Building a Recruitment Business Without Going It Alone

How Hilton Lord gave David Powell the backing and the freedom to build Tech4Good his way.

The Moment Something Had to Change

After 20 years in recruitment, David Powell had built a strong career, most recently running a recruitment company of around 50 people. But the reality of his role had changed. He was spending most of his time commuting or managing internal noise, rather than the hands-on recruitment he enjoyed most.

“I wasn’t actively looking for a business like Hilton Lord. I hadn’t decided I was definitely going to set up on my own or that I needed an investment partner.”

His main driver for change was working closer to home in the North West, but every opportunity involved stepping into someone else’s business and helping them run it. Having done that already, it didn’t feel like the right answer.

“What had always stopped me from starting my own business was that initial period without a salary. I’d spent 20 years in recruitment and, at this stage, I was earning a good income. The thought of giving that up for an unknown amount of time was quite terrifying.”

Then, through a recommendation, David spoke to Hilton Lord.

“Until then, I genuinely didn’t know something like Hilton Lord existed and meeting Dave was the perfect storm!”

Finding the Right Kind of Backing

David had seen other partnership models before. Some offered back-office support. Others offered a salary but with far less ownership. Hilton Lord felt different.

“They’d handle invoicing, contracts and administration, but you still had to fund everything yourself and they weren’t really investing in the business alongside you. Hilton Lord was different. You weren’t completely on your own. You had people backing you.”

David also realised that who he partnered with mattered just as much as the commercial model.

"I've worked with a lot of people over the years and I've reached the point where I only want to work with people I actually like. Life's too short and I wanted the autonomy to build the business the way I believed it should be built.”

Free to Recruit, Not Wrestle with Admin

David knew the market. He knew how to build relationships. He knew how to recruit. What he didn’t want was to lose weeks in accounts, CRM setup, company admin and website faff. That is where Hilton Lord’s back-office support made an immediate difference.

“I had absolutely no interest in dealing with accounts, invoicing and all of that. It would have taken me months to build a website. Hilton Lord had it done in a day.”

Tech4Good recruits technology professionals into mission-driven organisations across sustainability, clean energy, education, healthcare and social impact.

The setup process was equally straightforward. David came into the Hilton Lord office, sat down with Dave, and within about an hour the company was set up, the bank account was sorted, and everything was moving.

“I think I signed about two pieces of paper. Everything else, the company incorporation, bank account, registrations, was handled for me.”

Financial guidance also gave him structure from day one and even the sensible-but-boring stuff was handled properly.

“Marianne and Alison have been brilliant with all the financial side. It’s really helpful having somebody keeping you on track. They even set things up so my VAT automatically moves into a separate account, so I can’t accidentally spend it before the bill comes in.”

Momentum in the First Six Months

Six months in, Tech4Good was already ahead of where David expected it to be. Since then, the business has built a strong contract book, with permanent placements progressing and more contractors lined up.

“We completed our first deal in the very first week. It was only a small contract placement, so financially it wasn’t a huge deal, but psychologically it was massive. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with where we are after six months.”

One of the biggest surprises has been the response from David’s wider network. Hilton Lord’s partner network has helped too. David has already referred work to other Hilton Lord businesses and had opportunities referred back.

“People who’d never given me work before started introducing clients because it was my own business. That collaborative side has been brilliant.”

After years of managing corporate responsibilities and internal back and forth, David has also found himself enjoying recruitment again.

“I spend far more of my time doing the parts of recruitment I actually enjoy.”

Start Your Own Recruitment Business with Hilton Lord

David’s advice to experienced recruiters thinking about starting their own agency is refreshingly simple.

“It’s nowhere near as scary as you think it’s going to be. I wish I’d done it sooner. If anyone’s thinking about doing it, I’d be happy to speak to them.”

If you’re an experienced recruiter ready to build something of your own, Hilton Lord can help you make the move with the backing and support to do it properly.