the most reliable form of data
backup SO LONG AS YOU’RE NOT A Requires all machines to be backed
Equipment Required:
DONUT AND DO IT REGULARLY! up to be left switched on (perfect
for servers but less so laptops)
USB “Flash” Memory Stick OR External
Drawbacks: Data is compressed so you will
HDD OR Online Backup Service.
have to have the software
Minimum 8Gb to allow multiple backups. Requires manual copying at re-installed to be able to retrieve
pre-defined intervals your data as and when necessary.
What to Backup (using local drives / Storage requirement is higher Cost – you will pay an annual fee
sticks): than Online solutions as it is dependent on how much data
“uncompressed”. storage you need (compressed
The main things here are your email data
data, bear in mind that 1000 Word
files and documents. If you’re a good and Automated “Online” Backup:
CV’s will probably compress to
efficient worker you will no doubt use the
about 25% of their original size).
“default” locations for all your documents This is where you install a piece of
so they will be easy to find (My software from an online backup provider
Documents, My Music, My Pictures, My (such as www.depositit.co.uk) and it If you need any help with finding your
Videos). If like me you have your hard automatically runs the software at a files etc. I would highly recommend
drive split into partitions and you use a pre-determined interval, compresses it contacting an IT professional – things like
mixture of locations then you will need to and spurts it onto an online server for those email addresses that automatically
find these each time you want to backup. off-site storage. come up when you start typing an
address are stored in a file which can be
Be a Donu NOT by YOURSELF....
n’t backed up and restored as and when
WORK for YOURSELF....
o t! necessary!
D
www.
chris@supportservicesgroup.tv
support
services
group.
Did you know?.......
tv
8,000 Recruiters receive this
D y! ...........
oi
t R e g ularl
5

6. Our Survey Results
Should Interest Rates & Inflation
really matter to Entrepreneurial
Recruiters?
Everything is rosy in the UK economy - Business Investment Everywhere we look, we find conflicting opinion – read any set
is rising whilst Public Borrowing is down & GDP (Gross of Daily Newspapers and you will see that whilst one article
Domestic product) is up. Interest Rates remain rooted at a predicts the end of the World, the other is comfortable that the
historic all time low and unemployment seems to be worst is over.
beginning to shift. That’s all good and as Recruiters we are all
very happy to hear that. So, perhaps we ought to rely purely on some comforting facts?
Nothing is rosy in the UK economy – despite the lowest
SSG Client Placement Revenues are 27% higher in the
interest rates in history, the rate of inflation continues to rise
opening six months of 2011 than in the corresponding
and bank lending has stagnated since the crisis of 2008. House
period of 2010.
prices are forecast to double-dip and the European Economy is
The economic crisis of 2009 precipitated just a 15%
under siege from cheap imports coming from India, China and
decrease in Placement Revenues compared with 2008,
the rest of the emerging markets. All terrible news and as
suggesting small Recruitment Businesses remain more
Recruiters we are all very unhappy about that.
agile and able to cope with changes in the market.
All very confusing for owners of independent Recruitment Applications to start a new Recruitment Business with
Businesses. our help are at Record levels.
Business Failures are at their lowest level for 5 years.
What is actually happening to the UK Recruitment Market &
more specifically, what does it all mean to owners of small,
INDEX Fig. 1
independent Recruitment businesses? SSG Client
Revenues
With unparalleled access to the thoughts and opinions of
Entrepreneurial Recruiters, we decided to ask Recruiters 100 Business
working in the UK market in the past couple for years what is Applications
happening & what really matters to their businesses.
Their views were unsurprisingly very interesting!
2007 2008 2009 2010 NOW
As an example, 66% of our survey of Recruitment Business
Owners do not feel that interest rates are of any real concern
to their independent business. The cost of Job Board access Having said all of that, 47% of our survey complained of
and the lack of lending from the Banks are both certainly more increased competition leading to pressure from end clients
important. to lower fees (particularly margins on Temp’s). Another 60%
saw the lack of good calibre Candidates as a more significant
issue than any perceived lack of Vacancies. Almost two thirds
of all respondents to our survey felt positive about their
‘It doesn’t really bother me what the particular Recruitment market and almost no one felt
interest rates are – the Bank won’t adversely affected by the National News.
