Mario Michaels
Founder, Synaxia Group

UK

We caught up with Mario to discuss his new venture – Synaxia Group – specialists in recruiting technology professionals throughout the UK and US.

Watch the video below to find out why performing due diligence is key, what you should consider before starting a business, and why having ownership of Synaxia is a must-have for Mario.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW:

KEY INSIGHTS:

Main reasons for wanting to start a business?

  • I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and it’s been ingrained in me to run my own business.
  • I’m really passionate about recruitment. I love putting the right people into the right companies and watching both their careers and companies flourish.
  • When my team was doing really well and smashing targets, I really started to think, ‘why am I building this for someone else when I could do it for myself and have full autonomy and control?’

Before you joined RecruitHub, what options did you explore and why were they not right for you?  

  • I did a lot of due diligence and explored similar platforms, private investors, and going solo.
  • A key piece for me is to retain ownership and decision-making for Synaxia. With other platforms and providers, I would have had to give away equity or reduced control.
  • I found that a lot of the businesses who wanted equity and some control focus on growth, scale, and exit. This didn’t meet my vision for Synaxia, which is to build and grow the business sustainably over a long period of time.

What attracted you to join RecruitHub? 

  • I was attracted to the whole setup, but the ownership piece is key.
  • There’s an argument to say that because RecruitHub doesn’t invest in my business, then they’re not as invested. But from what I’ve experienced, I can’t see how anybody could be more involved!

What has impressed you the most since launching on RecruitHub

  • Your access to information is much faster.
    • I can get answers from 80+ founders on Slack quickly. This saves me from going down a rabbit hole on Google.
    • From a finance perspective, I get a clear understanding of tax, expenses, cash flow.
    • Market awareness and intel – shared insight on what’s working, not working in the UK, US, Europe.
    • The breadth of RecruitHub’s partnerships means that I can choose from 2-3 great options. This saves a lot of time.
    • Speed and quality of information and advice from RecruitHub’s team across finance, marketing, and advisory.
    • “Plug and play” process for marketing assets, templates, finance processes.
    • Partner discounts
    • Use of technology and how it’s so easily accessible.

What are you excited about building within your new business?

  • I want to create an environment where people can achieve their goals, whether they’re financial or work-life balance driven.
  • To be a business that is known for excellence, we need a ‘culture of success’ where people don’t accept ‘average,’ and standards are sky-high.

TOP TIPS FOR SOMEONE WHO IS THINKING ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS:

  • Be honest: The most critical aspect of thinking about starting a business is to be honest and self-reflect.
    • What are your strengths / weaknesses – how do they align with starting your own business?
    • What do you need from a support perspective? What are you good at / not good at / don’t know at all?
  • Perform due diligence and explore all options
    • RecruitHub was right for me. I think it’s a fantastic model and support mechanism, but it might not be right for you.
  • Be prepared to hold yourself accountable
    • When you’re on your own it’s really easy to push a todo list until tomorrow or take an extra half-hour in the gym at lunch. But you can’t do that – you’ve got to remain disciplined and consistent with everything that you’re doing.

Thinking about launching your own agency?

 

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