How Jack is building a job match service you can trust
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Trust in us - Jack Wheldon and Natasha Bennett of Trusted- People . com .
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How Jack is building a job match service you can trust
WORDS : DAVE ROBSON PICTURE : CHRIS BOOTH
He ’ s gone from narrowly missing out on a place on The Apprentice to hiring one of his own as his business goes from strength to strength . And Jack Wheldon ’ s doing it all from a smart new office – and with a coveted Tees Business award under his belt .
Trusted-People . com is an online service that connects employers with available workers for short-term , in-person roles .
By using filters , employers and employees can find the perfect match for their needs , while Trusted-People takes just seven per cent commission and a £ 5 booking fee .
It ’ s a simple concept , Jack says , based on “ fairness and transparency ” where employers can look for skilled staff when they need them and workers can say they ’ re available without repeatedly filling in application forms .
It was , he says , prompted by a spell as project manager for a construction firm when he struggled to find reliable tradespeople .
He was also spurred on by memories of growing up “ on the breadline ” when his mum would have loved a simple way to find extra work .
And as he talks to Tees Business in his office at Innovation Central in Darlington , which he shares with business development manager Natasha Bennett , he admits the process has been a bit of a whirlwind – although he ’ d been wanting to set up his own business since he was a teenager .
108 | Tees Business
Jack , from Middlesbrough , has a business management degree and a Masters in project management from Teesside University .
While studying , he volunteered for a construction company – and that ’ s where the Trusted-People . com seed was sown .
He explained : “ The hardest part was finding reliable workers when I needed them . I used several websites but they didn ’ t provide enough information . Joiners , stonemasons , whatever – it was a nightmare trying to schedule them and fit them in .”
While developing his idea , Jack was building up his business confidence – helped by his attempt to get a place on The Apprentice TV show five years ago .
“ I got through to the final stages in Manchester – the final bit before it ’ s whittled right down and you go to London ,” he recalls .
He certainly needed plenty of confidence during a game-changing process – pitching to win a Tees Business award .
Trusted-People . com was one of three fledgling firms competing for the Tees Tech Awards ’ Tech Start-Up category earlier this year .
All three had to pitch to a 350-strong audience , who then voted Jack , 28 , as their winner . And claiming that trophy , he says , proved pivotal as it helped secure investment , boosted his confidence and validated his idea with the wider business community .
He said : “ I registered it back in 2021 but didn ’ t do much with it . Then I realised that even just from my childhood , when my mum could have done with it , and with the current economic crisis , it could benefit a lot of people .
“ I started reaching out to major employers and a few got back in touch with me . I ’ d have video calls with big CEOs – and even a marketing legend like Rory Sutherland told me to tell me how to gain trust digitally
“ A year ago , I did a trial test to see if it had legs and within two weeks , I had 380 people sign up , saying they were available for work .
“ Then in February , I was made redundant from a project coordinator role and that was the final push I needed . Now I ’ ve got investors on board and things are starting to snowball .”
Trusted-People . com now covers 16 different industries , including retail , warehouse , hospitality , care and even farming , with around 400 individual roles and tasks available . And the future for Trusted-People . com ? He said : “ Make sure the site is working well , partnering with training providers and hopefully take on an apprentice . I ’ m dyslexic and didn ’ t learn too much at school , so it would be great to get someone in to learn on the job and help take us forward .
“ It ’ s just basically ‘ watch this space !’”
Visit trusted-people . com