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Hands-On Healthcare Recruitment is a recruitment agency specialising in healthcare and medical staff recruitment.
Formed in 2016 by Managing Director Frank Collins and business partner Gillian Parker, from its base in Leeds Hands-On Healthcare Recruitment provides temporary HCA, RGN, support staff and nurses to care homes, hospitals and mental health settings across the North of England.
From humble beginnings, Frank and Gillian have grown the business to a team of six and last year recorded a turnover of more than £500,000.
None of this though would be possible without the invoice finance and back office support provided by giant finance+. It is this platform and the resulting piece of mind that has given Frank and Gillian the opportunity to run their own recruitment business.
Frank explains, “I was 12 years old when I came to England from Nigeria. I had followed my mother who had put herself through University and had qualified as a nurse before sending for me. At the time I couldn’t even speak the language.
“I didn’t know the system; but had worked a few jobs, including some time at a national recruitment business and having seen growth in the earnings I made for them, I really felt this was something I could do myself. My mother is a nurse; a lot of her contacts were nurses so I felt I could help make a difference in this area. It was my mother’s career path that eventually made me decide on this direction, but without giant finance+ none of this would be possible.”
Despite early challenges, Frank was determined to make his business dream a reality and in turn be a positive role model for his community. Frank’s level of determination to succeed in business though wasn’t matched by his available funds or credit score. After a number of banks had rejected his business plans he turned to giant finance+ as a viable means of funding but also to provide the necessary back office support and guidance that would allow Frank and Gillian to concentrate on their clients and candidates.
Says Frank, “giant finance+ is an incredible platform in what it represents for someone like me. If you have grit and are prepared to work as hard as the next man, then they can put you on a level playing field with anyone else, regardless of their available funds. They have given me this opportunity to start my own business.”
He continues, “We have quickly grown to a turnover of more than half a million pounds- the wage bill needed to support that growth alone is something we couldn’t have coped with – and still maintain the terms we offer clients. Without them I wouldn’t, couldn’t, be where I am today.”
For Hands-On Healthcare Recruitment growth is the plan but for many this can come too quickly and firms are unable to manage the increase in costs in line with new demand. Frank though is confident that, with the backing of giant finance+, his business model will cope with the projected growth.
“If you have a massive surge in demand, for some businesses this may seem like a good problem to have but many could cope with the increased costs this can bring. The whole idea behind a back office and funding partner like giant finance+ is that it is scalable; they have a focused emphasis on growth and development.
giant finance+ gives me the peace of mind that allows me to find clients, find candidates, work with them, focus on them knowing that there are a team of people supporting the back office work.”
With an eye firmly on the future, Franks is still well aware of his beginnings and it is the opportunity that Frank is most grateful for.
“Without giant finance+, I consider that I would be a wasted talent. A lot of people like me, from the community I am from, don’t have access to large sums of money, which you need in business. giant finance+ saw the potential in me and in my business plan, so that’s why I am here today. So many more people could do so much more – they have the potential- if only they could have the right backing; giant finance+ backed me.”
about giant
Since 1992 giant have provided specialist, end to end workforce management software and support services to large and small recruitment agencies, internationally.
We invest heavily in our cloud-based software which ranges from candidate sourcing and onboarding through to timesheet management, billing and payroll. Our support services include candidate screening, employment solutions and legislative risk management; whilst at our specialist division, giant finance+, we provide tailored funding, software and support services for start-up to medium sized recruitment agencies.