“The days of suits are over”: The disruptive Manchester startup doubling its headcount with young talent
Dotted is partnering with University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford for a major recruitment day - giving youngsters the best possible chance of acquiring a fulfilling first role (coinciding with the government’s scheme to create jobs for young people).
When you picture a workspace for a company that outsources sales to software vendors, what comes into your head?
It’s probably not a trendy open-plan environment with glossy oak-style furnishings tinged in a distinctive purple hue, is it?
But that’s exactly what the Dotted offices look like.
Then again, everything here is different – from the aesthetic right down to the way they do business.
“It’s a Wolf of Wall Street atmosphere in here, sometimes,” laughs co-founder Azmat Sherwani, gazing out through the glass window at people punching numbers into phones.
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“We’ve got a very different kind of culture.”
It’s true that both businesses and graduates have had it tough over the past few months. UK employment figures have suffered a big dip – and 18-24 year-olds are being hit hardest.
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But Dotted is keeping its faith in youth. And it’s seeing huge success as a result.
At a time when organisations across the world are making redundancies, Dotted – a startup that sits at the hub of the city’s corporate scene in Spring Gardens – is doubling its headcount.
“We’ve got a lot to offer young people in their first real role,” Azmat says.
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“This is a stimulating and fun work environment. It’s a place that gets results but we also have a great time doing it.”
Dotted has provided an outsourced sales function for software vendors since 2019, working with firms from Ireland to India.
Now, the company is partnering with University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford for a major recruitment day – giving youngsters the best possible chance of acquiring a fulfilling first role (coinciding with the government’s scheme to create jobs for young people).
According to the founders, the secret to Dotted’s success lies in this non-traditional ‘youth over experience’ approach to sales.
During a turbulent time, the brand is boldly diversifying by expanding their service offering to accelerate the growth of their customers – and it’s doing so with youth at its core.
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By creating a stimulating environment packed with happy staff, Dotted has found a way to give brands a faster, more effective way to push their products; reducing sales costs by 70% in the process.
“The average age here is 25. We embrace youth,” says Azmat.
“We take on hungry, young people and graduates who want to make an impression and get their foot on the ladder.
“We don’t believe in the old way of working. The days of suits are over.”
This fresh attitude has transformed Dotted into one of Manchester’s most exciting, sought-after and most successful startups.
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Team members also enjoy a number of benefits – including flexible hours, unlimited holidays, a personal trainer for gym sessions downstairs, and a rooftop garden.
As hundreds of companies across Manchester scale back and exercise caution, Dotted is behaving very differently to many of their competitors.
The brand is being disruptive. And it’s doing it with the power of young people.
“I do love the culture we’ve created here,” Azmat says.
“Work hard, play hard.”
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The Dotted Recruitment Day is Friday 4 September. Visit their website to learn more about enrolling.
You can also learn more about the services Dotted offer here.
Business
Premier League agrees new spending cap after ‘majority of clubs’ vote in favour
Danny Jones
The Premier League has reached an agreement in principle on a new spending cap for all teams as the English top flight looks to replace the current Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Set to be installed from the 2025/26 season onwards once fully ratified, revised spending limits will placed on teams in the first division, the number for which will be calculated in relation to a multiple of the money earned in prize money and TV rights by the lowest-earning club in the Premier League.
If approved at the AGM (annual general meeting) this June, the new model will replace the existing PSR system under which multiple clubs have broken FFP and been charged with other breaches over recent years, with Everton and Nottingham Forest having already been deducted points this season.
Although 16 of the 20 Premier League clubs reportedly agreed to the newly proposed regulations, four clubs were not in favour, with Manchester City, Man United and Aston Villa all said to have voted against the decision, while Chelsea chose to abstain.
The new max-spending model is being referred to as ‘anchoring’ or ‘tethering’, which will take into account total amounts spent on buying players, weekly wages, agents’ fees and more.
If successful following a final vote in June and brought through the season after next, the aim is to curb the increasing financial gap between the top and bottom of the table by preventing things like big sponsorships which may otherwise see clubs assert massive spending power during transfer windows.
According to the Independent, cost controls will now “limit club expenditure on salaries, signing and fees to 85 per cent of total revenue” for those not competing in European competitions.
This comes after Premier League teams previously the latest UEFA rules that will see those playing in the likes of the Champions, Europa and Conference League only allowed to spend 70% of that revenue, given the added financial uplift from qualifying for these tournaments.
While 16 yeas were enough to see the initial vote move forward, it will only require 14 out of 20 clubs to agree to the rule change in June for the motion to be fully passed.
A Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) spokesperson said: “We will obviously wait to see further details of these specific proposals, but we have always been clear that we would oppose any measure that would place a ‘hard’ cap on player wages.
“There is an established process in place to ensure that proposals like this, which would directly impact our members, have to be properly consulted on.”
Featured Images — SonoGrazy (via Wikimedia Commons)
Business
2024 Manchester Marathon raises £29 million for local economy and over £3.7m for charity
Danny Jones
Just under a fortnight on from the 2024 Manchester Marathon and the numbers are finally, with the annual race generating nearly £30 million for the local economy and raising over £3.7m for charity.
This year’s Adidas Manchester Marathon saw record numbers of runners and spectators as over 30,000 took part in the popular race, up by roughly 6,000 from 2023, and more than 125k turned up to line the streets of Greater Manchester.
As a result, these huge crowds spent upwards of £29.2 million at business around the city centre and around the 10 boroughs last weekend, serving as one of the most significant contributions to the local economy on the annual calendar.
Not only was this an approximately £8m increase on last year’s tally but, most importantly, a sizeable chunk of that went straight into both regional and national charities.
Beyond the boost to local vendors, the hospitality sector and retail businesses, over £3.7 million were allocated to charities such as Alzheimer’s Charity, Cancer Research UK, British Heart Foundation and The Christie.
Over £32,000 was also raised for the Trafford Active Fund, with £1 from every paid entry to the Adidas Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half donated directly to the initiative that benefits local sports clubs and organisations through Trafford Council.
Better still, with City of Trees selected as the chosen ‘Green Runner’ charity, the eco-friendly drive saw roughly 7% of participants opt out of receiving either a finisher t-shirt, medal or both.
The money saved in production goes towards maintaining woodlands and wildlife across Greater Manchester.
This year’s Manchester Marathon also helped produce some of the highest number of passengers on public transport in the city’s history, with a over 175,000 journeys made on Metrolink alone – the highest number of journeys ever recorded on a single day.
This was a 20% increaseon 2023’s race day (145k), spotlighting how the event continues to be more environmentally conscious as years go by.
With the 2025 adidas Manchester Marathon confirmed to be taking place on Sunday, 27 April next year – and over 12,000 places already sold – the city can already look forward to reaping the economic and social benefits of hosting one of Europe’s largest, flattest, friendliest and most-loved marathons.