MBS Services Australia – StartupSmart

The recruitment industry has gone through a rough few years, but targeted recruitment providers have enjoyed a remarkable amount of success.

Terry Baker and Wayne Wilkie have identified such a niche with their business, MBS Services Australia, which focuses simply on providing employees to local government councils.

The opportunity is simple. Regional communities don’t have access to professional services, and as the pair point out, the existing council employees are nearing retirement age and have no one to replace them.

The business has struck such an opportunity it has already become profitable, success the pair claim is due to a focus on retaining professionals.

“We believed that we could assist and attract and retain professionals by having a flexible approach, as opposed to the ridged council model.”

The biggest challenge for the pair has been the time involved in learning all the associated parts of the business, such as legislation, payroll and taxation, alongside the “emotional roller coaster” of losing contracts.

But all that experience means they have plenty of advice for others: “Have a level approach and when you come to a hurdle, the quicker you get over the faster you go up the ladder.”