Peter Ridley made his living as a Labour Market Analyst, advising on employer engagement and recruitment strategy. But navigating his own eviction and redundancy really brought home the personal impact of a volatile job market.
Turning a negative into a positive, Peter decided to use his personal experiences and professional insights to help others benefit from stable employment. With assistance from the Business & IP Centre North East, he launched his own consultancy: Route-Ways Solutions!
Please introduce yourself and your business:
I am Peter Ridley, the founder of Route-Ways Solutions, a specialist workforce resilience and employability consultancy based in the North East.
The company formalises the expertise I built as a Labour Market Analyst (LMA) on government employability programmes. After 18 years in call centre roles, I joined Reed in Partnership (JETS Programme) in late 2020. I took the initiative to create and define the LMA role, becoming the ‘go-to’ person for market data, employer engagement, and recruitment strategy.
Route-Ways Solutions now helps individuals and Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) navigate market volatility by providing bespoke LMA and highly targeted training programmes, ensuring teams and individuals are future-proofed against skill gaps and economic downturns.
What was the inspiration for your business idea?
The business concept has two core inspirations. The first came from a training idea during my time at Reed in Partnership. I noticed a candidate was unprepared during an interview, and I proposed developing a structured, multi-day “Route-Ways” training course focusing on call centre reality, transferable skills, and mock interviews, guaranteeing successful participants an interview at companies like Sitel (now Foundever). This proved the market demand for a clear, targeted training route.
The deeper inspiration is deeply personal. Having navigated multiple periods of redundancy and the intense trauma of facing a Section 21 eviction with my family after 11 years in our home, I gained first-hand knowledge of professional instability and housing precarity. I realised that traditional career support often lacks the necessary data-driven foresight. Route-Ways Solutions was founded to bridge this gap, using rigorous LMA to give people a factual “route-in” to stable employment, delivered with profound empathy and lived experience.
Furthermore, the inspiration to formalise the business was galvanised by the vibrant North East business ecosystem. Working with PeoplePlus while they were situated within the North East BIC in Sunderland (and subsequently engaging with the Newcastle BIPC itself) immersed me in an entrepreneurial environment. The centre provided the ecosystem, the guidance, and the example set by figures like Debbie Simpson at the BIC, alongside the energy and connections found at groups like the North East Chamber of Commerce and The Mussel Club networking events, which transformed the idea into a firm commitment.
Which Expert(s) in Residence did you work with?
I primarily worked with the Business Planning Expert in Residence and the Intellectual Property Expert in Residence. I also received invaluable, practical advice from Hannah Hoare (Business & IP Centre Outreach Officer).
How did the Expert(s) support you/ help you develop their business idea?
The support from the BIPC was instrumental in transforming my expertise into a viable commercial venture. The Business Planning Experts, Jeff Thompson and Allison Nicks from Tedco, were crucial in helping me refine my financial projections, structure scalable service packages, and build a sustainable business model. Since our service relies on proprietary data and analysis, the IP Expert ensured my LMA methodology and consultancy reports were legally compliant and protected, giving me the confidence to approach large clients.
This foundation built upon the specialist training I completed while working on contracts with Education Development Trust (EDT), including Employability, Neurodiversity, Over 50s support, and Sector-based Certificates, which collectively prepared me for the comprehensive scope of the business. Additionally, the quick, practical support from Hannah Hoare—such as rapidly providing a data template I needed for a pitch—demonstrated the centre’s commitment to accelerating local start-ups.
What are your plans for the future in the shorter and longer term?
In the shorter term, my plan is to secure three cornerstone SME contracts across the North East to establish robust proof-of-concept for our LMA-to-bespoke-training model, ensuring stable recurring revenue. I am also committed to continued personal development—learning new skills like web design and marketing—and continuing to learn more about the industry so I can give people the most informed career guidance possible.
In the longer term, I aim to build Route-Ways Solutions into an integrated workforce development agency. This involves scaling the LMA service nationwide and branching into related services, including:
- Developing and delivering Apprenticeships and Bootcamps to support people in gaining formal qualifications for high-demand roles.
- Actively pursuing opportunities to work with government-funded employability contracts, leveraging my prior experience.
- Establishing a dedicated recruitment arm to manage the placement of our newly trained candidates, ensuring a complete and seamless “route-to-work” for individuals, and facilitating expansion by hiring key staff.
What is your advice for those who are thinking of starting their own business?
First, trust your unique personal experience—it’s often your most powerful differentiator and the key to solving a genuine problem. Second, if you have an idea, start attending networking events immediately. I highly recommend engaging with groups like the North East Chamber of Commerce and The Mussel Club; this helped me meet other entrepreneurs, overcome the mental barrier of moving from “employee comfort” to self-employment, and provided a platform for invaluable advice.
Finally, utilise the free resources available to start-ups, particularly the BIPC. A great idea needs a robust commercial and legal foundation. The BIPC provides the critical scaffolding to ensure your business doesn’t just survive, but is built to thrive.
