Keith Potts

Yesterday, we announced the acquisition of Jobrapido, one of the worlds largest Job search engines which adds to our fast growing portfolio of global "Digital Talent Acquisition" businesses at Evenbase.

I thought I'd update my blog with the journey we have made so far, giving you some "behind the scenes" insight into our thoughts and actions along the way. For some great strategic insight about the fit between Evenbase & Jobrapido, please refer to Felix's excellent blog "Why Jobrapido?" at www.felixwetzel.com

Our passion for Job search engines started in 2001 when Manpower (who were one of our shareholders at the time) introduced us to Flipdog.com, a Utah based startup, who had built some groundbreaking technology to scrape employer websites for job content. Graham, Nick and I took a trip out to Salt Lake City and we spent a few days staying at Robert Redford's "Sundance" getting to know the team. Their software was very exciting but we soon realised that they had some way to go when we entered the room where the "anomalies" were processed. We were greeted by about 50 part time, college students who were manually processing the vacancy data. They sold out to Monster soon after our trip.

We immediately launched the "Black Widow" project (2001) to make sure we had the scraping technology in our grasp and set a watching brief to see how the engines would pan out. After Flipdog, job search engines were everywhere and soon they were in Britain scraping our own sites and delivering huge content feeds to candidates. There was one problem though, duplication. Candidates were being sent the same jobs day after day. This needed to be solved.

In 2010, I noticed Jobrapido making very good progress across the globe and sent our M&A representative, Stephen, out to Milan to speak with their CEO & Founder, Vito (who I'd managed to track down). A few days before Stephen arrived, Felix sent me an email (I was in the States) telling me how interested he was with Jobrapido. Great minds were thinking alike and I put him in touch with Stephen to join him in Milan. Felix came back really impressed and so we all got talking. It became apparent that there were only really two truly global players in this space and wherever Jobrapido went, they swiftly grew enormous traffic. Jobrapido were amassing 100's of millions of candidate visits per year and had become the number 1 player in many countries.

Anyone who has bought or sold a business will know how complex deal making can be. It took us 18 months to acquire Jobrapido and we were in and out of exclusivity periods throughout. Trying to buy a company that was doubling in revenue before our very eyes presented us with a real challenge. We got there in the end and the day came last week when we would ink the deal. Damian, Felix and I flew to Milan separately as I was in the States. It's not an easy town to get to from the U.S and so my journey was about 18 hours. I arrived in the hotel at 10AM exhausted and without much sleep. As I started to unpack, the phone rang - "Keith, it's Felix, we are downstairs and Vito's picking us up in 15 minutes to sign the deal". I quickly dived into the shower, got dressed and shot downstairs. Three hours later we were celebrating with Vito & Bjorn in a restaurant five doors down from the lawyers office. The deal was done and so nothing was going to stop us from eating Milanese fish and chips!!

Evenbase has made no secret of it's global ambitions and this week we demonstrated that, with our acquisition of Jobrapido. As you'll see from Felix's blog, it's a perfect strategic fit for us but what I am looking forward to most is working with Vito and his incredibly bright team to help us shape the future of digital recruitment. For us, the future is a multi channel approach utilising social, mobile and web. We are getting there fast and have some more big news for you soon. Watch this space.

Yesterday a dramatic Elephant rescue happened right in front of the deck at our Zambian Safari Lodge "Kapani Lodge" (www.normancarrsafaris.com) in front of the very eyes of our staff and guests. I'm a trustee of Wildlife Aid (www.wildlifeaid.org.uk) in the UK, which is dedicated to saving animals so was thrilled to see this story. Our management quickly sprung into action but I'll leave it to our Christina to explain what happened....

Most conservationists believe that man should not meddle with the natural order and that we should allow nature to run her course however cruel or grim it seems to be. We agree on the whole, unless a wildlife problem has been created by man (for instance in the case of snaring or being trapped in a fence, in which case it's justifiable to intervene) then nature should be left to her own devices. She has a plan.

However - every rule has an exception and the dreadful plight of a baby elephant trapped in the mud of the Kapani Lagoon and her mother, who had also got stuck trying to save her yesterday had us all in a frenzy of activity. We simply could not stand by and watch them struggle and slowly die. South Luangwa Conservation Society together with our neighbours - ZAWA - the wildlife authority - agreed with us and we all joined forces to try and save the mum and baby. I usually try to keep the newsletters short, but I hope you'll forgive me for making an exception with this one and agree that this story is worth a little extra time and attention.