lend my business money anyway’
As ever, the picture is not really conclusive but the way to deal
with the uncertainty would appear as clear as ever:
Another 72% of our respondents felt that things were ‘much
better’ than 6 months ago but confusingly of that
demographic only 45% felt that they would recruit a Recruiter
in the next 12 months. ‘Paddle your own canoe – no one
can affect your business unless you
‘I am finding placements easier to allow it. No one can make your
make but still don’t feel confident revenues grow unless you decide to
to recruit staff for my business’. work harder, smarter and better’
6

7. In other words, what makes a small Recruitment business
succeed is not really much to do with the broader economic
LINKED IN
conditions BUT what can cause a Recruiter to give up might be Fig. 2
more to do with rumour, doubt and individual weakness. The
potential for failure is always alive within a poor Recruiter we
are told, but it seems that the smoking gun of a troubled
economy doesn’t make a Recruiter fail, their reaction to the
everyday stress of working in a tough industry does.
Perhaps the best advice for those Recruiters owning a small
business in these difficult times comes directly from those
Recruiters owning a small business in these difficult times!
Just make a placement – forget strategy, forecasts
and trends, just identify vacancies and generate 8% Very Comfortable
candidate interest.
12% Unaware
Sit at your desk. Ignore the temptation to go away to
80% Anxious
‘collect your thoughts’, just keep working.
Value your service – if you start to offer discounts you
will start to diminish your self-worth.
Ignore the negatives – miserable Recruiters are
miserable even in a boom. Low Interest Rates, increased liquidity, high unemployment,
ABC – Always Be Closing. Get the deal done. increasing inflation – none of these indicators seem to affect a
good Recruiter. A good Recruiter will still make their calls, still
Just 11% of our survey participants admitted to feeling that talk to their candidates, still listen to their clients and still make
starting their own business was a mistake but 4 times that money.
numbers confessed to sleepless nights during the last 12 For every 7% of our Recruiters who felt that nothing was
months. Our most unconventional advice for dealing with getting better another 74% felt in control of their own destiny.
stress came from a chocolate eating alcoholic with a
propensity to place bets on events of which he had no Recruiters who start their own business do so for many reasons
understanding.... interesting! (autonomy, money and flexibility to name the obvious) but
very few fail in that business without acknowledging that they
The traditional methods of coping with stress remain popular could have worked harder. Good times or bad, the key to
and of course involve time management, consistency, regular success remains distant from Government Policy and broad
exercise and the recoding of all positive moments throughout economic indicators.
the day: Whilst ‘Corporate Business’ will always remain vulnerable to
international conditions and on the accepted axiom that
trouble flows downhill, surely small Recruitment Businesses
‘I write down everything that is will suffer too?
good in a note book and flick It seems not.
through it when I start to doubt Low overheads, minimal fixed costs, flexibility, business agility
myself – don’t laugh! Try it!’ & hard work continue to make owning an independent
Recruitment Business attractive to increasing numbers. 85% of
those asked confirm that starting their own business was the
right thing to do.
It was equally no surprise to hear that more than 80% of our
sample survey were worried that they knew very little of
A FINAL THOUGHT
Linked In and another 72% felt that response from the
traditional job boards was becoming even harder than ever to Our survey strongly suggested that many Recruiters are
sift through – suggesting that although applications per increasingly concerned by their inability to comfortably grasp
vacancy is a great headline for the big job boards, it isn’t Social Media (Linked In especially).
anywhere near what we Recruiters actually want. (see Fig. 2) Traditional anxieties over credit control, payment terms and
vacancy numbers seem to have been superseded by a general
It would seem obvious that a booming economy can make doubt of how to source fresh candidates from media other
things seem easier in the short term. The more vacancies than job boards? Is this true for you too?
which exist the better (I guess?) but it is also very clear that for
owners of small Recruitment businesses the wider economic If so, please let us know (info@The-DarkSide.tv) Perhaps we
indicators are not always relevant. can identify a Guru to help us out?
7

8. Mike’s Training Corner
F
F O R W H O M
O
M
W
Recruitment
F
H
O
M
R W
Training?
H A T
My name is Mike Walmsley and I am I soon began working with some of SSG’s Mike Walmsley
arguably the UK’s leading Recruitment Clients and both David & I immediately
Trainer. I have been lucky enough to be felt that it would be great to formalise an
involved with some of the most offering for all of the budding
innovative and successful Recruitment entrepreneurs working with SSG.
