Niche temp staffing agency run from home

Local employers who need extra hands for busy periods, absences or one-off projects, such as event venues, caterers, warehouses and small offices.

You bill the client an hourly rate and pay the worker a lower hourly wage. After payroll taxes and insurance, the difference is your margin. The revenue range here is the margin you keep, not total billings.

• Sales and relationship building
• Screening and interviewing people
• Organizing schedules at short notice
• Basic bookkeeping and payroll awareness

• Cash flow: you pay workers weekly but clients may pay in 30 days or more, so plan how to fund payroll
• Workers' compensation is usually needed for temp workers, and costs vary a lot by job type, so get quotes before setting your rates
• Check whether your state or city requires a staffing or employment agency license or registration
• You are the employer: payroll taxes, I-9 forms and worker classification need to be handled correctly, so consider a CPA or employment attorney
• Written client contracts that cover rates, payment terms and who is responsible for on-site safety

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $3,000 to $15,000, depending on your niche, systems and insurance quotes. Cash flow matters too, since you pay workers weekly but clients may pay in 30 days or more.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $2,000 to $10,000, depending on your niche, the hours you place workers and the clients you win. The estimate assumes about 20 hours a week at minimum.

Check whether your state or city requires a staffing or employment agency license or registration. Also check workers' compensation, which is usually needed for temps, and payroll taxes, I-9 forms and worker classification, perhaps with a CPA or employment attorney.