Abraham got these great photos of the unfolding drama......

The brave and skilled SLCS team manages to slip a rope under the baby, narrowly avoiding mums thrashing trunk - and starts to haul her out .....

Nearly there - the whole team is hauling as hard as they can..... But the baby is terribly frightened and won't leave mum's side

One more try - the team pull her further away from mum this time..... They unwrap the ropes and help her to her feet

Now back to mum who is dehydrated and exhausted - we've been pouring water over her to try to protect her from the scorching midday sun. SLCS staff carefully slip a rope under her....

and the tractor starts to pull and pull - inching her out of what would have been a muddy grave - she seems to sense that there's a chance of escape and begins to struggle for her life...

With us all shouting encouragment and just willing her to keep going "come on Mama, come on Mama"....... to the delight of us all - she makes it! Weak and wobbly she drags herself out

and runs to find her baby and the rest of her waiting herd! The happiest possible ending! The SLCS team all share a celebratory drink on the Kapani deck with our relieved guests!

This is all in a day’s work for the amazing Rachel McRobb and her outstanding team at The South Luangwa Conservation Society. Go to www.slcszambia.org - it’s a fantastic site and well worth a visit. You will be amazed at what this relatively small group can achieve – their dedication and commitment to wildlife is inspiring.

Together with our local wildlife authority – the South Luangwa Area Management Unit of the Zambia Wildlife Authority, they are extremely effective at anti-poaching activities including anti-snaring and patrolling in vulnerable areas of the National Park. Rachel and her team are also skilled at darting snared animals, removing the snares and treating the horrific wounds they cause.

Their awareness raising activities and work with other local conservation groups are incredibly effective. Of course – this all takes money so please consider becoming a regular supporter.

Our MD Dave Wilson and NCS Director Adrian Carr are both active trustees in SLCS.

It was extremely heartening for us all to see how many local people joined in the efforts to free these two elephants – the cheers of joy, first when the baby ran to his cousin and then when Mum was finally released from the jaws of the sticky, cloying mud were wonderful! Everyone seemed to identify with the mum’s plight - we all saw the incredible emotional bond between the worried herd members and mum and baby.

Thank you SLCS and ZAWA and also all the NCS staff who bravely fought to make this a happy ending!

Christina (Gid)

Norman Carr Safaris. www.normancarrsafaris.com

October is nearly upon us and we kick off with some of the new ads we shot in November. This is my favourite

As part of my "Angel" series I asked my friend, James Caan to be my guest blogger. He explains what he looks for in Entrepreneurs and how he helps them. Enjoy. Keith

Many people dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur. Watching my father build his businesses I realised early on that I wanted to follow in his footsteps and build my own company. Although there are no predetermined rules for success, I do believe that it takes a certain type of person to succeed in business. So when I am investing, I invest in people rather than the product or service offered. A successful entrepreneur is not someone who is looking to take the effortless route and be part of the crowd, but alternately, it’s the individuals who are willing to stand out and swim against the tide in order to get ahead.  

From the moment I made my first investment to the present day one thing that really motivates me is working as part of a strong team of people who share your enthusiasm and drive. I think this is paramount to success. Also, I’ve always practiced my father’s ‘win-win’ formula. To really succeed in the long term, you need to make sure people around you win too. Relationships are crucial in business, so always considering the needs and desires of others will encourage them to work with you to build success together.

Also, many people think that being in business you have to come from a privileged background with a great degree and money to make it work. Yes of course an education is important in business and any financial backing will give you the head start you need, but for me the key factor I believe can make you successful - is your drive and passion.

After the sale of Alexander Mann I had a lot of time on my hands and money to invest. But it wasn’t always like that. My first investment was funded by 3 credit cards and the desire to impress my future wife.

After my ‘gap year’ I spent weeks watching private equity investor presentations and pitches on why I should invest my money into their clients. Although there were some attractive propositions I realised that I could probably do what those guys did – so I decided to start my own private equity firm; Hamilton Bradshaw.

The early days were rocky, I had yet to learn the basics on how to run a private equity firm, but I knew what my strengths were, and that; motivating people, making deals, and growing businesses.

We started out in a small shared office with three people, one of which was part-time. The beginning of HB reminded me of the early days of Alexander Mann. From meetings with prospective clients to making new deals - it was fun, dynamic and exciting, things were happening. I was setting the foundations for the business.

