New Business Idea - Help!!!

justanidea

Okay, so I have recently closed down a business but am still running part of it from home part-time. I have had an idea for another business for a while and would really appreciate some feedback.

With many small business reducing staffing levels to a bare minimum, is there sometimes a need for an extra pair of hands? Do you think SME's would use a local temp agency rather than the larger recruitment agencies with a temp division?

I am thinking of starting with office and retail and maybe branching out from there. Having been in a small business myself would be very conscious of cost to the business and keep this as reasonable as possible, in return providing some part-time work for the many people struggling to find employment.

Having registered with every major agency myself for both temp and permanent work, I did not receive one reply acknowledging my CV and have only had one interview which led to a temp placement of 8 weeks, but this led me to believe that the agencies out there are either hugely over subscribed or have a lot to learn.....I don't think it would be that hard to acknowledge an e-mail!!

Any feedback would be welcome

Peterdalkey

You have the bones of an interesting idea with a decent market opportunity there. I think you need to offer part-time or temporary staff on a rate per hour/day/week basis. You take on all issues dealing with PAYE/PRSI/ sick and holiday pay, the customer just pays you a gross hourly rate.

We have used such services in the recent past for busy demand periods and maternity leave etc. it is important that the end user is able to terminate the contract at short notice and not be bound by longer term commitment.

There can be a nice little extra earner opportunity if the customer wants to hire the person on their own books at a later stage, you can have a clause in your agreement that they can take on the person for a modest fee say a few hundred Euro. Much cheaper than an typical employment agency... SMEs do not use them as their fees are far too high. Remember you have already made your margin on the original contract employment arrangement.

The key is to keep it simple, cost effective and market the concept effectively. You could build a nice solid business that meets current market needs by providing a value proposition on which you could make a very nice income but it is not a route to a big fortune.

Other posters will no doubt expand and critique this. There are some great solid thinkers on this forum with the best advice that you could never afford to buy, for free.

Good luck with making it happen

Peter

justanidea

Thank you for your reply Peter. It's just a help to run the idea past some business owners, as sometimes things that seem a good idea in your own head are not necessarily things that will sell!!

I have a good knowledge and some background in recruitment and employment legislation so am covered on that side.

My main thing would be will people use it!!

Yes, I would aim to keep it as cost effective as possible as I know the big companies fees are sometimes prohibitive to smaller organisations.

I know I am being cheeky but would you mind me asking what rates you have paid for services you have used previously?

A nice income would do me nicely!!

Thanks again!

Peterdalkey

I will dig out the invoices today and PM you with the numbers

Cheers

Peter

Peterdalkey

PM sent.

The other question you posed as to whether people would use it, I think they would, we have done in the past. People do need to know about the option and thus it would need to be well marketed, this would create the demand for your service.


It is the kind of thing that is popular in a recession as if gives terrific control over wage costs and can be eliminated when the demand drops.

I can see a great market in areas with seasonal demand peaks, such a Christmas retail, food production, tourist and hospitality sectors etc etc. I would offer both full and part-time options too.


cheers


Peter

justanidea

Thanks again for your replies and pm's Peter.

If anyone else has any thoughts I would welcome all input

riveratom

justanidea wrote: »

Thanks again for your replies and pm's Peter.

If anyone else has any thoughts I would welcome all input

Hi OP,

Don't want to scare you or anything now, but I think you'll need to move very fast with this as someone may have gotten there before you! Have you seen tempity.com? They are in NDRC at the minute also: http://www.ndrc.ie/launchpad/

It's good in a way as now you know, plus the fact that someone else is doing it is validation! I also have a similar website to what you are proposing, but serving a different grouping and it's not exclusively for temps.