Temporary Staffing Agency - How to Start

· 5 min read
Temporary Staffing Agency - How to Start

The temporary staffing industry continues to expand, with yearly double-digit growth being commonplace.  Visit this link  think it is convenient and cost-effective to utilize a temporary staffing agency to satisfy unforeseen demand, fill short-term vacancies, and help with changing workloads due to restructuring or mergers. Additionally, employers are enticed by the thought of "test driving" new employees to minimize risk and ensure an excellent match for permanent positions.

Many employment seeker has reaped great rewards from temporary staffing. Skilled but yet-inexperienced workers can get a foot in the door at prestigious companies, in which a weak resume could have made it very difficult to be considered. Similarly, "drifters" (those that tend to rapidly drift from job to job) may be plagued by an overly-long resume. Temporary staffing services can be ideal for drifters, as they have the opportunity to focus on short-term projects and move ahead without the negative repercussions. Retirees and college students are also very common candidates. A retired nurse could find enjoyment and further income from a temporary medical staffing firm. A computer science major can gain valuable experience working with a technical agency.

Only a few personnel must handle recruiting and clientele. Even the biggest international firms have a tendency to function with small, mostly-independent branch offices serving specific regions.  Vetted and trained candidates  means it is quite easy for a one-office temporary staffing agency to compete effectively with established firms.

Overall, the triple-benefit to clients, associates, and entrepreneurs has contributed to the phenomenal growth of the temporary staffing industry. Because of these advantages, it will remain an integral part of the employment process through good times and bad.

SET UP Costs and Financing Sources:

$5,000 to $25,000

The startup and operating costs of a temporary staffing agency are much lower than many other businesses. The essential requirements certainly are a small office with the normal supplies, a computer system with general accounting software and database software for organizing contracts, and the people skills to utilize clientele and associates. It could not be impossible to start a temporary staffing agency on a shoestring budget of several thousand dollars.

The largest business expense is payroll. It's quite common for associates to be paid by the agency before the agency is paid by the client. An account should be maintained with sufficient funds to cover payroll costs until bills are paid by the clients.

It really is difficult - however, not impossible - to get help from venture capitalists in covering area of the costs of setting up a temporary staffing agency. A well-researched, forward-looking business plan is essential.

Pricing Guidelines for Service:

Associates are paid by the hour, and the agency covers its costs by charging a premium to the amount billed to the client. The exact level of the premium differs from case to case and will vary from 5% to 50% or more. Some associates are prepared to work for less plus some clients are willing to pay more, which when properly matched can lead to very decent profits for the temporary staffing agency. The contract usually spells out a flat fee to be paid to the agency in the event that a client decides to permanently hire an associate.

Advertising and Marketing:



A competitive hurdle for small startups is that larger agencies curently have established reputations and brand recognition. This is actually a minor obstacle due to localized nature of the business enterprise. It is not necessary to wage a national marketing war to get exposure for a new agency. A cheap and well-directed marketing campaign can quickly create a valuable reputation within the neighborhood operating region of the startup.

Essential Equipment:

An office (perhaps a house office) should be built with the typical office supplies and at least two telephone lines.

A minumum of one computer system with accounting software and a database for keeping track of projects is mandatory. A printer can be used for printing invoices and job listings, and a high-speed Web connection connects the agency with online job search sites.

Many temporary staffing services have computers with tutorial software open to help associates to train their keyboarding and basic office software skills. These computers may also be used to test the abilities of applicants.

Income Potential:

Many billions of dollars are allocated to temporary staffing services every year. A small, single-office agency can earn profits in the thousands of dollars. The large, international firms rake in millions every year.

Target Market:

A temporary staffing agency may be the middleman between two distinct markets: clients and associates.

It is usually not just a difficult matter to attain hundreds of applicants with simple help wanted advertisements. More focus is going to be positioned on connecting with client companies and convincing them your services can help their businesses.

Certain industries seem more receptive to temporary staffing. Finance institutions and other office-centric companies are constantly seeking qualified office support staff. Factories frequently need labor for light industrial work, product assembly, and shipping and receiving tasks. Hospitals and clinics use temporary medical staffing to hire transcriptionists, certified nursing professionals, along with other support staff. Increasingly, high-technology companies hire computer programmers, database specialists, and systems engineers on a temporary basis through agencies focusing on technical placements.

Tips for Success:

Develop a niche!

In larger markets, providers of temporary staffing services have found it useful to branch into niches such as for example temporary medical staffing, legal, financial, or technical fields. The focused nature of the agencies allows recruiters to build a pool of highly-educated, trained, and experienced associates who are able to supply the best service to clients within a particular industry.

A hospital executive would feel more comfortable contracting nurses from a company focused on temporary medical staffing than from the one-stop-shop that also places welders, janitors, and filing clerks. This confidence also helps associates to command better wages than they could otherwise receive through a general-service temporary staffing agency.

Automate!

Much of the task of owning a temporary staffing agency could be automated by computer software. Well-designed database software can ease the procedure of matching qualified associates with appropriate job openings. Accounting operations can be very heavily automated (but working closely with a good accountant continues to be advised). With these tools set up, just two major tasks remain: finding clients and finding associates.

Use your personal services!

As the business grows, it will become necessary to add staff to take care of the recruitment and marketing. Which should never be difficult, since typically dozens or hundreds of qualified candidates are already in touch with the agency!

Training, Skills or Experience Needed:

Recruiters are at an edge with a background in human resources, business management, and marketing. A qualification is not essential for starting the business, however the knowledge gained by way of a business management program is immensely helpful. People skills are important, and can be learned through experience and self study. Numerous books have been published, specifically addressing temporary staffing as a small business opportunity.