# Staffing and recruitment agency business plan template

Version: 1 October 2026 · Free template from Beatview · Guide: https://beatview.ai/templates/staffing-agency-business-plan

Replace every prompt in [square brackets] with your own figures and decisions. Keep each section short: a lender, investor or partner should be able to read the whole plan in fifteen minutes. This template is general guidance, not legal, tax or financial advice.

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## 1. Executive summary

Write this last, in half a page.

- What the agency does: [permanent placement / contract and temporary staffing / retained search / a mix]
- Who it serves: [sectors, role types, geography]
- Why you will win: [the specialism, relationships or delivery speed that sets you apart]
- What you need: [funding amount and what it pays for, if any]
- Where you will be in 12 months: [placements, revenue, headcount]

## 2. The business

- Legal name and structure: [limited company / LLC / corporation / sole trader]
- Owners and shareholdings: [names and percentages]
- Location and how you will work: [office, remote, hybrid]
- Registrations, licences and insurance: [what applies where you operate, and status]

## 3. Market and niche

- Your niche: [for example: warehouse supervisors in the Midlands, or Salesforce developers for US mid-market companies]
- Why this niche: [demand you can evidence, your track record, the clients you already know]
- Typical clients: [company size, sector, who signs off on agency spend]
- Competitors: [three to five agencies or in-house teams you will compete with, and how you differ]
- Evidence of demand: [job postings you track, client conversations, pipeline]

## 4. Services and pricing

| Service | How you charge | Your rate or margin | Payment terms | Guarantee or rebate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permanent placement | [% of first-year salary or fixed fee] | [ ] | [ ] | [replacement or rebate period] |
| Contract or temporary staffing | [bill rate minus pay rate and employer costs] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| Retained or exclusive search | [retainer stages] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |

- Terms of business: [who drafts them, and when every client signs them]

## 5. Clients and sales plan

- First ten target accounts: [list them]
- Business development activity per week: [calls, meetings, proposals]
- How you will win the first client: [warm introductions, a role you can fill quickly, a niche event]
- Account management: [how you keep and grow clients]

## 6. Candidate sourcing and delivery

- Sourcing channels: [job boards, LinkedIn, referrals, your own database, communities]
- Screening process: [how applications are reviewed, how first interviews run, how candidates are presented to clients]
- Delivery targets: [time to first shortlist, candidates per shortlist, interviews per placement]
- Technology: [ATS or CRM, screening and interview tools, job boards, payroll or back office for temps]

## 7. Operations and compliance

- Contracts: [terms with clients, terms with candidates or workers]
- Candidate data: [where it is stored, who can access it, how long you keep it]
- Right-to-work and identity checks: [process and who owns it]
- Payroll and back office for temporary workers: [in-house, provider or umbrella arrangements, and who is responsible]
- Insurance: [policies and cover]
- Review: [who checks compliance, and how often]

## 8. Team and hiring plan

| Role | Start date | Cost per year | What they deliver |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Founder / consultant] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| [Next hire] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |

## 9. Financial plan

### Start-up costs

| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Company registration and licences | [ ] | [ ] |
| Insurance | [ ] | [ ] |
| Software (ATS or CRM, screening, job boards) | [ ] | [ ] |
| Website and branding | [ ] | [ ] |
| Legal (terms of business, contracts) | [ ] | [ ] |
| Working capital | [ ] | [ ] |

### Monthly overheads

| Item | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Salaries and commission | [ ] |
| Software and job boards | [ ] |
| Office and travel | [ ] |
| Insurance and professional fees | [ ] |
| Total | [ ] |

### Revenue assumptions

- Permanent: [placements per month] × [average fee] = [monthly revenue]
- Contract or temporary: [workers on assignment] × [hours per week] × [margin per hour] = [weekly gross margin]

### Cash flow

- When you pay out: [temporary workers' pay, usually weekly or monthly]
- When clients pay you: [your invoice terms]
- The gap you must fund: [how much, for how long, and how you will cover it]

### Break-even

- Monthly overheads ÷ average gross profit per placement = [placements needed each month]

## 10. Milestones and KPIs

| KPI | How you calculate it | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Placements per month | Count of starts | [ ] |
| Fill rate | Roles filled ÷ roles taken on | [ ] |
| Time to first shortlist | Brief accepted to first shortlist delivered | [ ] |
| Submittal-to-interview ratio | Client interviews ÷ candidates submitted | [ ] |
| Interview-to-offer ratio | Offers ÷ client interviews | [ ] |
| Average fee or margin | Revenue ÷ placements, or margin per hour | [ ] |
| Client retention | Clients who place again within 12 months ÷ active clients | [ ] |

## 11. Risks and mitigations

| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | How you will reduce it |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Losing the first anchor client] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| [Cash-flow gap on temporary payroll] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |
| [Compliance failure] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] |

## 12. Appendix

- [CVs of the founders]
- [Draft terms of business]
- [Detailed financial model]