
15 Human Resource Related Business Ideas You Can Start Today
Do you have experience or a passion in human resources but want to start your own business?
The great part is that there are so many different components to working in human resource and the business opportunities are endless.
We put together a list of 15 human resource related business ideas you can start today:
1. Start a media company ($660K/year)
Pat Walls from New York, New York, USA started Starter Story almost 5 years ago, a media company.
- Revenue: $55,000/ month
- Founders: 1
- Employees: 6
- Location: New York, New York, USA
- Lean SEO: This is our framework for growing the site to 500k monthly readers
- Guide: How To Grow Your Audience With Interviews
- How I Published 142 Blog Posts in 12 Months (a bit outdated)
2. Create an online course ($60K/year)
Lidiya Kesarovska from The Netherlands started Let's Reach Success over 9 years ago, a online course.
- Revenue: $5,000/ month
- Founders: 1
- Employees: 0
- Location: The Netherlands
Back in 2013, I had already discovered my passion - personal development - and had realized writing is the best way to express myself. So I combined these and started a self-improvement blog.
Starting the blog was the best decision and not giving up on it over the years (even when no traffic or money was coming in) was what helped me move forward.
It was first just a hobby and I knew nothing about blogging. Over the years, after publishing a ton of content, gaining traffic, learning about SEO, email marketing, social media, and all the ways to monetize a blog, it became a real business.
3. Start a training software ($5.4M/year)
Chris Ronzio from Scottsdale, Arizona, USA started Trainual over 5 years ago, a training software.
- Revenue: $450,000/ month
- Founders: 1
- Employees: 59
- Location: Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Trainual is actually my third business and started as a result of my second. I had a consulting company called Organize Chaos, through which Trainual as a beta platform was born to help my clients with their onboarding and training issues.
My first business, a video production company, I started at 14, and throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I developed a passion for technology, efficiency, and making business easier.
It was just over a decade I spent building that production company, taking it nationwide with 3 offices, netting over $3 million in video sales, and selling it before I turned 25.
4. Start a recruiting agency ($3.48M/year)
Sharon Koifman from Montreal, Quebec, Canada started DistantJob about 14 years ago, a recruiting agency.
- Revenue: $290,000/ month
- Founders: 1
- Employees: 26
- Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
I started off by running and owning a hosting company called Empire Host. We had about 3K clients at the time support was run from two offices in India with nearly 30 employees.
We were also providing an outsourcing package. Our business solutions were really cheap and to be frank, our results were mediocre at best. Although the service was fine for any mom and pop shop or even an “any results will do” kind of company, we noticed that too often, people who run tech companies actually outsourced to companies such as ourselves even work that went into their core offering - because it was cheap.
At the time, what outsourcing really was, was an arbitrage business. But the concept that people would outsource big chunks of their business to a company that does not provide the same level of communication, process, quality control, and culture just because they’ll save a lot of money, that idea really stuck with me.
5. Start a human resources agency
Examples of a successful human resources agency:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a human resources agency:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- The New Hr Leader's First 100 Days: How To Start Strong, Hit The Ground Running & Achieve Success Faster As A New Human Resources Manager, Director Or Vp: Alan Collins
- Writing Effective Policies And Procedures: A Step-By-Step Resource For Clear Communication
Learn more about starting a human resources agency ➜
6. Start a human resources consulting business
Examples of a successful human resources consulting business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a human resources consulting business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Human Resource Essentials: Your Guide To Starting And Running The HR Function
- The Essential Hr Handbook, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Quick and Handy Resource for Any Manager or HR Professional
Learn more about starting a human resources consulting business ➜
7. Start a payroll business
Examples of a successful payroll business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a payroll business:
- How To Start A Payroll Company - Starting On The Internet
- How To Start A Bookkeeping, Payroll, Tax And Accounting Company That Makes Big Money
For further info, check out these books and products:
- How To Open Your Own In Home Bookkeeping Service 3rd Edition: Julie A Mucha
- The Payroll Book: A Guide for Small Businesses and Startups
Learn more about starting a payroll business ➜
Lilia Stoyanov started Transformify: Workforce Management System, a freelancer platform, about 7 years ago:
Started as an all-remote company back in 2015 when remote work was still seen as an exotic perk reserved for digital nomads, Transformify grew up exponentially over the years.
We see an unprecedented shift to distributed teams spread across the globe, as to stay in business, all companies need to be flexible and hire the most qualified candidates regardless of their location. Often, hiring highly skilled experts on a project basis is the best way to ensure superb quality within a capped budget.
Speaking of budgets, due to Covid-19, budget controls have become more robust than ever before and the businesses no longer have the luxury to underutilize their teams. The share of contingent workers and international contractors working on a project basis is constantly increasing. An interesting study published by SAP Fieldglass reveals that 42% of the workforce spend is already going to external resources - international contractors, consultants, guest lecturers, freelancers, etc.
