RECRUITMENT entrepreneurs Mark Ions, managing director of Exclusive Human Resources, and Nicky Archibald, co-founder and director of Archibald & Dutch have joined forces to help them weather the credit crunch and expand their businesses.

The businesses will continue to operate in their own specialised areas of recruitment, but will join forces when clients ask for their help on assignments that individually, they might otherwise have had to turn away.

The entrepreneurs met at networking organisation The Bridge Club.

Managing director Caroline Theobald said: “The partnership is a prime example of how networking can connect enterprising people. It’s not about running round a room handing out business cards, it’s about listening and spotting business opportunities, particularly those where working in partnership can make individual businesses stronger.”