Businesses in the World – from my early 2 Recruiters
days as one of the original ‘Super Biller’ It wasn’t long before we looked at how Walk into
Recruiters through to the present day, I fledgling Recruitment Businesses could
have worked with literally hundreds of afford to engage with the range of
a Bar........
the UK’s top Recruitment Businesses and Training & Support facilities available
Recruitment Entrepreneurs. from my organisation.
A recruitment consultant asks a
A particular passion of mine has always David was clear that his Client ventures judge to let him off jury service.
been helping to nurture & evolve the could not be expected to meet the cost Judge, ‘But surely your firm can
core skills of budding entrepreneurs as of the value we could bring to these manage without you for a few
they migrate from employee to business young businesses. Pretty soon, David & I weeks?’ The man replies, ‘Certainly.
owner & then on towards fledgling created a Three Tier Training Programme They can manage without me
employer. There is an energy and which would be free to all SSG Clients. altogether - and I don’t want them
excitement surrounding that challenge to find out.’
which is unique and the transition Real value from Recruitment Training can
required to complete that journey is an only come from true engagement and in
immense challenge – even for the most taking away the cost of such training we The recruitment consultant asked
competent of Recruiters. both knew that there was a significant me ‘What do you think of voluntary
benefit to be had by all SSG Clients. work? ’ I said ‘I wouldn‘t do it if you
In 2006 I became aware of Support paid me.’
In turn, I understand that SSG truly
Services Group (aka SSG) by way of a
believe that in adding value to their
happy accident – my 6 year old son
Clients (through training, job board
began playing football in the same team
access & all sorts of other facilities) their Q: How can you tell when a
as the son of David Jones, the owner of
Clients will grow, in turn generating Recruitment Consultant is lying?
SSG. It was obvious that we both vaguely
revenues & becoming more secure A: His lips are moving.
knew of one another and then of course
Clients.
the incestuous nature of Recruitment led
us to start chatting about this & that. So, nearly 5 years on and here we are!
Employee of the Month is a good
I want to outline what is available and to example of how someone can be
encourage all of you to look closely at both a winner and a loser at the
Daily, weekly & monthly how www.MikeWalmsley.com can help same time.
you and your business develop. We are
Programmes! talking about a real competitive edge – a
set of commercial tools to help you to be How do you get a Recruitment
the best Recruiter and the best business Consultant on the roof?
owner that you can be. Tell him drinks are on the house.
Keep informed & Keep
Learning.
Did you know?....... Submit a joke and if we
£50 publish it .........£50!
8,000 Recruiters receive this....
Available to you & your and all need banking,
staff – for free! software & “other stuff” jokes@the-darkside.tv
8

9. Credit control
!
Easing the pain! Tier 1 - 24/7 ACCESS TO A
DVD LIBRARY
We all know how frustrating and disheartening An entire range of recruitment training I know that training can help (and will
it is to have invoices overdue for payment.
DVDs which offer an easy & affordable help) any Recruiter achieve more
Whether dealing with small companies where solution to your everyday training needs. impressive results. Training for business
the problem may lay with their lack of cash
flow or large companies whose Finance
They offer the viewer the opportunity to owners is equally crucial to ensure that
departments are controlled by strict policy and watch me presenting expert knowledge, you (& any staff which you may have)
procedures, the problem of securing payment skills and advice - over and over again, always know ‘what is happening out
is down to a conflict of your terms of business whether at home or in the office. there’. I also know that there is a key issue
against those of your client.
In addition, you can keep coming back to for all start-up businesses in how to deal
it as often as you need to, without any with Isolation (an area clearly addressed
problems. It is all on-line and available to within this issue of The-DarkSide) &
Don’t let Debt
you and your business – for free! engagement with an established
weigh you down!
Support Company and a high calibre
Tier 2 - REGULAR LIVE Training Professional will certainly ease
WEBINARS this concern.
I would like to draw your attention to a couple
of points which may help and apologise in Every two weeks, SSG will facilitate free
advance if you already follow this line. access to a 30 minute live and interactive
1) When placing a candidate or contractor session via your PC, with you sat at your So, if you are already a client of SSG’s,
with a new client, it is in your interest to desk communicating with me and other please ensure that you make the most of
agree realistic payment terms with your like minded Recruiters. Each session the free training facilities available. If you
contact. They may be happy to promise
your invoice will be paid within 7 or 14 comes complete with a workbook, are not yet a client or just want to see
days, but their accounts department may copies of the session slides, an action what we could bring to you, wither visit
have a 'set in stone' policy that all invoices plan & it is all part of the SSG offering (for our web site (www.MikeWalmsley.com)
are paid on 30 or even 60 days. free!). or get in touch with SSG.
