Marcus Richards
BoardroomAdvisors.co is an Endorsing Body for UK Startup and Innovator Visas and also provides part-time (or “fractional) Director level people in finance, marketing, sales, IT, operations and managing as well as Non-Executive Directors.
Tell us about yourself?
I have founded 7 different businesses over 45 years in management consultancy, corporate finance and digital marketing, so helping startups and scaleups is a natural line.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
We should have applied to be an Endorsing Body earlier. Its a natural fit for our 150 experts and our processes for early stage companies.
What problem does your business solve?
As an Endorsing Body, the role the Home Office of the UK Government has given us is to judge whether a startup is innovative, viable and scalable. The endorsement allows the foreign national to apply for a Startup or Innovator visa.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
Our part-time (or “fractional”) Directors in finance, marketing, sales, IT, operations and managing allow businesses (both visa applicants and established companies) to accelerate strategy, growth, funding, finance or exit.
What is your magic sauce?
All types of Director level people available immediately, complete flexibility with no long term contract and no recruitment fee. On the Endorsing Body side, we pride ourselves as being competitively priced while offering an excellent support programme.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
Expanding into other countries. We are already in Spain, Portugal, UAE, Saudi Arabia and India and intend to expand to most major countries in the world.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
The pandemic slowed the growth of the business for a couple of years but we did keep expanding and now the growth is huge.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
We are always happy to hear from foreign nationals who need an endorsement for their business visa.
And we need entrepreneurs as International Directors in other countries who might want to expand the brand. We are not a franchise, but entirely fee-sharing on the Associate model.
