Before joining CNA International, Mark Bolton had a varied career in industrial engineering, re-designing supermarket checkouts, recommending the best type of dray for a large brewery company and reducing cashmere waste for a spinning plant in Hawick. So what led him to buy a CNA executive recruitment franchise?
“I was running a large textile plant, and a move to Sri Lanka was likely. I jumped ship three months before the inevitable announcement and joined CNA on 11 March 2002.
“I was surfing the internet most Saturday mornings looking for my next career move. I happened upon CNA who offered a seminar on how to develop your own consultancy practice. I went along and after the break, CNA"s Albert Wilde introduced executive search “for those of you with a real fire in your belly.” I thought this is for me, went home excited, told my wife, left my job and joined up.
“The key factor in my decision to join CNA was that it is structured like a partnership. The corporate team is there when you need advice and assistance and the training is superb, but it is the franchisees and consultants who drive the company to success. The thriving spirit of co-operation within CNA is to the financial benefit of all its members.
“Two years on, I have moved into my own offices and hired a consultant who gained two placements within three months of joining. My advice to anyone starting their own business is to get a good bank manager, have a realistic business plan, network actively, open dedicated offices and hire employees as soon as you can. In my case, working for myself has had tremendous rewards directly related to effort, a pinch of good fortune and a dedicated partner like CNA International.”