2) Larger companies have a Purchasing
Department and in order for your invoice Tier 3 - LIVE TRAINING
to be paid, you will need to be on their
preferred suppliers list to avoid any EVENTS DON’T FORGET:
unnecessary delays. Please check with This involves two full days of live training,
your client contact and obtain the presented by me each month in central If there are any specific areas where you
necessary form to complete.
London. Your invitation to attend is part feel you might want help or support, why
A purchase order number may also be of the SSG programme of support and not suggest to SSG some ideas for live
required and should be quoted on the invoice. although spaces are necessarily limited Webinars?
Please confirm with your client contact that if
this is the case, that a purchase order has been
(so please book in advance with SSG), the
raised and for them to e-mail you a copy. This content and depth of the training will It could be that you are not alone in
can be attached to the invoice to help speed leave you excited and motivated to do wanting support and the best way to get
along payment. more, earn more and enjoy your business a consensus is to start one! Please email
If all of the above has been adhered to and you even more. As with the other elements of your ideas / questions through to
still find yourself chanting Bob Geldof’s ‘give SSG support, your attendance is free! Mike-at-SSG@The-DarkSide.tv
us the money' mantra, Darren, Vikki and
myself are always here to chase your
outstanding invoices and offer advice on
further action when all else seems to have Support Support
Services Services
failed. Group Group
Fancy a chat about any aspect of
Credit Control? Just give me a call
(Gillian Miles) on 01442 200 965
MEGA chip Cookies :
The How:
The What: Preheat the oven to 190'C / 375'F/Gas Mark 5. Line 2-3 baking
225 g butter, softened trays with baking paper
140 g caster sugar Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well with a spoon,
1 egg YOLK , lightly beaten then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Sift together the
2 tsp vanilla extract flour, cocoa powder and salt into the mixture, add both kinds of
225 g plain flour chocolate chips and stir until throughlly combined.
55 g cocoa powder Make 12 balls of the mixture, put them onto the prepared
pinch of salt baking trays, spaced well apart, and flatten slightly. Press the
85 g milk chocolate chips pieces of chocolate into the cookies.
85 g white chocolate chips Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, leave to cool,
115 g plain chocolate , roughly chopped then enjoy !
Pop’s Pantry Comfort Food for Fed-up Recruiters
9

10. Thought for the Day
We all feel Isolated & we all seek Routine. Apparently.
How Budding Entrepreneurs cope with the Twin Evils!
It doesn’t matter who you are, we believe
that learning to overcome the inevitable
Success creates success – feelings of isolation will represent one of
65% of all SSG ‘failures’
just be good at some- the biggest challenges that you will ever cited Isolation as the
face when running your own show. critical factor in their
thing!
From one-man band to thriving demise.
independent, the buck always stops with
you and you will always be the architect
of your success or of your failure. There is
Many of our Clients understandably To generate routine placement revenues
no getting away from that one & the
seek comparison – ‘How are we doing?’, requires...... routine. To routinely fail to hit
sooner that fact is accepted, the quicker
‘Do other ventures feel that?’ and ‘Who targets & goals can usually be traced to a
any of us will start to ‘get better’ (or
else has that problem?’ lack of.... routine. All so simple and yet for
luckier!).
The nature of what we do at SSG the majority of us, routine is a very
It is also very difficult to adopt a new difficult concept to turn into a working
fortunately brings together a community
routine, especially when working from reality.
of Recruiters breaking the mould and all
home. Routine is key – we all need to sort
trying very hard to create something out
of know what we are doing and when, How many of us work really hard for a few
of nothing, to generate a business from
especially in the early days and days and then get knocked off course by
an idea – it is stressful, challenging and
especially when working from home. some daft event, or disappointment or
almost always harder than one imagined
that it might be. domestic upset? How many budding
entrepreneurs find themselves far too
It is very rare that any budding Routines generate money aware of what TV shows play out at 9am
entrepreneur with whom we work finds – not inspiration! in the morning? How many times do you
the process of launching and then wonder if you really ‘have it’ in you to
running a recruitment business easier drive a business forward?
