You’re wanting to start your own staffing agency, but you cannot afford to risk too much, or you simply do not have a lot of extra cash available. That’s ok, there is a way to get started with no up- front costs.

If I were to build a staffing agency from scratch all over again with no money, here’s how I’d do it.

1. Choose a specialty. This is really important when starting out and I recommend not specializing in any kind of healthcare or medical-related positions. The reason why is you will be required to carry professional liability insurance and pay for licensing and permits. This is especially true for things like staffing agencies that provide contract nurses and dental hygienists.
   
   Also, I would not focus on executive-level or senior-level positions starting out. I would specialize in simple job descriptions that every business needs. For example, Office Administrators, Executive Assistants, or Warehouse Associates. The reason I’m saying this is because higher-level positions tend to expect fancy websites, lots of client reviews, and references.
   
2. Finding new clients. It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone or to walk into offices and ask for business. This is the most important step, because without any clients, you don’t have a business.
   
3. Writing a working agreement. You’ll need to have some kind of working agreement that outlines what service you’ll provide and for what payment. A contract doesn’t just protect you, but it also creates some legitimacy to your business and it weeds out the bad actors that only want free services.
   
   The good news is there are lots of example working agreements available online. You can download one or copy/paste one from a Google search. Yes, you’ll need to make it your own with your business logo, business name, and company details available at the time. Don’t enter any fictitious information and make sure to read it and understand it very clearly.
   
4. Open a free LinkedIn account for yourself and a LinkedIn company page. Both are free and will come in handy when sourcing candidates and for some basic new business development. You can also create free Facebook and Instagram business pages that can be used to create an online presence without a company website. These will make it easier for someone to find you and gives some legitimacy to your business.
   
5. With no start up money available, make sure to focus on very basic office positions and not anything in healthcare, medical, or manufacturing. The reason being is these industries will require professional liability insurance, business licenses, and certifications.

After You’ve Made a Few Placements

Once you make some money from a few placements, then you can register your business with your Secretary of State. It will cost $50 to create a new listing and $25 each year to keep your business active.

You’ll want to open a business checking account either at your current bank or another one. This will cost $25 to open an account and you’ll need to maintain a minimum balance of $500 to avoid monthly charges.

Getting a paid subscription to a resume & candidate portal like Indeed will cost about $120 per month but will come in handy to source new resumes.

Replacing your beginner working agreements with new ones written by a business law attorney will cost money but it’s definitely worth it.

And finally, purchasing a website URL, getting a website hosting plan, and business email will really help create a launch point for continued growth and gives your business more credibility.

Does all of this seem overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be!
I’ve created an entire video training course to help you start, build, and grow your own staffing agency. Want to learn more? Check out the class here.