Tysons-based staffing agency Red Apple Consultants is no stranger to accolades, despite being founded just last year. CEO Arsalan Sajjad, winner of a national Business Development Executive of the Year 2015 award, will receive an American Business Award for “Startup of the Year” in Chicago June 22. For Sajjad, this marks a high point in the company’s history, which began in January 2014 when he founded it with $500 in his pocket.
“My very first month, I only made $1,000 and my bills were $2,000, so I was like, okay, I’m in the negatives, let’s see where this goes,” Sajjad said. “There was a company I was targeting, calling nonstop and email blasting. One day, I got a call from them, asking for my prices. There was silence, then a month after, they said ‘we like your prices, can you come in for a meeting?’ Before I even got back to my office, they sent me an email, asking for ten guys. From there, I never looked back.”
SAJJAD said his reaction upon receiving Red Apple’s nomination for The Stevie Awards’ “Startup of the Year” was disbelief, but happiness and excitement as well. According to its website, The Stevie Awards “recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.” In its first year, Red Apple earned $1.6 million in revenue, created 200 jobs, 80 percent of which were military veterans, and opened up a second location in New York.
“I still don’t know who ended up nominating me; I believe it was a client, but I don’t know for sure,” Sajjad said. “I just couldn’t wait for the results to come back and see if I had won or not. When I won, I called all my clients personally and thanked them, because those clients gave me a chance and believed in me when I just had an idea of what I wanted to do.”
Client Mike Moreno said, as Red Apple has grown, so has its role in relation to his company.
“We basically hire every employee we get through [Sajjad],” Moreno said. “I think he had about four or five people he was representing at the beginning, when he was running out of a little tiny office space, and now, we interview five to ten guys a week from him. [Red Apple] has turned into one of our biggest resources.”
Sajjad said he founded Red Apple because he observed potential talent being wasted regardless of quality. He said he fell in love with his line of work after an experience with a homeless individual in Arlington.
“I was driving once and I came across this homeless guy asking for money, so I gave him a $5 bill and my business card, and I asked him if he was looking for work,” Sajjad said. “He said yes, so I said give me a call tomorrow and I guarantee I’ll put you to work. He called me the next day and I got him an interview with a client of mine. The best feeling was when he called me the next day and he got the job, and he goes ‘thanks for you and your company, after two weeks, I won’t be homeless anymore.’”
MORI GHAZZAWI, Vice President of the Knowlogy Corporation, has worked with Sajjad for the past year for the recruitment of sales reps and accounting staff. Ghazzawi said he expects a bright future from Red Apple due to Sajjad’s admirable qualities.
“We met at one of those business chamber meetings, I gave him a chance to send me one person, and I liked his service and his professionalism,” Ghazzawi said. “Here we are a year later and many candidates later. If he treats everybody the way he treats and deals with me, then the sky’s the limit.”
Sajjad launched an additional branch of Red Apple June 8 in McLean, featuring a new division focusing exclusively on veterans and the homeless. Sajjad opened a fundraising campaign at www.gofundme.com/arsalansajjad to help achieve this aim.
Sajjad said, “I’ve always wanted to be the person who makes a difference. You don’t get to live forever, but I wanted to create something that would live forever.”