Having the support and investment of the Bluestones Group meant I was able to launch my own recruitment business, which we called Zebralight Recruitment. In 2018, a group of businesses within the Bluestones Group, Zebralight included in them, decided to join forces and form Bluestones One. Collectively, we’re now a national recruitment operation covering a range of complementary sectors. All the businesses that now make up Bluestones One have benefited from the support of the Group and back office support functions, and with this new combined brand, I’m confident we can really cement our presence in the industry.

As an experienced recruiter, I know my market very well and understand how to build a business. But the everyday minutiae of running a business – from a legal or financial perspective – that’s something I really felt the benefit of when working with the Bluestones Group.

Our primary ambition was to create a recruitment business that our professional services clients and candidates trusted. The boutique agency approach we’ve adopted supports this focus on providing a high-quality, personal service – whilst retaining the professionalism our team has accumulated through years of experience in the recruitment industry. Having the investment and support from the Bluestones Group allowed us to have this flexibility, particularly during the early start-up months… and evolve from solely focusing on accountancy and finance, to now providing a comprehensive professional services recruitment offering.

As the Bluestones Group invests in technology, we benefit from Group purchasing power and the ability to use market leading technology products – whether that’s our CRM system, access to the best job boards, or a high performing, bespoke website. I’ve also found the lack of distractions to be a huge benefit too – particularly regarding cash flow management and debt chasing. The central finance function that I use as part of partnering with the Bluestones Group completely removes the need for me to do that kind of work now.

Since Joining Bluestones Group myself and co-director (Dave Brigdale) haven’t looked back. It is refreshing to work with a company that invests in people not just financially but in personal development also. As Directors, we are much more confident and better equipped to move our business forward as a result of this support. In the two years that we’ve been a part of the Bluestones Group, we have gone from a standing start to what we estimate to be over £4 million sales in the year to come. Thank you Bluestones Group – you really are life changers!

I secured investment through the Bluestones Group and was able to set up my new agency, The International Teaching Partnership as a result. Through the Group’s support functions we were able to scale quickly and officially launch within a month of signing the deal. Shortly thereafter, we attended our first major international expo in Abu Dhabi, signing up a number of international schools, taking on a range of requirements and firmly establishing The International Teaching Partnership on the global education recruitment map.

As an established provider of training services (largely to the recruitment sector), Recruitment Training Group represented an investment opportunity for Bluestones Investment Group. Securing the deal has given the business priority access to the businesses within the Group’s portfolio, as well as the support and infrastructure, and ongoing investment to scale our business. We’re busier than ever now and have genuinely benefited from the range of services and support the Group offers.

Harrison Sands was a well-established recruitment business when we received investment from the Bluestones Group. That funding, along with the support and infrastructure of the Group, has enabled us to grow organically whilst maintaining the same approach to flexible working and remote/home-working recruitment consultants. We’ve been able to develop additional markets and expand the business without any of the headaches or distractions typically associated with running a business.

Working with the Bluestones Group has been a positive experience and any challenges we have had working together have been outweighed by the support we receive from the Board to achieve Chad Harrison International’s objectives. Without their financial support during a difficult time in the early days of our business, CHI would not be here today. As we continue to rapidly grow, being part of the Bluestones Group investment portfolio will add strong value to our proposition to the market.

“Through working with the Bluestones Group, it has given Connex the chance to focus solely on the tasks that will cement the company as a leader in education recruitment. By eliminating the need to focus on the everyday marketing, administrative and financial tasks that come with running a business, Bluestones’ support has allowed us to focus on new business and fine tuning our sales teams.” – Mark Ashmore, Director

Since joining the Bluestones Group, I’ve been able to grow my business with educated advice from the Group. I feel this has genuinely been a fantastic opportunity as I’ve been able to concentrate on growing my company without worrying about accounts, HR, payroll, or IT. I’d recommend this approach to anyone looking to run their own business.

Even though CFS isn’t a regular recruitment agency as such, we still deal with people and supply staffing services to multinational organisations. That helps explain our place within the Bluestones portfolio… but from my perspective, CFS has benefited not just from the financial investment we’ve received but also from the expertise within the Group and the ability to draw on a range of support services across HR, IT, Finance and Marketing. Its meant we can just focus on doing what we do, building relationships with our clients, winning new business and providing a first class facilities management service.

Working with the Bluestones Group we were able to spot an opportunity in the market that no other agencies did. The Group allows you to be entrepreneurial while providing guidance when you need it. It’s been crucial to the success of NWP Resourcing.

Receiving investment from Bluestones Investment Group and accessing the associated services within their portfolio, has been a fundamental element for this next stage of growth. Knowing that I can just pick up the phone or send an email and access marketing, IT, HR and legal expertise, and that those teams understand my business – is a breath of fresh air. It takes a huge burden off my shoulders and allows me to really focus on growing the sales side of my business.

Both Debbie (my co-founder) and I have really appreciated not just the investment and infrastructure being part of the Bluestones Investment Group affords, but the extended network of brands within the Group that we have the opportunity of working in cooperation with. As a ready-made network of subject matter experts, it’s this kind of intangible benefit – along with our hard work ethic and strong relationships of course – that have helped us make Bluestones Staffing the success it is today.

We had already been running RIB successfully for a number of years, had attained ‘strategic partner of the REC’ status, and were well-established in the industry – so our relationship with Bluestones Group may not seem to fit the typical agency investment approach. But that’s where the myth needs dispelling… as I’ve been able to secure investment and support that has provided a springboard for more ambitious growth plans and access not just to funding, but also to a network of subject matter experts.

Launching my own recruitment business was something I’ve wanted to do for a number of years now and with the support of the Bluestones Group, I’ve been able to realise that dream. Whilst I have the knowledge of my sectors, clients and candidates in my region, I’ve been able to rely on the subject matter experts in the Group that have supported me in setting up my new business, creating my website, providing me with the payroll support I need, and a million and one other things that I now don’t have to worry about. It’s that ability to focus on the day job that’s made the launch of Cogent Staffing so quick and easy.