7 Staffing Agency Success Stories [2024]
A staffing agency acts as the intermediary between employees and employers. The staffing agencies help match qualified employees with the right employers. With many growing businesses still cautious about increasing in-house talent, starting a staffing agency could be a profitable business opportunity.
The employer contacts a staffing agency and provides a detailed job description for the role they plan to fill. The staffing agency then creates the job on their website, or they might reach the qualified staff in their database, asking them to apply for the role. Candidates apply for the position, and the staffing agency schedules interviews to vet the potential candidates. The employer will make the final hiring decision.
Staffing agencies make money by charging job candidates or employers a markup fee.
To start a staffing agency, choose the right niche, know your startup costs, and get legally covered. Ensure you have all licenses and the permits and take out insurance.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a staffing agency:
1. CEI Staffing ($2.04M/year)
Eddie Edwards Jr., Founder and CEO of CEI Staffing, came up with the idea for his temporary staffing agency after gaining experience in various positions in the Broward County Sheriff's office. Starting as a home-based business with a revenue of $20,000 in its first year, CEI Staffing now generates over $2 million annually by providing employment solutions for local government and the private sector.
How much they make: $2.04M/year
Current team size: 68
Eddie Edwards Jr, CEO of CEI Staffing, grew his business from $20,000 in revenue to over $2 million per year using great customer service to stand out from the competition.
2. Boldly ($3.84M/year)
Sandra Lewis, the founder and CEO of Boldly, came up with the idea for her business when she noticed a gap in the market for flexible, remote talent for businesses. After starting as a freelancer and receiving referrals from satisfied clients, Sandra assembled a team of professionals to meet the growing demand. By billing customers in advance on a subscription model, Boldly was able to establish long-term relationships with clients and build a strong foundation leading to their current success.
How much they make: $3.84M/year
Current team size: 120
Boldly, the subscription staffing company, has achieved $3 million in revenue through word-of-mouth referrals, and has grown to over 100 employees working across two continents, offering prized flex-time to military spouses, expats and experienced professionals focused on high quality remote work with corporations in a win-win environment.
So... can you actually make money with a staffing agency?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
3. Lensa ($18M/year)
Gergo, the founder of Lensa, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing the broken hiring process firsthand. Through his previous successes in launching and selling various startups, he recognized the need for a technological solution to the career marketplace crisis. With a mission to help job seekers find their perfect career match using advanced AI technology, Lensa has seen impressive growth, with a 12% increase in revenue from the previous year and reaching a total of $22 million in revenue and 6 million new subscribers in 2022.
How much they make: $18M/year
How much did it cost to start: $350K
Current team size: 130
Hungarian founder Gergo created Lensa, an AI-powered job search platform that focuses on improving the hiring process and career marketplace, achieving a 12% increase in revenue from the previous year, reaching a total of 22 million in revenue and 6 million new subscribers in 2022.
So... can you actually make money with a staffing agency?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
4. Devrize ($240K/year)
Jacob Fiore, the founder of a recruiting business called devrize, developed the idea for his business while working in the investment industry. He wanted to start a side hustle that aligned with his desire for endless financial gain, geographical flexibility, and control over his schedule. Recognizing the low barrier to entry in the talent acquisition industry, he started devrize as a contingent recruiter, focusing primarily on software engineering roles for venture capital-backed startups.
How much they make: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $400
Current team size: 2
A recruiting business founder shares how he found success by zeroing in on a specific niche (software engineering) and offering enticing referral bonuses ($8k for successful hires), resulting in 50% of placements coming from referrals and yielding $302,100 in revenue in Year 1.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
