Start-ups are all about passion. We caught up with Joubert Guelcé, who has started JAZZ Talent Management. Joubert is passionate about his business and he tells us below the lessons he has learned already and why he decided to start his own business.
Joubert Guelcé was previously a senior leader for global recruitment companies, but his desire to add value to his partners beyond just recruitment led him to establish his own talent consultancy firm, JAZZ Talent Management.
He has used his 15 years of working with exceptional leaders within Life Sciences to his advantage when founding his business in 2021.
Nwes gave Joubert the support he needed when applying for a start-up loan. We spoke to Joubert about his business and his start-up journey, and you can see his answers below.
What does your business offer?
We are a talent consultancy specialist in the biotechnology industry, focusing on the biotechnology industry in Western Europe and the US. We support our clients by enabling them to grow their team by making strategic decisions in attracting and developing talented leaders. This is done through getting a real understanding of a business and what it needs, then shortlisting the leaders that will meet these needs.
How did the support from Nwes assist you?
Nwes helped me with my start up loan application, so that I can maintain the high quality of the services I provide. I was reaching the end of my personal cash and had to start thinking about how I was going to bring money into my business sooner than I had originally planned. Delivering services of high value to my clients has always been my goal, and with my start up loan I can put less focus on transactional decisions and more focus on developing my client base and continually improving the services they receive. Therefore the support from Nwes has allowed me to keep making the decisions that will benefit my business and my clients.
How have you used your start up loan?
So far, I have used the loan to make some purchases for my office, such as a new desk and a webcam. The main thing I intend to use my loan for is some new marketing materials that I am currently working on to explain the services my business offers – I plan to have made a new brochure completed by early March this year.
What has been the highlight of starting your own business?
The main highlight of starting my businesses has been showing myself that I can do it. Starting your own business is a leap of faith, and you do your best to make it happen. The moment I got my first client showed me that I can believe in myself; it showed that myself and my services are of value as someone wants to pay for what I’m providing. It has allowed me to learn that I can trust myself and by working hard and working smart I will succeed.
What is the one thing you wish you had known sooner on your journey?
I thought that I needed a lot of cash to begin my journey. Initially, I had conversations with investors as I thought it could be good to have someone invest in my business. I lost time in a process until I realised it wasn’t needed, instead I simply needed to plan and organise my cash. Working with Nwes gave me better awareness of my cashflow and helped me notice when I was losing cash so that I could make changes. So in general, I wish I had known that what I had was enough and I didn’t need to consult investors.
What are your plans for over the coming years?
I want my business to grow organically rather than aggressively, so I plan to make small but strong moves. If everything goes according to plan, I hope to hire my first employee in around a year’s time, and then another employee the following year. Also, I want to keep adapting my services to ensure the services I offer are of value to my clients – by providing what my clients need, when they need it.
If you’d like to find out more about Joubert or his business, you can visit JAZZ Talent Management’s LinkedIn here.