Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I am currently in a traditional job in I.T. with a focus on Human Resource systems.  I am dying to start something on my own that will allow me more people time and less computer time.  I have a knack for helping folks fiind jobs and beef up their resume.

I have been working with a career coach for about 10 weeks.  We have been able to determine I have a strong passion for recruiting and dovetailed with that is career coaching.  I would like to start my own recruiting agency, but I don`t have the "formal background" to do so.   I am looking for advice on getting started.  I am also wanting to bring my wife into the business.  She is an accountant.  I believe we could handle I.T., Human Resources, and Accounting recruiting. 

My questions are:
1.  What is the best approach to finding "customers"?  Although I consider job-seekers  as "customers", in this case I am defining customers as businesses that will pay for this service.  What approach would one take to acquire business interest?
2.  Would a "home office" be a good fit for this business?  I know there will be quite a bit of initial interviews - although some agencies do not do face-to-face.  Is it professional to meet the interviewee at a coffee house, etc?
3.  What are the biggest barriers to entry into this field?  Since my background is in corporate I.T., I am concerned about my background.  However, you never know until you try.

Thanks,
BigTop
"It`s always a circus!"

“Don’t dig for gold, sell picks to the gold miners” this may not make immediate sense but bear with me.

 

Today since the rise of social recruitment networks i see no barrier to entry to making a profit from the recruitment market,  have a look at ZUBKA.com for starters.

 

Compare this with what I was asked to  do in a traditional recruitment firm I wanted to join a few years back:

 

Get into the office by 7am talk to applicants till 10 do at least 30 cold calls to clients (listing companies who pay your bills) by 12,  return calls from applicants/client updates till 2 then candidate interviews till 6 or 7 pm and paperwork after that. he then glassed over at my question about lunch breaks.

 

I haven’t seen a home office in recruitment that works, however if it suits your target audience. then by all means give it a go. Public spaces are a big no, these are commercial in confidence interviews. A serviced office would be better.

 

Securing listings was all about phone cold calling.

 

When I look at the two models now I know which one on the surface looks easier and more profitable.

 

Now back to the gold miners, to me it looks like any one who can buy a pick can dig for gold on a social recruitment site, but not everybody has the IT skills to put a resource site together that will sell the picks to them.

 

Hopefully this all makes sense now, I would see your path to success being on the road that harnesses your strengths in IT and passion for HR  to support those looking to profit from recruitment than joining a long list of others that are battling to build a network of hundreds of contacts to produce sustainable profits the old way.

 

Besides where under the SUN have you seen this Model work before.

J

That is some pretty good advice brains.  Though I am not necessarily in the HR field, I think there are some things I could do in fields I am more interested in to make money "selling picks"

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Smart Capitalist | Coffee Shop Funding | Tyler Weaver Personal Blog

This is good info.  Thanks, Brains!

I did take a look at Zubka, and I even signed up for it.  The problem with Zubka is they are still in their infancy.  There is one U.S. job on their board.

I looked at ere.net`s splitsboard.  That seems an even better way to go.  I am sure there are tons of others.  I guess one could fish for candidates and present the catch to those companies to split the commissions.

Again, thanks for the insight.

Hi,

Looking Insurance for Recruiting/Staffing Business:

My friends started Recruting Company in MA and they want to buy the insurance for {$ 1 Million} for business. They currently start placing permanent & contract people in different companies mostly in (IT, Healthcare, Financial, ETC…}.  So companies are start asking us to buy $1 million insurance for consulting contract people we place.

Please can any one let me know how much this insurance cost for year and which company is best or we go with in MA/ New England states.   

If you recommend any reliable insurance company for recruiting/staffing business that will be great and if and one give me the website that will be nice.

 

Thanks In advance