UKBF user name: Oliver Sidwell
Company name: R M P Enterprise Ltd
Company website: www.ratemyplacement.co.uk
Company contact: [email protected]
How did you start your business?
www.RateMyPlacement originated from our own work placement experiences whilst at Loughborough University. Myself and my 3 colleagues all undertook a work placement as part of our degree course in 2005/06, however as much as we enjoyed our time at respective blue chip corporations we asked ourselves, "would we still have applied for this job had we known what the role actually entails?". It was this lack of peer to peer information available to students that motivated us to create www.RateMyPlacement.co.uk.
What products or services does your business offer?
RateMyPlacement allows undergraduate and graduate employers the chance to advertise themselves, their schemes and their current vacancies on the website.
Our three most popular services are a profile page of information about the employer, a banner advert which appears on all 450+ pages of RateMyPlacement and the opportunity to list current job vacancies on our Jobs! page, which is currently our third most viewed page.
What were the main challenges you faced when setting up your business?
Time has been the major challenge. We have juggled setting the business up with our finals at university and have since been challenged by full time graduate employment, which has led to a many a late evening and working through the weekend.
Another challenge has been our relative inexperience. This is the first business (of many hopefully!) we have created and we have consulted knowledgeable others in this space and been diligent in seeking advice, as well as outsourcing specialist services where necessary.
How would you rate the success you’ve achieved?
We’re absolutely delighted with the success to date. It’s been a fantastic experience developing RateMyPlacement from an idea, to a local resource for Loughborough students, to a website with nationwide appeal promoting 15 of the biggest undergraduate recruiters in the UK.
Oh, and being national finalists in the current HSBC Unipreneurs Competition is good too!
Why should customers and clients use your services?
The graduate recruitment market is saturated with companies advertising graduate jobs. We operate in the undergraduate market niche below this where there is less competition and where employers can reach the best students before they graduate.
How has UK business forums benefitted your business?
I am a relatively new member but I have already picked up some really good tips from likeminded people. Like UK business forums, RateMyPlacement appreciates the growing demand to read information about other people experiences and with the rise of websites built around consumer generated content ever growing, UK business forums is positioning itself in a really hot space at the moment.
What are your plans for the future?
Our primary aim is to build the site into a greater resource for students, university staff and employers alike. To do this, we need to expand our database of content available. We have a new incentive for those submitting reviews coming soon, and we are working hard to increase the number of employers advertising their schemes and their vacancies on the site.
If we achieve this then hopefully by this time next year we should have two of us working full time on RateMyPlacement and maybe employ a placement student ourselves!
What are your three tips for business success?
Enthusiasm, passion and determination are three key traits someone looking to start and grow a business needs to have; having the right attitude is integral to success.
Outsource where necessary. Don’t be reluctant to delegate tasks such as legal documentation and web design to those more qualified. It may be a financial burden in the short term, but you will definitely see it as a worthwhile investment in the future!
Pick up the phone and get on with it!
Company name: R M P Enterprise Ltd
Company website: www.ratemyplacement.co.uk
Company contact: [email protected]
How did you start your business?
www.RateMyPlacement originated from our own work placement experiences whilst at Loughborough University. Myself and my 3 colleagues all undertook a work placement as part of our degree course in 2005/06, however as much as we enjoyed our time at respective blue chip corporations we asked ourselves, "would we still have applied for this job had we known what the role actually entails?". It was this lack of peer to peer information available to students that motivated us to create www.RateMyPlacement.co.uk.
What products or services does your business offer?
RateMyPlacement allows undergraduate and graduate employers the chance to advertise themselves, their schemes and their current vacancies on the website.
Our three most popular services are a profile page of information about the employer, a banner advert which appears on all 450+ pages of RateMyPlacement and the opportunity to list current job vacancies on our Jobs! page, which is currently our third most viewed page.
What were the main challenges you faced when setting up your business?
Time has been the major challenge. We have juggled setting the business up with our finals at university and have since been challenged by full time graduate employment, which has led to a many a late evening and working through the weekend.
Another challenge has been our relative inexperience. This is the first business (of many hopefully!) we have created and we have consulted knowledgeable others in this space and been diligent in seeking advice, as well as outsourcing specialist services where necessary.
How would you rate the success you’ve achieved?
We’re absolutely delighted with the success to date. It’s been a fantastic experience developing RateMyPlacement from an idea, to a local resource for Loughborough students, to a website with nationwide appeal promoting 15 of the biggest undergraduate recruiters in the UK.
Oh, and being national finalists in the current HSBC Unipreneurs Competition is good too!
Why should customers and clients use your services?
The graduate recruitment market is saturated with companies advertising graduate jobs. We operate in the undergraduate market niche below this where there is less competition and where employers can reach the best students before they graduate.
How has UK business forums benefitted your business?
I am a relatively new member but I have already picked up some really good tips from likeminded people. Like UK business forums, RateMyPlacement appreciates the growing demand to read information about other people experiences and with the rise of websites built around consumer generated content ever growing, UK business forums is positioning itself in a really hot space at the moment.
What are your plans for the future?
Our primary aim is to build the site into a greater resource for students, university staff and employers alike. To do this, we need to expand our database of content available. We have a new incentive for those submitting reviews coming soon, and we are working hard to increase the number of employers advertising their schemes and their vacancies on the site.
If we achieve this then hopefully by this time next year we should have two of us working full time on RateMyPlacement and maybe employ a placement student ourselves!
What are your three tips for business success?
Enthusiasm, passion and determination are three key traits someone looking to start and grow a business needs to have; having the right attitude is integral to success.
Outsource where necessary. Don’t be reluctant to delegate tasks such as legal documentation and web design to those more qualified. It may be a financial burden in the short term, but you will definitely see it as a worthwhile investment in the future!
Pick up the phone and get on with it!
