Owner-Operated Business Owners

You Built This.
Now Find Someone Worthy of Growing It.

You know your business better than anyone. Finding someone you can actually trust with part of it takes a different kind of search.

Owner-Operated Business

Owner-operated means you’re still in the building. You’re the one who knows where everything is, who handles what, and what really matters when a decision needs to get made. That’s your edge. It’s also why hiring is harder for you than it is for a company with an HR department and a committee to share the responsibility.

You’ve probably used a recruiter before. Maybe more than once. And if you’re reading this, it didn’t go the way it was supposed to. You got resumes that missed the mark, a process where you ended up doing most of the work yourself, and a firm that moved on to the next search the moment things got complicated.

We hear that story on most first calls.

RFT Search Group conducts retained executive search for owner-operated businesses across Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio. We’ve been doing this since 2012, and we understand what it means to hire for a business where the owner’s name is still on the line. If you’re wondering when it makes sense to call a search firm, that page is a good place to start.

What You’re Really Looking For

When you run an owner-operated business, the person you bring in carries your reputation into rooms you’re not in. They make decisions under your name. They manage people who answer to you. A bad hire doesn’t just cost money. It costs time, momentum, and sometimes the trust of people who were already on your team.

What you actually need is someone you can hand something to without checking on it every day. Someone who understands what you’re building and has the experience to help you build it. Someone who works because they’re invested, not because you’re watching.

That’s not a resume screen. That’s a judgment call. And making it well takes more than posting a position online and waiting to see who applies.

You Don’t Have Bandwidth for This

A proper search takes time you’re not spending on your business. Writing a job description that actually captures what you need. Sorting through applicants who look right on paper but aren’t. Scheduling interviews, following up, checking references, navigating the conversations that turn awkward when a candidate figures out you’re not sure how to say no.

Most owner-operators who come to us have already spent weeks on this themselves. They either hired someone who was “good enough” because they were exhausted, or they left the position open longer than they should have because finding the right person kept slipping down the list.

Image of female business owner of a privately held business running a meeting

We handle the search. You make the final call. That’s the right division of labor.

A Question Worth Asking Any Search Firm

Ask any recruiter you’re considering how many searches they’re running at the same time as yours. Then ask what happens to your search when a bigger fee comes through the door.

At RFT, we work retained. That means your search isn’t competing for attention with every other company that called this month. You’re not getting half of someone’s focus on the days they feel like it. Your search has a dedicated effort behind it, from the first conversation to the final hire.

A Search That Actually Fits How You Operate

We work retained, which means your search has dedicated attention from start to finish. We’re not splitting our focus between your role and six others, and we’re not waiting for you to find someone before we get paid. You hire us to do the search, we do the search.

Before we start, we take the time to understand your business, not just the job title. Who you are, how you make decisions, what kind of person has worked well for you in the past, and what’s made previous hires fall apart. That context is the difference between someone who looks right on paper and someone who actually fits.

We source candidates, vet them against your actual requirements, and bring you people worth your time. You stay focused on running your business. We come back to you when we have someone worth talking about.

Why Owner-Operated Businesses Work With Us

28

Years Linda Ferrante Has Been Recruiting (Since 1998)

5 Years

We Stand Behind Every Placement

80%+

Of Our Clients Use Us for Multiple Searches

14+

Years Surviving Michigan’s Most Competitive Market

This Is Our Only Business

RFT Search Group is our family’s only source of income. Not a side hustle. Not supplemental. Everything we’ve built depends on delivering results for clients like you.

28 Years of Recruiting Expertise

Co-founder Linda Ferrante has been placing executives since 1998. While most recruiters wash out in 2-3 years, Linda brings nearly three decades of knowing what works, and what doesn’t.

5-Year Commitment

We stand behind every placement for 5 years with our Client Loyalty Pricing Program. This program gets used when clients need it, and that’s exactly what it’s for. We want you to make the right decision for your business, not keep underperformers out of financial fear.

Owner Accountability

Every search has owner oversight. Jason and Linda personally ensure quality standards are met, and you have direct access to decision-makers when you need it. No bureaucracy. No runaround. Just accountability from people whose reputation is on the line.

Discretion When It Matters

We don’t use your brand to build ours. No client logos on the website. We understand confidentiality, and we know how to conduct a search that stays quiet when it needs to.

Retained Search Focus

We’re not contingency recruiters throwing resumes at walls. Retained search means dedicated focus, thorough vetting, and commitment to quality over quantity.

We Stand Behind Every Placement for 5 Years

Most search firms offer a 90-day replacement window. We offer something you won’t find anywhere else: a 5-year commitment that protects your investment and gives you real peace of mind on every hire.

Learn more about our 5-Year Client Loyalty Pricing Program

Ready to Make Your Next Critical Hire?

Let’s talk about your hiring needs. No pressure, no obligation, just a straightforward conversation about whether we’re the right executive search firm for your needs.

Schedule a Conversation

Or call: 248-957-6598