From Marquees to Recruitment Mastery
Hatrix Recruitment founder Chris’s journey isn’t your average startup story. Back in the UK, Chris managed large-scale marquee builds for some of the world’s most high-profile events - including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics, and even a royal afternoon tea at Buckingham Palace.
After relocating to Australia, Chris unintentionally entered the recruitment industry. “We launched CRB Group to supply labour for the Commonwealth Games,” he says. “When the pandemic hit, we had to pivot quickly. That’s when I partnered with a few recruitment experts, and Hatrix was born.”
The Challenge: Managing Growth, Payroll, and Cashflow
Like many fast-growing recruitment businesses, Hatrix hit early roadblocks, tight cash flow and the growing complexity of weekly payroll. Initially backed by another provider, it wasn’t long before the business outgrew their funding partner’s capacity.
That’s when Chris was introduced to APositive, specialists in payroll funding for recruitment businesses and invoice finance solutions tailored for fast-scaling agencies.
“We’ve been using APositive to fuel our growth since 2015. I actually dealt with Darren back in the day, before he was the CRO. He just got us,” Chris shares.
The Solution: Invoice Finance and Outsourced Payroll That Scale with You
To support Hatrix’s growth, APositive delivered a flexible invoice finance solution that ensured payroll was never delayed, even during rapid expansion.
“APositive actually grows with us. Plus, the automation and transparency they offer is a game changer. We used to do everything manually, but now I log in each morning and get answers instantly,” Chris says.
As the business matured, Hatrix transitioned to outsourced payroll with APositive, streamlining their operations and freeing up internal resources.
“It was a big decision to shift from our in-house payroll team, but it’s been a great one. The payroll team is brilliant. Everything runs smoothly, and I have complete confidence in scaling. Even when we have rec-tech issues, APositive fixes them within minutes.”
A Partnership Built on Trust
With APositive handling both payroll funding and payroll processing, Chris has peace of mind and confidence to grow at speed.
“We’ve never missed a payroll and I don’t plan to. APositive’s support is flexible, fast, and accurate. It’s reassuring to have a partner backing us both financially and operationally.”
Looking Ahead: National Expansion
Hatrix is now on a clear path to national expansion, with a growing footprint in North Brisbane and plans for Sydney and Melbourne.
“We’ve spent the last two years building the right team and systems. Now we’re ready to scale and APositive is part of that plan every step of the way.”
Advice for New Recruitment Founders
Chris offers this insight for other new founders in the recruitment space:
“I’ll be the first to admit - I’m not a recruiter. The key has been surrounding myself with experienced people who know the space inside and out. And working with trusted partners like APositive to fill the gaps, whether it’s invoice finance or outsourced payroll."
Ready to leverage APositive in your business? Speak to our team today on how we can help