than they thought it would be. Clients are Home is a lovely warm place. Home is
never as loyal as one would hope and where you watch TV, play with the So, what can you do? How can you face
candidates are always harder to find children, tidy up, wash your clothes, up to the twin horrors of isolation and
than they used to be. Fees are squeezed, unload the shopping, entertain your routine? Is there a common strategy
clients are often late in paying and costs friends & where you often just ‘Chill out’. adopted by successful business owners?
always seem to be higher than forecast. So how come one day ‘Home’ suddenly
needed to become something 1. NO EXCUSES:
Nevertheless, although as new business completely different – something more
owners we all face a myriad of problems formal, something more routine? Nothing can get in your way. You are an
and anxieties when we launch a new
absolute beast of the recruitment
venture, our research at SSG consistently To lack routine and also become industry! You cannot be diverted from
highlights two major issues for the successful, you will need to be achieving your daily goal – whatever that
majority of fledgling business owners: extraordinary, exceptional in fact. To lack might be. What you say will happen, will
routine is to create such pressure for happen. What you say you will do, you
• Isolation & yourself that you will need to be will do. What targets you set, you hit.
• Routine. super-human to remain routinely
successful. Pretend to be unstoppable. Imagine that
Anyone who has launched a business
you are Gordon Gekko out of the movie
with our help will probably remember
8,000 Recruiters.... Wall Street (‘Go to work Budd Fox’ /
being quizzed on how they might feel
‘Money never sleeps’) or better still think
when working all alone at home on a wet
Plus EVERY Visitor to of yourself as Ari Gold, the manic, driven,
Wednesday afternoon, when all of your
determined and hugely successful ‘LA
ex-colleagues are laughing and joking
www.supportservicesgroup.tv Agent’ from the TV comedy Entourage!
about the latest episode of some or other
Ask yourself - What would Ari or Gordon
BBC 2 comedy.
say?
10

11. Did you know?.......
d attention and care when dealing with the
public, with clients and with your family.
Be proud that you have remained in
control of your emotions when so many
others fail. Offer someone something
that tells the Cosmos that you have class.
Act like a dog and you will be treated as
such. Act like a professional and the £ will
this space is for sale! roll in – ‘maybe not today, maybe not
tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of
your life’ (Quick Quiz: Which 1950’s film
does that line come from?).
Be cynical enough to know that being
2. SEEK EARLY MORNING SUCCESS: polite will disarm even the most severe
Feeling a little tense?
Apparently, working alone can critic and more often than not act as a
Can’t face the day? Believe that you have catalyst for something good. Go on; give
nothing good to focus on, that you would make you a little Crazy? it try (please...).
rather just flake out for the day?
Whatever you decide to do, just do it Ok – I accept that even if you follow all of
Ok – well why not take the rest of the day (even for a little while) so that you can this advice to the very letter, you will still
off IF you work hard for just 1 hour first categorically know that despite it being a have bad days. You will still feel lonely
thing in the morning? difficult day, you did something right – and doubt will creep into your working
something that you didn’t have to do - day. BUT, I also believe that in adopting
If you are dropping the kids off at school, something that you could have ignored. these simple routines, you will feel
give yourself the option of sitting around It will make you feel better and you will connected – part of the wider
doing nothing for the rest of the day IF ‘do better’ I promise. community of Recruiters all trying to be
you work like a crazy person for just 60 the best that they can be.
minutes - from the very second you walk 4. ALWAYS HAVE OTHER PROJECTS:
back in to the house. Truth is, if you hit WANT TO HELP?
the ‘phone for 60 minutes or write 3 solid Recruitment is your ‘bread & butter’ and
Finally, perhaps that one good thing that
job postings in an hour or if you simply how you make your living, pay your
you can do today could be offering your
lock yourself into the study for 1 hour, mortgage and feed your family BUT it
thoughts and ideas to your fellow
you will probably go on to have a good ought not to be the only thing that
budding entrepreneur?
day. Try it – it works! defines you (at this present time, right
now, today or this minute!). What helps you get through the tough
3. DO JUST ONE GOOD THING: days? How do you cope with the
Do you know why successful recruiters isolation? What routine do you follow?
