50 Lawson Elliott Recruitment

Founded in 2009 by Craig Du Rieu, Lawson Elliot has carved out a niche for itself in the increasingly crowded recruitment space by adopting a laser focus for accounting and finance.

Hitting $8.2 million in revenue for the 2017-18 financial year, the business has grown by 44% in the last three years, success Du Rieu puts down to its ability to provide industry-specific solutions for clients.

“While the market is saturated with recruitment companies, our competition is either large agencies with accounting and finance operating as one division among many, or a one-man band working from home,” he says.

Du Rieu is an accountant by trade, a perspective he says has given him a unique take on the needs of his customers, while bringing on more staff in recent years has allowed the business to establish a sustainable pipeline of new clients.

It hasn’t always been easy, Du Rieu and his co-founder, who has now sold out of the business, have worked some pretty long hours establishing the company in the market, juggling a variety of plates.

His advice for founders starting out? Don’t sweat the small stuff.

“We learnt quickly to delegate where possible, use the resources of family and friends, and make quick decisions on the small stuff,” he says.

Du Rieu has no plans to expand his business by looking beyond the accounting and finance sectors — that’s his niche and he’s sticking with it.

Instead, geographical expansion is on the cards in the coming years, following a recent focus on growing operations in Melbourne.

Opportunities in Perth are being considered, while international markets such as Singapore and Auckland are also potential targets for the growth-hungry entrepreneur.