Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Bickham.
Hi Rachel, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hi, I’m Rachel Bickham. I’m the founder and CEO of Bickham Services Unlimited LLC, a staffing and recruiting company located in Houston, Texas. I love making connections both personal and professional. I started the company to help people find rewarding employment opportunities and make lasting professional connections. I have over 20 years of success in working on multi-million-dollar projects for government, corporate, and private sector clients. My background in construction management, project management, and recruiting allows me to understand client operations and build high-performing teams which helps me run my business. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management from Strayer University. I’m also a Construction Documents Technologist (CDT) certified by the Construction Specification Institute of America (CSI), a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Alumni (Cohort 32), a certified LGBTBE®, and an author of a book titled “My Entrepreneurial Leap: My Faith, My Lessons, My Success. I’m an avid traveler, social networker, and a patron of the arts. I love helping people and giving back to my community through donations and volunteering.
I started Bickham Services Unlimited LLC with the desire to help people find rewarding employment opportunities and make lasting professional connections. Initially, I started as a sole proprietor in 2012, focusing on administrative and project support services, all while working a full-time job. After successfully hiring 1099 contractors to perform work on a Purchase Order, I quickly realized the impact it had on them being able to provide for themselves and their families. That’s when I knew I had what it took to transform the business into something that would make a greater impact on the lives of many. I continued to work full-time jobs while I was preparing to relaunch the business as a full-cycle staffing and recruiting agency with a focus on construction staffing. In 2017, I finally established my LLC and quit my job in 2018 to run my business full-time.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been an easy road but it has been rewarding. I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way in which I vulnerably talk about in my book. One of the hardest lessons I had to learn was to be prepared to go after what I wanted. That included continuous research of my craft and industry, maintaining a tight budget and not spending unnecessary money, planning, and not doubting myself. After my oldest sister passed away in 2008, I adopted the mindset that time is not on our side, so move forward and figure it out along the way. That thought process was developed out of grief and sadness. It took me making a long list of mistakes after I started my business to unlearn that behavior.
I was spending money unnecessarily when I first started. Instead of cutting back on expenses and seeking mentorship on how to reduce startup costs, I continued doing business as usual that led to bleeding my bank account quickly. The struggle to maintain a healthy cash flow for both business and personal expenses was real. I was good at budgeting for other businesses but failed to do it on my own. I was moving out of excitement and desperation; therefore, I wasn’t handling business properly. I had to take a step back and properly prepare to go after what I wanted. To apply the experience and knowledge I’d gained from employers and education to my own business and follow my business plan.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business, Bickham Services Unlimited, LLC, specializes in personalized staffing solutions for private and government clients by matching quality talent with opportunities. We provide top-quality temp-to-hire, temporary, long-term, and direct-hire placements. Our recruiting team has staffed in-demand professionals in the Construction, Information Technology, Industrial, Administrative, and Human Services industries.
As a certified minority and woman-owned small business, Bickham Service’s recruiting and matching processes are key to our continued success in quickly and effectively supplying high-quality staff. We have established a wide network of diverse high achievers. Through this well-established diversity network, our firm has been able to identify and qualify the best and the brightest talent and interest them in opportunities with the organizations we serve. By implementing a staffing and recruiting plan that aligns with the latest industry trends in technology, skill demands, and compensation, Bickham Services can take environmental factors, organizational structure and culture, job responsibilities, and business objectives into consideration to obtain the best-qualified candidates. Our team of recruiters is experienced in the industries we serve and, therefore, understands the importance of having experienced, competent personnel from both risk management and operational standpoints.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was an active kid growing up. You could always find me dancing and listening to music somewhere. I was a member of 2 girl hip-hop dance groups who danced on a TV Show, a backup dancer for two local rappers in the Bay Area, and a cheerleader until the 11th grade. I was convinced I would be the next Debbie Allen or MC Lyte. Although I loved the arts, my favorite subject in school was math, and I wanted to be a Computer Programmer or an actress. I was, and still consider myself, an extroverted introvert or ambivert. Therefore, you would either find me quietly deep in thought, journaling, writing poetry, drawing, or climbing trees, jumping fences, choreographing a new dance routine or cheer, running, or surrounded by friends. My mom was a resilient woman therefore it’s safe to say that I get my resilience from her. I’ve always been able to make a way out of no way. Even if it was unconventional. It’s helped me in business and life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bickhamservices.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BickhamServicesUltd
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-bickham-cdt-56110140/
