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Recruitment Agency Launch Programme · Stage 1 of 10
Decide Your Model & Niche
Make the two decisions that shape everything else — what kind of agency you are, and who you serve.
How long
2–3 hours
You’ll have
A clear model, niche and one-page plan
Steps
5 steps
Resources
1 resources
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01 Step 01
Step 01
Choose perm, temp, or both
The law treats a perm agency and a temp business as two different things — and you must state which you are on every deal.
Do it yourself
- Employment agency = permanent placements; the client employs and pays the worker, you earn a one-off fee (15–30% of salary).
- Employment business = temporary/contract; you engage and pay the worker, and bill the client at a markup.
- Decide whether you’ll run a perm desk, a temp/contract desk, or both — and note it, because your contracts and compliance differ.
Common mistake · Treating perm and temp as one business — the temp side carries weekly payroll and a cash-flow gap the perm side never has.
Time~30 min CostFree DifficultyEasy -
02 Step 02
Step 02
Pick a niche
Clients trust a specialist over a generalist — a niche lets you charge more, source better, and market with one clear message.
Do it yourself
- Choose a sector and level you genuinely know.
- Favour a niche where you already have a network to open doors.
- Write your positioning in one plain sentence: who you help, and with what.
Common mistake · Going broad to “keep options open” — a generalist with no reputation competes only on price.
Time~1 hour CostFree DifficultyMediumResource for this step
PDFNiche positioning worksheet
Pin down your sector, level and one-line positioning.
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03 Step 03
Step 03
Match the desk model to your cash flow
Perm needs little capital but pays in lumps; temp compounds but needs funding to bridge the payroll gap.
Do it yourself
- Perm desk: modest capital, large one-off fees, volatile revenue.
- Temp/contract desk: recurring revenue, but you pay workers weekly and wait 30–60 days for the client.
- Decide which you can afford to run first — many start perm and add temp once funded.
Common mistake · Launching a temp desk with no plan for the payroll float, then stalling on the first placement.
Time~30 min CostFree DifficultyMedium -
04 Step 04
Step 04
Write a one-page plan
A short, honest plan keeps every later decision pointed at a real number.
Do it yourself
- Set your target sector, fee model, and first-year revenue goal.
- Work out roughly how many placements that takes.
- Keep it to one page — honest beats long.
Common mistake · A 30-page plan you never look at, instead of one page you actually use.
Time~1 hour CostFree DifficultyEasy -
05 Step 05
Step 05
Secure your domain
Registering the company reserved your name — now grab the matching domains before anyone else does.
Do it yourself
- Register the .co.uk and the .com that match your agency name.
- Grab any obvious variants worth protecting.
- Do it even if your website is weeks away.
Common mistake · Registering the company but leaving the domain for someone else to grab.
Time~20 min Cost~£20/yr DifficultyEasy
What you’ll have after this stage
- A decision on perm, temp/contract, or both
- A niche you understand and can market
- A desk model matched to your cash flow
- A one-page plan with a fee model and first-year goal
- Your matching domains registered