Quick Q&A with Essential Pros Staffing Franchise CEO Travis Powell

CEO and Founder of Essential Pros opens up about why investing in a staffing franchise is a wise choice

Travis Powell left a lucrative career in the banking industry to open his own staffing business – just in time for the Great Recession in 2007. While other businesses struggled to keep their doors open, Powell’s passion for being at the center of his local economy, his strong business acumen and his ability to build relationships with businesses and workers based on trust, integrity and exceeding expectation positioned him well for continued success.

Fast forward 12 years later, and Essential Pros is thriving. With multiple locations, all generating more than $1 million in revenues (according to our most recent Franchise Disclosure Document), Powell is now franchising Essential Pros so he can share his success, experience and business model with other entrepreneurs who want to own an impactful business in their communities.

We recently spoke to Powell about why owning a staffing franchise is a wise choice:

Why is now a great time to invest in a staffing franchise?

Powell: There’s never been a better time to invest in an Essential Pros staffing franchise. Staffing is more relevant today than it was when I started this business 12 years ago. It’s getting harder and harder for companies to fill positions, and we go above and beyond to ensure that our clients get the right workers. We’ve spent the past several years investing in technology and building the back-end support that takes all the guesswork out of the business model, and provides a structured approach that is simple to implement, easy to run and quick to scale. We’re enormously proud of our growth, and as we begin franchise operations for the first time, we cannot wait to welcome more entrepreneurs to our franchise family going forward.

What kind of profit-potential do staffing businesses offer?

Powell: One thing people don’t know about the staffing industry is that it’s really high in sales. Our average office produces about $2 million in annual sales. It’s also a very affordable business to own, and one that can grow very quickly. It’s a great time to join Essential Pros today because we’ve developed a business model over the past 12 years that has proven to work. We’ve been enormously successful and have grown consistently year-over-year. Now we want to share our proven business model with entrepreneurs who want to join a dynamic industry and own a business that truly makes an impact in their communities.”

What is the Essential Difference? How does Essential Pros stand out?

Powell: When an individual comes in looking for a job, we’ll take a look at their resume and press them to explain any gaps in work, reasons for leaving work, as well as what job would make them the happiest. We want to know that the people we bring to our clients will not only excel at the job they’ve been hired for but also that they’ll be consistent, on time and display a positive attitude.

Essential Pros does everything other agencies say that they do, but they don’t. We check references – meaning we actually call their references. We drug test. And we share this information with our clients, which gives them the peace of mind that we’ve actually done what we’ve said we were going to do. This is the reason that after 12 years in business, Essential Pros hasn’t lost a single client – and that’s saying something, considering we’ve expanded to six locations in new markets in that period of time. That’s our Essential Difference.

Why did you decide to franchise Essential Pros?

Powell: I’m passionate about the staffing industry because I’m an entrepreneur as well. I started our company 12 years ago, at a time when the economy wasn’t doing very well. We opened our first office, and very soon after, we opened a second office – and we were able to grow those very quickly. Two years later, we acquired another company and we were able to grow those offices by 100%. This is because we have established the proven processes and systems necessary to make a business thrive. Now, we’re ready to share our model with other entrepreneurs and help them participate in the market, and in their local economies, at their full potential.

Why is a staffing business a rewarding business to own?

Powell: The people that you work with each day, the applicants that you help find a new career and the companies that are relying on you to find the best people makes this an extremely rewarding career. This is a really unique industry. You get to work with a lot of different people every day. You get to learn about different companies, how they work, what they need and how their businesses impact your community. This is a very people-focused business. You see your clients on the weekends, at ball games, at school events, at business functions, and it doesn’t feel like a transaction, it feels like you’re helping people, because you are.

Are you ready to be at the center of your local economy?
Invest in an Essential Pros staffing franchise today

For in-depth details about the Essential Pros franchise opportunity, download our Free Franchise Opportunity Report. You also can learn more by visiting our research pages.