Rubbish day? Nothing going right? have neat gardens, well decorated
Nothing to show for a full day of effort? If homes and look fit and healthy? It is Please get in touch and we will publish
you start to feel that you day is heading because they reward & challenge the best ideas in subsequent issues of
down the tube, plan to end it a little themselves with ‘other projects’. They The Dark Side. Perhaps we can start to
earlier than normal and follow this recognise that the only colour is not create a reservoir of ideas and goodwill
advice. Do one good thing. orange or blue or even green.... They for everyone?
know that success is highly contagious –
Stop what you are doing 30 minutes that it is hard to be focussed on Good-idea@The-DarkSide.tv
earlier than planned and do just one something and for that focus not to
thing that you know is good, even permeate into other aspects of their lives.
!
OFF
though you do not need to do it today, April
tomorrow or even this month. T 2011
LAS
Be good at Work and you will become
’
good at other things. Be good at other
rm
B
Pe
You might send a few emails to Clients things and you will become good at
al
ci
thanking them for looking at your Work.
er
m
candidates (even if the candidates didn’t
m
Co
get the interview). You might telephone a One man band
5. BE REALLY POLITE ALL OF THE TIME:
starts a Commercial
couple of guys that you placed just to ask Business in the
them how they are getting on in their Buck the trend. Send out a positive North East focusing on
new job. You might create a spreadsheet message to the World that you are not Perm salaries between 20 & 30k.
of your own KPI’s (number of interviews, beaten. Be extra nice when candidates Hard graft but regular fees to be had!
offers, rejections etc). Perhaps you will are rude. Make yourself immune to the For more info, contact:
just return a few calls to really marginal pressure and doubt through 100% clare@supportservicesgroup.tv
callers?
11

12. The Voice of Vikki
ACCOUNTS Made
mple!
& a tiny bit
Right, let’s talk VAT.
Now, don’t groan! VAT plays a very
important role in your accounts each and
Si This period is almost always a quarterly
thing (i.e. you have to complete and
submit a quarterly return 4 times a year).
every month of the (business) year. It’s Each VAT Return you submit insists that
crucial! you cough up the money to cover any
money owed by the end of the month
You all know that VAT is Value Added Tax following that quarter (e.g. for a quarterly
and is imposed by the Government to return covering the period 1st February –
raise yet more money to subsidise 30th April, you will need to send the
inefficiency and waste within the return to the HMRC along with any cash
hallowed Halls of Westminster! Once registered for VAT you will be issued owed by 31st May).
a VAT Certificate which will give you your
If you own a business with an annual Registration Number, - which you must Incidentally, VAT is set at different rates
turnover of more than £73,000 (which is always keep safe. The VAT man will not depending on the goods or services
really the total value of your placements), answer any queries unless you quote being provided & currently there are 3
then you HAVE to be VAT Registered. your number. rates being used. The rate you need to
What this really means is that once you know about is known as the Standard
are ‘VAT Registered’, you become an Rate – which is 20%. In other words,
unpaid Tax Collector on behalf of HMRC. whenever you raise an invoice for a
placement, what you really charge your
Even if your turnover is less than the FACT! client is the placement + 20% on top
magic £73,000 p.a., you MAY register for (which they will probably ‘claim back’
VAT. Either way, the simple truth is that if
If your turnover is
anyway).
you are in business then you OUGHT to more than £73,000 p.a.
register for VAT. You MUST be Interestingly (!), VAT on your Sales (i.e. the
placements) is known as Output Tax (this
This is because once registered, you can VAT registered is really the VAT that you are ‘collecting’)
reclaim the VAT on your Purchases. These whilst VAT on your Purchases is known as
purchase amounts (money that you have Input Tax (which is really the VAT that you
spent) will then be offset against the VAT find yourself paying out).
that you collect on your placements. The You will also be given something called
net effect is that you will reduce your VAT an ‘Effective Date’ – which is really the Just as interestingly (now concentrate on
bill (which is really VAT Collected against date from which you can start charging & this bit please), if your Output (VAT
VAT Spent). Being registered for VAT will reclaiming Vat. collected) Tax on your Sales (placements)
also reassure your Clients that you are a is more than your Input Tax (VAT spent)
serious and solid organization (in fact, Finally, you are also given a ‘Return on your Purchases you will need to send
some Clients won’t work with Companies Period’ - which is when you have to the amount payable (i.e. the difference in
who are not VAT registered). submit your ‘VAT Returns’ . the amount collected against the
Pay less Income Tax! - Let’s Fight Back!
