Season 9 | Ep34 Mathew Gollop: 7 to 85 People, a Near Collapse, and the Free Idea That Paid Him Back
About this episode
Mathew Gollop shares his journey of growing Connected Group from 7 to 85 people, facing near collapse, and the innovative decision that saved his business.
Mathew Gollop found Hong Kong in the back of Recruiter magazine. A glossy advert, a Chinese temple, a palm tree. He flew out, signed the contract, and landed in February 2001. The dot-com bubble had just burst. Then 9/11. Then SARS. Within a year the founder wanted out, and Mathew took the business over. It was the only way to keep his job. When the market finally turned, it turned hard. Connected Group went from 7 people to 85, across 5 offices inside 5 years. Then the financial crisis hit. £800k gone in little over a year. Six months of runway. An investor brought in, his shares diluted, offices closed one by one. “I had dumb confidence, I think, at that time.” On this episode of The RAG Podcast, Mathew Gollop breaks down the full arc. The scale, the near collapse, and the decision that rebuilt the business: giving recruitment away for free. Mathew is the first to admit he loved running 85 people across five offices, and wasn't actually good at it. If you have ever wondered whether purpose can survive a brutal market, this episode has the blueprint. ------------------------------------------ Episode Sponsor: Atlas Admin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the…
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More episodes of The RAG Podcast - Recruitment Agency Growth Podcast
- Season 9 | Ep38 Louise Archer: From Zero Retained Revenue to £12M and 1,500 Recruiters Trained
- Season 9 | Ep37 Tom Kelly: £10M NFI in Space Recruitment With 35 People
- Season 9 | Ep36 Mike Ames: £39M in Exits. The Life He Almost Missed Building It.
- Season 9 | Ep35 Oliver Paull: £800K in 3 Years, Solo, From a London Flat
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