"From Zero to £10,000,000"

What Angela Says About Romney Rawes

How did you meet Romney?

I attended a course run by the REC (Recruitment and Employment Conglomerate) called "How to Start Up Your Own Recruitment Agency" and Romney was running the course.  I approached him after the course and asked him to work with me one-on-one.

He would come to our offices once per quarter, or sometimes my husband Steve and I would visit Romney in the South of France, where he lives part of the year.  Romney was excellent at following up and holding us accountable.  We always had clear, documented actions at the end of each meeting.  I continued working with Romney for several years.

What impact did Romney have on the success of your business?

We benefited tremendously from Romney's knowledge and experience.  One example is his Differentiation strategy. At Middleton Murray, we adopted Romney's "100% Money Back Guarantee for 100 Days." At the time, my sister-in-law was horrified, saying "But we'll lose money!"  I was certain that the strategy would pay off by showing clients we were committed to providing a quality service.

Romney's advice proved itself during the recession.  For example, he encouraged us to build up the temporary side of the business, not just focus on perm.  When the recession hit, there was a massive decline in perm placement revenue and it was our temps that saved us.

Can you quantify the difference Romney made to your growth?

Our growth has been phenomenal.  We doubled our sales revenue year-on-year.  Within 10 years, Middleton Murray grew from a start-up with a single branch into a group of companies, with 50 permanent staff and combined sales revenue of £10m.  Further, his advice helped us survive the recession.  Romney's advice has been worth hundreds of thousands if not millions.

Out of all the advisors I've consulted over the years, Romney has definitely been the most influential and he would still be the first person who's opinion I would seek.