The next stage was growing the business. For any business to develop you need to have a vision. I decided that whilst a small office was great for communication between the team members, the portfolio was expanding fast - so it was time to move. I found a property in Mayfair and within no time at all I bought the building.

Finding good talent for my business was a difficult task. I had two key investment managers but we had up to six companies to manage. Then came the recession. It can throw up many challenges but it presented opportunities and led the way for us to find some excellent talent. I hired another four employees and within 6 months another four after that. Along with the investment managers we eventually built a finance and a marketing team. The company now occupies five floors of the building in Mayfair and weare still growing.

Today, Hamilton Bradshaw boasts an investment portfolio of more than 40 companies. When we are looking at any businesses to invest in we have key criteria. We have invested in a broad range of businesses in the past but our strategy this year is to focus on investing in recruitment companies. Fundamentally, recruitment is my background, it’s what I know, it’s what I love.

We work with the companies in the portfolio on a daily basis identifying how we can add value, overcome challenges and make the businesses work more effectively. They all have their own USPs and with the help of my investment team we work with them to come up with innovative business models. One of the companies in our portfolio has saved their SME customers approximately £6 million and creating a sustainable business model.  

In the first meeting with any entrepreneur, I quickly pick up on their appetite for success. The entrepreneurs I invest in always have passion. This may be demonstrated through the relationships in the management team, their sheer dedication, or their ability to motivate others. It’s refreshing to meet teams that are determined to shake up their industry and use technology to push the boundaries.

One of the companies in the portfolio that is surging forward is Exsurgo, but like any new venture it wasn’t an easy start. We faced interesting challenges setting up Exsurgo; an international recruitment agency. The management team was extremely passionate. The managing director, David Jenkins, is the sort of person you want to be running your business. He is very savvy, energetic and always ‘switched-on’ when it comes to outlining goals. Besides the usual start-up risks, the fact that the company was to be launched during the recession, when more people are being fired than hired was also a concern. After we set up the company, the expertise of my recruitment team and myself went to work. In the second year of operations Exsurgo generated pretty impressive profits, especially for a start-up company during a downturn.

Everyday I get many questions about starting a company. What is the first thing to do? How do I find investors? What is the criteria for your deals?

Setting up your own company can be difficult if you don’t know where to begin. I have found there is an increasing appetite amongst entrepreneurs for advice about running a business. This is what led me to launch my new ‘Business Secrets App’. Interestingly, the most popular sections have been “Hiring” and “Raising Finance”. The latter has always been a very important issue for entrepreneurs and is now a big part of the government agenda. I’m currently involved in the Entrepreneur’s Forum and meet regularly with Vince Cable and other business people. It’s great to debate and discuss issues with them. I get to find out what other business people want and also report back the challenges I see everyday in my own job.

I love building businesses and thrive on the challenge. I am passionate about each and every business, from Dragons’ Den to the companies in the Hamilton Bradshaw portfolio. Like every entrepreneur I have faced ups and downs, but, one thing I do believe in, is that ideas alone will not make you successful, it is how you execute them that sets you apart. If you are going to do something don’t just talk about it - actually get out there, do your research, work out the numbers, look at your competitors, work out what you can do better. Starting a business isn’t easy but if you are determined and you have unquestioning belief in what you are doing then you can make your dream come true.

If you are looking for more advice and tips on starting a business go to iTunes store and download ‘James Caan Business Secrets’ http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/james-caan-business-secrets/id430824440?mt=8

(download)

Click here to download:

two-days-with-the-royal-navy-rnrmc-yaHzcflFqzEEaEicaiJj.zip (7.02 MB)

We arrived at Devonport Heliport on Wednesday to be greeted by officers of “FOST”, (Flag Officer Sea Training)  where we were driven to the FOST HQ. After a safety briefing on how to escape from an inverted sea helicopter we went to Admiralty House where we enjoyed the excellent hospitality of Admiral Chris Stone CBE and his lovely wife, Helen. Over a fantastic dinner we chatted with distinguished Navy guests about the dangers of tackling Somali pirates, protecting our waters and maintaining safe shipping routes, subjects which we only really see through TV. My room in the 18^th Century Admiralty house overlooked the garden, the end of which towered a huge ancient wall topped with rolls of barbed wire. I couldn’t help romantically thinking about all the famous Admirals who probably have stayed there over the 100’s of years….quite probably in my own room. 

