Success Stories Tennial Personnel

He started at the bottom of the recruitment ladder and now has his name above the door of his own thriving business.

Dennis Tennial’s success story began with no more than an ambition and drive to be the best recruiter he could be. Nothing was ever handed to him on a plate – he knew it had to be earned the hard way.

But he found himself in an industry where his natural personality and abilities as a salesman could shine through and he knew those skills would take him far.

Now the boss of the company that bears his name, Tennial Personnel, his personal story is an example of how making the jump from successful employee to successful businessman can be the best decision anyone can make.

It was the fact that he was excelling in his previous employment and not getting a fair reward that helped push him to launch his own start-up.

“I made other companies a lot of money,” he said.

“The last company I worked at, I transformed them into a £15 million turnover operation. I went to the directors, asking for a stake in the business, and I was declined. It made me feel undervalued and underappreciated, and that was the extra push I needed to move on and forge my own path.

“I knew I could do a better job than some of the businesses I’d worked for. I’d put in twenty years or more in recruitment and I had my own ideas. And, to be frank, I wanted to see the rewards of my efforts.“

Dennis started his Ipswich-based business in 2015 with support from The Recruit Venture Group, which partners with talented recruiters just like Dennis to help them get their business ideas off the ground.

Dennis chose to partner with The Recruit Venture Group, rather than going it alone, because their model provides 100% of the finance needed to start the business, as well as offering all of the back office support like payroll, accounts, credit control, HR, IT and marketing that can otherwise bog down start-ups.

That’s a huge weight off the shoulders for any prospective business.

Any previous hesitations he may have had about starting a business were gone once he had the chance to talk through his plan with The Recruit Venture Group team.

“I am a salesman at heart,” he said. “I know that if I’m allowed to get out there into the marketplace and meet clients and candidates, then the money will come. That’s never been a worry to me.

“The Recruit Venture Group model meant that from day one me and my team were able to focus on the thing that was actually going to generate those profits, recruitment, and so we were able to establish the business very quickly.”

Dennis now has control to shape the business and its values and ultimately is building a legacy for the future.

He said: “Clients come to us because they know me, and they know the business. They know they will get a committed service. And that ethos and culture runs right through the team. We respect each other, and we respect the clients and the candidates. It’s what makes it work.”

He has sponsored two local children’s football teams, Trimley Red Devils and Coplestonians, supported the St Elizabeth’s Hospice Midnight Walk and supplied underprivileged children in Ghana with football kit as part of the FUTURESTARS programme.

He said: “They are highlights. Because it’s about doing something worthwhile and giving something back to the local community.

“If I had stayed in my previous job, collecting my monthly salary, and carrying out the strategy and business goals of others, then I would never have been able to have this sort of impact on my community and build a legacy that will benefit my family in years to come.

And Dennis says his personal story, from ground zero to business success, is achievable by anyone with talent and drive, in combination with support from The Recruit Venture Group.

“I absolutely wish I had done this sooner, and I would recommend it to anyone, one million per cent,” he said.

“This has been the best thing I have ever done,”

Paul Mizen, Managing Director of The Recruit Venture Group, said: “There are many talented recruiters out there who, like Dennis, have years of experience, and think they could be running a business themselves. And the reality is, they can.

“We have helped well over 50 individuals do just that and the number is growing every year. By putting up all the necessary finance, project managing the launch of the business and taking care of those expensive and time-draining back office functions, we help make that dream a reality.

“Dennis took that step and has not looked back. We’re proud of what he and his team have achieved, and we can’t wait to support more people in doing the same.”