About the UK’s leading employment company
Former IT contractor, Rob Crossland, founded Parasol as a direct result of becoming totally frustrated with the mountains of paperwork and sheer hassle involved with freelancing. He had a gut feeling that any company that could help freelancers and contractors maximise their income whilst minimising the hassle had to be a sure-fire winner. And he was right.
Rob’s years of contracting also gave him a healthy respect for the tax man and the importance of keeping on the right side of the law. That’s why his vision for Parasol involved always doing what’s right, not what’s easy for its employees, interpreting HMRC legislation in a whiter than white way that allows our employees to sleep at night.
Parasol was formally launched in 2000 and rapidly built a healthy base of employees, largely by developing partnerships with the recruitment agencies that place them. Since then, it has looked after the needs of some 47,000 employees and this figure continues to increase as the company expands into new market sectors across the UK. Parasol maintains impressive partnerships with 2,500 recruitment agencies including industry leading companies such as Hays, Alexander Mann Solutions, Capita Venn, Reed, Impellam Group and Lorien.
Going from strength to strength
Our employees and recruitment agency partners often comment about the outstanding quality of Parasol’s head office people. The company’s recruitment policy of hiring qualified accountants, talented payroll professionals and lovely people to answer the phone ensures our employees don’t have to worry about getting paid.
In November 2006 Rob led an MBO of Parasol, backed by the private equity firm, Inflexion. Since then Parasol has achieved average annual turnover growth of 20% and now boasts a turnover in excess of £350m. The company employs over 100 staff at its head office in Warrington, Cheshire and has a regional sales office in London with a further regional sales presence in Scotland.
In 2008, ever looking for more opportunities, ClearSky Accounting (the new name for Quay Accounting) was brought into the Parasol Family. This limited company and contractor tax specialist shares the same values and prides itself on excellent client service.The buyout is the first of several planned strategic acquisitions in Parasol’s ambition to become one of the biggest employment service providers in Europe.
Award winning service
The Parasol team are proud as punch of the large number of business awards and accolades achieved over recent years: ISO:9001; 2010, 2008, 2006 and 2005 Sunday Times Fast Track 100; 2008 and 2006 Sunday Times Top Track 250; 2011, 2010, 2008,2007, Best Companies Award; and the Investors in People Award.