We received a naval wake up call at 5:30AM for a 6AM breakfast and were aboard a Royal Navy transport vessel by  6:30 travelling out to HMS Argyll, a warship. En route, we passed many warships docked and couldn’t help noticing the very smart alignment of crew standing to attention on each ship (or submarine) saluting the Admiral who was chatting with us and interrupting the conversation with a return salute. The Admiral followed each salute with a huge shout of “Good Morning Cumberland” or whatever vessel name we were passing.

We arrived at HMS Argyll and walked on board via a huge gangway being careful to jump the last foot to make sure we didn’t fall between the vessels. I always thought the longjump practice at school would come in handy one day and following a successful leap we were welcomed aboard the warship by the Captain.

The Captain had a small but very nice cabin where we all sat down and chatted over a cup of tea and a bacon roll. I was later to discover that the Captains cabin was enormous in comparison to anyone else (including officers).  We didn’t have much time though as “Thursday War” was about to start and we were told that anything could happen.

We joined the FOST team for an Admiral’s briefing where the language became totally complex as almost every other word seemed to be an acronym. The Admiral certainly knew what the team were saying as he was asking questions which appeared even more full of acronyms than those of the FOST team. Back at the Captains quarters, the Admiral tried to fill us in with a few of the coded messages and it appeared a little less confusing but the top and bottom of it was that there was about to be a huge amount of attacks and incidents on the ship we were sailing in. The ships company were going to be put under huge pressure and we were there to witness it.

Almost immediately, Torpedoes and Missiles were on course for collision with HMS Argyll. We were under attack by a hugely agile military boat which zig zagged around us simulating a Somali Pirate attack. Following warnings, the boat continued to approach and we witnessed machine gunners stationed down the side of Argyll firing at the boat with 50 rounds per second. I think we won that battle and it left me thinking that I really need to keep out of the way of these warships when I'm doing my own pleasure sailing. To get on the wrong side of one would be a truly horrible experience!!

We were later subjected to a fire on the bridge which became totally abandoned. Little did we realise at the time but the ship can be controlled outside the bridge as a backup which was very reassuring considering the speed we were going. As I stood there in a total blanket of smoke, I couldn’t help notice that whilst under attack, Argyll was zigzagging with incredible agility which was more reminiscent of a powerboat than a huge warship.

Cameras were put away when we went to the ops room which is where the battle is being controlled from. It was like a scene from “Red October” with radar screens and flashing buttons controlled by a crowded team of the top brass. Everyone wore white masks and gloves to prevent skin burn from explosive flashes and it was kind of scary to see them all in action with all this hi-tech gear. “Torpedo coming in from 170 degrees” one person shouted at the top of their voice. The Admiral pointed out that these guys were having three conversations at any one time, an earpiece for two remote inputs plus the people around them in the ops room. Everything looked totally confusing but as far as I had witnessed, they were in the right educational hands with the FOST team doing the one-to-one training and observation.

The battle ceased after several hours as we put on our “dry” suits to board the Royal Navy Helicopter. Taking off from the back of a warship was a surreal experience and pretty frightening to say the least. The Admiral had mentioned that the YouTube video with the Heli falling off the back of a warship ended up with several drownings and forms part of their training video collection on how “not” to “kit up”.

The afternoon was equally fascinating and included a tour of HMS Tireless, a nuclear sub which had recently returned from a 10.5 month deployment. The cramped space of the sub was difficult enough for an hour or so but we just imagined what it would be like to stay underwater for months with 130 other men!!

Our final tour of the day following a sandwich lunch in the Admirals office was a walkabout with Hasler Company. The work these guys do to help injured Marines is staggering and we were proud to take a good look around at all the equipment and facilities that Help for Heroes and RNRMC had provided them. It was clear to me that Hasler Company were doing a very important and fine job for our wounded Marines.

It would be difficult to put all the detail of our day into my blog but to say that we had an excellent day with a fascinating insight of what our forces do would be an understatement. We are proud to be working with the RN, RM and RNRMC and look forward to helping them with their difficult recruitment challenges of the future. When I next hear news of our military in action on TV, I’m sure it will remind me of the privileged day we spent meeting our heroes and from what we saw, heroes they are.

www.rnrmc.org.uk

http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/