How Contract and Perm Revenue Fueled Our £2.6M Growth in Two Years, with Stuart Barnes

What’s the most innovative way to scale a recruitment firm—especially in a fast-changing, competitive market?

For Stuart Barnes, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Navitas Recruitment Group, the answer was combining quick-turn perm revenue with recurring contract income. That dual strategy helped Navitas grow from zero to over £2.6M in net fee income within just two years.

In this episode, Stuart shares the real story behind launching a VC-backed recruitment firm in the renewable energy sector. He opens up about the early pressure, the emotional rollercoaster, and the systems that made rapid growth possible—from his blended revenue model to their structured approach to business development.

You’ll also hear how Stuart returned to hands-on billing after years in leadership, personally generating over £100k in placements while laying the foundation for a high-performance culture.

If you're a recruitment founder or team leader looking for real-world strategies that scale, this episode is packed with insights you can put into action.

Episode Highlights:
[01:43] How Stuart’s international experience shaped his mindset as a founder

[06:22] From startup to £2.6M: how Navitas scaled in under 3 years

[10:22] Why he chose renewables and what made it the right niche

[13:41] Inside their aggressive 5-year growth plan

[18:00] The “key ingredients” that powered their rapid start

[29:24] Why BD should never stop—and how Navitas approaches it

[37:57] The Channels they use for BD (and how Teams invites help book meetings)

[46:09] Team structure and growth philosophy

[53:40] Lessons from scaling too fast

[55:52] Why KPIs should be meaningful, not just numbers

[1:02:00] What’s next: expansion, strategy shifts, and Austin plans

Key Takeaways:
✅ Balanced revenue model – Contract = recurring cash flow. Perm = speed. Together = sustainable growth.
✅ Structured BD system – The “3 buckets, 300 hiring managers, 1 hour daily” method that drives consistency.
✅ Hands-on leadership – Stuart led by example, returning to billing and setting the tone for scale.

Connect with Stuart:
🔗 Stuart Barnes on LinkedIn
🌐 Navitas Recruitment Group

People and Resources Mentioned

Paul Taffe on LinkedIn

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