Any Client of SSG will know how hard we work to allowances’. You need to know how much money when you need to look at ‘Tax Planning 102’ (as
help to reduce your personal tax liabilities. Part of you can take out of your business (profits Homer Simpson might put it!). In fact, as you may
the great joy of running your own business can be permitting!) before you need to worry about paying already know, if you are approaching the magic
the considerable ‘Income Tax’ breaks your tax. £42,475 drawings from your business within your
Accountant can help you to engineer. personal tax year, we would then look at what we
So, this is the latest ‘Tax Planning 101’ lesson we
can assign to your spouse (e.g. are they earning less
When helping you to transfer monies from your need to learn from the Tax man:
than £35,000 p.a.? If so, we can allocate some
Company Bank Account to your Private bank drawings to them for you – to a potential combined
£35,000(dividends) + £7,475 (PAYE) = £42,475
Account (so that you can then spend it just like tax free amount of £76,000 p.a.).
p.a. = £0 tax payable.
traditional ‘salary’) the key goal is to ensure that
your total income remains within the combined All good really and rest assured that for all SSG Want to know more? Why not give me (Darren
level of your basic ‘band and tax free Clients we will continue to make you aware of Hulbert) a call on 01442 200 961
12

13. Please Contact Banking?
WANT DAVID JONES Software?
ADVICE 01442 200944
Payroll?
ABOUT david@supportservicesgroup.tv
Job Boards?
......
Tax, VAT etc?
amount spent) to HMRC with your return Conclusions:
(i.e. you send the VAT Man money). St Yawning!
Stop g!
VAT is serious – understand it ASAP!
On the other hand, if your Input Tax (VAT Think of the VAT money as almost Interesting
spent) on your Purchases is more than nothing to do with you – it is not Facts to
Output Tax (VAT collected) on your Sales yours when you collect it. Equally
(placements) you will be due a refund true is that when you make follow....
from HMRC which will be sent to you purchases, remember you can
upon them receiving your return (i.e. the reclaim the VAT element. The most visited job boards are
VAT Man sends you money). They are There are some things which are www.linkedin.com,
www.Reed.co.uk,
surprisingly very good at sending money not VAT liable and therefore if you www.Indeed.co.uk,
back by the way. buy these things (e.g. Stamps!), www.totaljobs.co.uk
there is no VAT to reclaim. The All-Jobs Recruitment index shows
Having said all of that, whatever A VAT Registration can take up to that vacancy levels are around the same
happens, once you are Registered for VAT, 12 weeks to come through but you as they were in 2001.
you must submit a VAT return for the can still raise invoices with VAT 40% of businesses plan to BAN the use of
quarter even if you have collected or charged on it before your VAT Facebook, Twitter and the like during
spent nothing (known as a ‘Nil return’) number arrives, as your ‘effective office hours.
Date’ can often be back-dated. UK Income Tax rates peak at 50% as you
The VAT Man is just like any other tax man know. This UK rate is the highest in the
commercial world with the exception of
of course and if you submit your return Fascinating stuff I am sure you will agree. Sweden.
late, you will be fined (or ‘incur penalty
Want to know more or need help in If you don’t owe any income tax, then
charges’, as they like to call it). the Inland revenue cannot fine you for
getting all sorted / up to date? Just get in
late submission of your tax return.
touch with me via:
Latest rumours suggest that the current
Nice & Easy Example: historic low of 0.5% base rate may well
VAT@The-DarkSide.tv remain until August 2012.
Let’s say over the 3 month period Tomatoes are more than 90% water – the
your placement value came to same can be said for celery, strawberries
and water.
£10,000. The VAT on that £10,000 will
be at 20% (i.e. you will collect £2,000 Think of the VAT 70% of women think that they are
heavier than they are. 70% of men are.
worth of VAT).
Over the same 3 month period, your money as almost
Net Spending amount for Purchases Submit an interesting fact
on VAT registered goods was £3,000. nothing to £25 and if we publish it .......£25!
The VAT on that £3,000 expenditure
will also be @ 20%, which is of course do with you facts@the-darkside.tv
£600 (i.e. you ‘spent’ £600 on VAT).
