Epitome Recruitment - Coleraine Co Londonderry

Written by goforitni Tuesday, 13 September 2011

The ‘epitome’ of success

The recruitment industry is notoriously competitive, and many of those who do manage to set up on their own can often find it hard to compete.

Not so for Emma Gunes, who, with the support of Invest Northern Ireland’s Go for it programme, has grown her business quickly after rewriting the rules of the game.

Capitalising on a decade's experience with some of the leading firms in the recruitment sector and a background in online solutions, professional recruitment consultant Emma Gunes established Epitome Recruitment in 2010, a professional low-cost recruitment service.

“Recruitment does not have to be expensive,” said Emma.

“I’ve worked in the industry for many years and thought long and hard about the business model I have put together. Getting the best out of the internet means I can keep the cost down for my clients and offer a single flat fee that makes planning easy for everyone.” 

Hard-working Emma said she is shaking up the recruitment world by taking advantage of advances in ICT and by introducing a new simplified cost structure – a formula which appears to be working.

“I’ve managed to secure contracts to supply staff to several local and national companies and I recently secured a deal to exclusively recruit for one retailer across the UK, said Emma, who has always been keen to run a business of her own.

“I wanted to stay in recruitment, but I didn’t want to return to working for another ‘large’ agency,” she said. “I also had a burning desire to be my own boss.”

With her goal in sight, business graduate Emma resigned from her job and got her plans under way by signing up for the Invest NI Go for it programme, which she said helped to put her on the right track.

“When I enrolled on the Go for it programme, I had a slightly different business idea in mind,” she said. “But thanks to the great advice and learning I received, I realised that this wasn’t the best way to go about it. Now I know I’ve got the right business model for me.”

“The programme also helped me to focus on my key strengths and to make the most use of them. It built my confidence, answered my questions and quelled my fears.”

Emma also puts her success down to the practical advice she received.

“Although learning about finance and tax was particularly useful to me, I’m so grateful for the help I got as I put my business plan together because it meant I got the small business loan I needed to make a start.”

Emma said that since she made that start, her life has changed enormously.

“Although I am probably working more hours that I have ever worked in my life, I can choose the hours I work. It can also be stressful at times. But the most important thing is that it’s me who is in control – and I love that.”

Optimistic about the future, Coleraine-based Emma is keen to expand.

“If everything goes to plan, I’m hoping to hire my first member of staff over the coming year. That should give me the breathing space I need to concentrate on growing the business even more.

 The Go for it Programme is provided by Invest Northern Ireland and is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund. For details, log on to: www.goforitni.com.