Apprentice finalist is a slimy IT recruitment agent!

[saptastic]

£250k investment on national TV and the best five business plans were
- IT recruitment
- pic n mix
- a clothes ecommerce shop
- florist
- sourcing contracts for tradesman

Surely there are more original start ups in the UK.

The IT recruiter who is likely to win said he will turnover £3m in 18 months.

[jamesbrown]

a Scottish chap kept taking more than his share

MF has an accent for each of his personalities.

[pr1]

£250k investment on national TV and the best five business plans were
- IT recruitment
- pic n mix
- a clothes ecommerce shop
- florist
- sourcing contracts for tradesman

Surely there are more original start ups in the UK.

The IT recruiter who is likely to win said he will turnover £3m in 18 months.

Turnover for an agency is massively skewed though, as they're getting paid by all the clients (turnover), but then paying 70-95% of it back out again to their contractors and that's before any other expenses (staff costs/rent/marketing/etc) - so even if this is achievable it wouldn't mean much without profit figures

[woohoo]

TEK Systems

Really? I had two calls from them earlier this year. One from the contract division and the other from their perm people.

They wanted to know my references up front (before any interviews) so they could add to their database - apparently they like to build relationships with the contractor and this speeds everything up.

They also wanted me to do a standardised online exam in .net - apparently a 20 min exam is all it takes to know if you are good enough.

Pushy bunch.

On a side note, is the apprentice really about finding people that are good in business. Was it last year or the year before Sugar said that IT people are no good in business. If that's the attitude in the UK business world then might partly explain why Microsoft, Apple and Google are all American.

[LondonManc]

Turnover for an agency is massively skewed though, as they're getting paid by all the clients (turnover), but then paying 70-95% of it back out again to their contractors and that's before any other expenses (staff costs/rent/marketing/etc) - so even if this is achievable it wouldn't mean much without profit figures

It's still very ambitious - that's about 7,000 days worked by contractors. Based on 220 days averages, that's over 30 contractors on his books for the whole of the 18 months.

As you say, they're going to retain roughly £300-350k of that; legal bills, etc. will be significant along with other compliance costs. Then you've got staff base cost and commission, along with other fixed costs that you've highlighted. £20 profit.

[pr1]

On a side note, is the apprentice really about finding people that are good in business. Was it last year or the year before Sugar said that IT people are no good in business. If that's the attitude in the UK business world then might partly explain why Microsoft, Apple and Google are all American.

all started while founders were students / under 25 i.e. not "career" IT people - so maybe he has a point

[LondonManc]

IT students being introverted? Whoever would have thought.

[BrilloPad]

£250k investment on national TV and the best five business plans were
- IT recruitment
- pic n mix
- a clothes ecommerce shop
- florist
- sourcing contracts for tradesman

Surely there are more original start ups in the UK.

The IT recruiter who is likely to win said he will turnover £3m in 18 months.

Its not a business program. Its an entertainment program. You have to be incredibly thick to apply. And even thicker to get chosen.

I was disgusted last night. I think its sexism - not enough male finalists. They should pick the best people.

I have been hooping the sweet lady would win all along. As she looks a bit like MS. Though she eats more sweets than MS. And probably more BigMacs too.....

[BrilloPad]

IT students being introverted? Whoever would have thought.

I am so jealous of my elder son. When I was younger you had to deal with people. And I really hate people. My son just deals with computers. Nice.

I reckon the human race has about 100 years to go. We will go the way of the dinosaurs. And be replaced by computers.

[original PM]

Turnover for an agency is massively skewed though, as they're getting paid by all the clients (turnover), but then paying 70-95% of it back out again to their contractors and that's before any other expenses (staff costs/rent/marketing/etc) - so even if this is achievable it wouldn't mean much without profit figures

Thing is if he owns a £3M turnover business it means he can have his flash cars and big houses (all on HP - he will never own them) he will then be able to tell everyone he owns a £3M business and he will be knee deep in clunge.

Winner.