Therefore if you collected £2000 in
VAT and spent £600 in VAT you will
need to send the VAT Man £1,400 VAT, PAYE, NI, CT Problems?
with your next VAT Return.
If you are on the edge of panic over the VAT Man, Tax Man, National
Insurance, Corporation Tax or any other form of arrears, debt or
impending demand, take a deep breath and decide not to press the
Panic Button just yet.
Naturally, a great way to ensure you have
enough funds to meet your VAT return Pick up the ‘phone and allow us to help you to
generate a plan of action. Believe it or not, it is
amount is to set up a separate Bank usually not quite as glum as you imagine it to be.
Account for VAT only. This way once you
receive a payment for a placement, you Feeling We can negotiate, advise and chase for you.
just transfer the VAT amount to your VAT Nervous? Darren Hulbert 01442 200 961
account. Simple but very effective.
13

14. Frustration Corner
This week it’s
LinkedIn:
Social Media
frustrated!
Now that’s more like it. A proper place
where proper people connect with other
Right – just read the next few lines and if proper people. No talk of
you are still too stupid to know exactly endowment-size, college reunions or
what to do next, then you can contact the erectile dysfunction here. Proper people
nice people at Support Services Group will talk about business, their business,
and they will tell you exactly where to go. other people’s business and business in
general. You can build a proper network
A blog: and everyone behaves because it is a
A place for people who think that they proper place. Get it?
are interesting or a place for professional
footballers with dodgy hair transplants So, all you need to do is to start a profile
and weird relationships with girls who on LinkedIn and spend time building
like to be ‘roasted’ (whatever that is?) No your relationships, contacts and
I get so one seems to stay ‘connected’ and people
just drift on and on and on about
influence. In doing so, you are capturing
the essentially usefulness of social media
Sometimes I get really frustrated & when nothing. as it stands today. Ignore it and you will
I do it helps me to head straight to my get left behind like a man with a gold
keyboard to bust wide open some jargon Facebook: wrist chain and brown flairs (I know).
or something – and boy oh boy, am I It’s a place to relax with idiots just like
feeling frustrated today?! My wife says you. A place where twits share jokes with As a Recruiter, your profile should be
that I get so frustrated that I am only half other twits about another man’s wife or a professional and attract others ‘to
a man really, and her boyfriend place to ‘meet new people’ (although connect’. As a Recruitment Business, your
completely agrees. why the hell would you want to do that?). profile ought to be as good as your web
It is nothing to do with work really – so, site – if not better.
So, let’s avoid further nonsense and get why do you still think that you will ‘do
down to it. Most of you horrible, lazy business’ there (do the business is what So, stop wasting time and get some help
recruiters don’t have the faintest idea you really think isn’t it?!) Well, not on my (I know I need help).
about ‘social media’ – we all know that. watch you won’t.
You say that you do, but you don’t. Important Note:
Twitter: SSG takes no responsibility for the rude
Most of you will either try to use Twitter Full of clever people with 140 characters and inappropriate rants of this frustrated
as a job board or LinkedIn to share saucy worth of apparently amusing anecdotes. man, but would like to offer the hand of
photographs of yourself or see Facebook Everyone ‘tweets’ and no one listens. It is friendship & support to any Recruiter or
as your gateway to ‘headhunting’ – give a place to be witty & casual and bright Recruitment Business Owner who might
me a break!! What are you thinking with complete strangers (mostly middle like to get a little help in getting started
about? aged men pretending to be Charity with LinkedIn. Why not get in touch to
Workers seeking friendship & maybe talk through your options?
Today I am going to bust some jargon or I more, but please take things slowly as I
really will get cross: have been hurt before). SocialMedia@supportservicesgroup.tv
June May April
2011 BLAST OFF! 2011 BLAST OFF! 2011
BLAST OFF!
TECHNICAL & ENGINEERING
OIL & GAS SALES & MARKETING
A Temp & Perm Scottish based business Three Recruiters
business based in serving the local team up to take a stab at
Sunny Devon community with all
delivering a range
the lucrative Sales and
Oil & Gas related staff Marketing opportunities
of Engineering
and Technical – mainly temp & in and around
Staff to the contract, but the West Midlands.
South Coast. some Perm.
For more info, contact: For more info, contact: For more info, contact:
clare@supportservicesgroup.tv clare@supportservicesgroup.tv clare@supportservicesgroup.tv
14