Becoming an agent?

[DodgyAgent]

This "Create a better agency" and similar "All agents are rubbish" threads appear on this board every few months.

But no one has ever actually suggested a better model, mainly because contractors look at the agency model from their view point and not from the perspective of the client who's actually paying for the service.

The horrid truth is that the clients are generally happy with the service the agents provide. The feelings of the contractor is way down the list of priorities.

However an agent is a middle-man and in the internet age of instant communications and low-cost infrastructure it does feel as though Mr Agent should be getting squeezed or "disrupted". But as I say, no alternative has really emerged.

Will Linked-In evolve into the Uber agency? After all it knows what you do, who you've done it for and how you are rated by your peers.

Having access to the CVs of the people you need is only a small part of the battle to make a placement. Ultimately contractors like the agency model because for little effort the market for their skills usually finds them without it costing any up front money - likewise the client. It is easier for low level workers to facilitate this which is what has happened over the years.

[tomtomagain]

This "Create a better agency" and similar "All agents are rubbish" threads appear on this board every few months.

But no one has ever actually suggested a better model, mainly because contractors look at the agency model from their view point and not from the perspective of the client who's actually paying for the service.

The horrid truth is that the clients are generally happy with the service the agents provide. The feelings of the contractor is way down the list of priorities.

However an agent is a middle-man and in the internet age of instant communications and low-cost infrastructure it does feel as though Mr Agent should be getting squeezed or "disrupted". But as I say, no alternative has really emerged.

Will Linked-In evolve into the Uber agency? After all it knows what you do, who you've done it for and how you are rated by your peers.

[DodgyAgent]

Seeing how bad the recruiters are (I still get offers for 18k pa PHP roles), I'm thinking of a PlanB that would involve me placing/sourcing candidates.
Good idea/bad/horrible?

If you are prepared to get on the phone and hussle/hassle for 8 hours a day you could do it.

[DimPrawn]

Candidates are easy, so long as you're happy to deal with the 30%+ who are complete bulltulip artists, chancers or will bail at the sniff of a tenner a day extra.
.

Suity are your ears burning?

[vetran]

assuming you are making 10% and want to have a gross profit of £50k you will have £500,000 owed by clients and going out to contractors.

Assuming half the clients pay in 30 days and your contractors want to be paid monthly £250k will pass straight through. However £250k will be outstanding waiting until If & when the client pays you.

A contractor + Margin is probably £2k a week and clients will drag it out for 2-3 months paying if they default you can be £26K out of pocket on one client & contractor.

its not easy and unless you have a big wedge or pay 7% for factoring very cash intensive.


Bad idea, I have made a few quid subbing out work but it was hard work the subbie thought the customer was his.

[tomtomagain]

Seeing how bad the recruiters are (I still get offers for 18k pa PHP roles), I'm thinking of a PlanB that would involve me placing/sourcing candidates.
Good idea/bad/horrible?

So you think you can out-agent the agents? Unless you have some radical idea for offering a more compelling service to both the clients and the contractors you would soon find out why agencies operate in the manner they do as you would be forced to operate in the same way.

[northernladuk]

Horrible idea.

[TykeMerc]

Seeing how bad the recruiters are (I still get offers for 18k pa PHP roles), I'm thinking of a PlanB that would involve me placing/sourcing candidates.
Good idea/bad/horrible?

Candidates are easy, so long as you're happy to deal with the 30%+ who are complete bulltulip artists, chancers or will bail at the sniff of a tenner a day extra.
Then of course there's the whole factoring payments bit, contractors expect to be paid on time irrespective of when the client coughs up.
Oh there's the whole sales bit where you need to find clients and contracts to place people into.

There's a few hundred other things to consider as well.

[yasockie]

Seeing how bad the recruiters are (I still get offers for 18k pa PHP roles), I'm thinking of a PlanB that would involve me placing/sourcing candidates.
Good idea/bad/horrible?