8. Start a virtual human resources consulting business ($1.2M/year)
Examples of a successful virtual human resources consulting business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a virtual human resources consulting business:
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Crisp: Virtual Hr (Crisp Professional Series): Jones, John
- Managing Virtual Teams: 9781785369261: Human Resources
Learn more about starting a virtual human resources consulting business ➜
Al Caan started CloudDevs, a freelancer platform, over 2 years ago:
Hello! I’m one of the co-founders of CloudDevs. We started this company in 2019 with a mission to change things around in the tech talent-hiring industry. We launched for sales in March of 2020, right before the initial lockdown due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
We are proud to say that within our first year of sales, we reached 1 Million USD in GMV, and we are aiming higher this year.
10. Start an envelopes and files business
Examples of a successful envelopes and files business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a envelopes and files business:
- Asmr Request/ Office Mailing/Stuffing Envelopes/Stickers/Rolodex/Business Card File (No Talking)
- Paper Envelope Making Business - Startupyo
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Retail Business Kit For Dummies: Rick Segel
- Order From Chaos: A Six-Step Plan For Organizing Yourself
11. Start an employee training business
Examples of a successful employee training business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a employee training business:
- Planning An Effective Employee Training Program
- The Seven Steps For Highly Effective Employee Training & Coaching
For further info, check out these books and products:
- How to Start a Safety Training Center a: A Recession Proof Business
- How To Start Your Personal Training Business: Step by Step Business Plan and Forms. Get a Fitness and Personal Training Certification and Become a Certified Personal Trainer
Learn more about starting an employee training business ➜
LaKenya Kopf started Kopf Consulting, a tech support business, about 15 years ago:
Hey everyone! My name is LaKenya Kopf and I'm the founder of Kopf Consulting Virtual Assistance. Manifested from frustration and insane pricing structures, Kopf Consulting has provided affordable and professional virtual technical support to all levels of entrepreneurship for over 14 years.
What started as a favor to a friend has flourished into a full-time, six-figure, tech-support company with dedicated clients, international recognition, and a constant waitlist that continuously births innovative ways for Kopf Consulting to work with clients without being overloaded or sacrificing the quality of service.
12. Start a resume consulting business
Examples of a successful resume consulting business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a resume consulting business:
- 3 Big Consulting Mistakes To Avoid! Start Your Consulting Business The Right Way
- How To Write An Impressive Consulting Resume?
For further info, check out these books and products:
- Consulting Success: The Proven Guide to Start, Run and Grow a Successful Consulting Business
- How To Start And Run A Successful Consulting Business: Gregory F. Kishel
Learn more about starting a resume consulting business ➜
13. Start an employee motivation consulting buiness
Examples of a successful employee motivation consulting buiness:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a employee motivation consulting buiness:
- Stop Trying To Motivate Your Employees
- Restaurant Expert Consultant- The Right Time To Motivate Your Staff
For further info, check out these books and products:
- How To Start And Run A Successful Consulting Business: Gregory F. Kishel
- Motivating Employees For Dummies?: Messmer, Max
Learn more about starting an employee motivation consulting buiness ➜
14. Start a career coaching business ($660K/year)
Examples of a successful career coaching business:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a career coaching business:
- Best Career Advice For New Graduates
- Career Advice - 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Creating My Business
For further info, check out these books and products:
- How To Start A Business Analyst Career: A Roadmap To Start An It Career In Business Analysis Or Find Entry -Level Business Analyst Jobs
- How To Start A Business Analyst Career: The Handbook To Apply Business Analysis Techniques, Select Requirements Training, And Explore Job Roles leading Career: Laura Brandenburg
Learn more about starting a career coaching business ➜
Patrick Curtis started Wall Street Oasis, a career coaching business, about 16 years ago:
Hi, I’m Patrick Curtis and I’m the CEO and Founder of Wall Street Oasis, the largest online community focused on careers in finance.
The community has now reached over 100 million visitors over its 14-year history and is currently getting over 2 million visits per month.
15. Develop an online survey tool ($9.7M/year)
Examples of a successful online survey tool:
Here are some great videos on how to get started with a online survey tool:
- Best 5 Online Survey Tools To Check Out In 2021
- How To Create A Survey With Google Forms (Full Tutorial)
For further info, check out these books and products:
Learn more about starting an online survey tool ➜
Vivek Bhaskaran started QuestionPro, a online survey tool, over 17 years ago:
Hi there! My name is Vivek Bhaskaran the Founder of QuestionPro. The most robust survey software you are going to find on the market along with Customer Experience, Employee Experience, and a Research platform that will give your company every advantage. We focus on not only providing the tools for creation, distribution, and analysis of surveys, but also provide the platforms for polling, tablet-based mobile research, and data visualization.
Want to start your own business?
Hey! 👋I'm Pat Walls, the founder of Starter Story.
We interview successful business owners and share the stories behind their business. By sharing these stories, we want to help you get started.
Interested in starting your own business? Join Starter Story Premium to get the greatest companion to starting and growing your business:
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