DailyFranchiseNews.com

Now Open for Business

With businesses finally ramping back up, qualified candidates are in demand and in Nashville, there’s no better place to find those superstars than Express Employment Professionals. The Nashville Business Journal just posted a great interview with local owners Jason and Christi Patrick, who opened for business last month. Here are a few highlights:

Of all the places to open a business, why Nashville? Nashville is truly a thriving, diverse business community with an excellent prospect for growth. I was raised in this city, and my family and friends are here. My wife and I both felt that this is where we wanted to raise our children and grow a business together.

How did you settle on your location? We wanted to be in Metrocenter because of its central location and it has a strong diverse collection of health care, manufacturing, government, professional and other industries that are strong users of employment agencies.

Describe your business model? We offer screened, qualified associates to companies on either a temporary/contract, evaluation hire or direct hire basis. We handle all payroll taxes, insurance, recruiting/screening and benefit costs at a mutually agreed bill rate per associate hour worked.

Photo: Express Employment Professionals owners Jason and Christi Patrick.

Franchise…Get Your Franchise!

Fred Bartliff is a man with a vision…and right now his sights are set on Jackson, Tennessee.

The Jackson Sun reported that Bartliff, the senior director of franchising for Express Employment Professionals, has announced the company has a franchise opportunity in the Jackson market.

"Now that we feel the economy is showing signs of turning, we feel Jackson would be an excellent place for an office," said Bartliff. Opening an Express office requires startup capital of $130,000 to $140,000 and a $35,000 franchise fee; three people are required to be on staff and in the office during business hours to provide temporary, full-time, professional staffing and help with writing and developing human resource projects.

Express Employment Professionals is the nation's fourth largest staffing agency and 100-percent franchised. There are currently 13 additional offices in the state of Tennessee.

Photo: Fred Bartliff (right) with Express franchisees Deidra Viney and Holly Doan.

Need for Flexibility Leads to New Career

We’ve all met at least one person who has “that” job. You know, the one that sounds so fantastic that most people would kill to call their own. Well, Anne Woods gave up the dream career three years ago…but her new role is just as – if not more - satisfying.

The Pasadena Star-News reported Woods was a certified public accountant and divisional vice president at Nestle, a position that meant ample travel as a controller for the North American sales organization – at one point, she even moved her family to Switzerland while working at the company's world headquarters – but as great at that job was, Woods was looking for a change. Three years ago, she made her move and became the owner of an Express Employment Professionals office in Covina, Calif., the fourth largest staffing service in the world.

"I felt I needed a different kind of flexibility. I still work as many hours as I did at Nestle - 50 to 60 hours a week - but now I'm in the same community as my children,” said Woods. “One of reasons I chose this business is that virtually every company that has employees uses a staffing service at some point. It could be a large banking call center or a small machine shop. It really doesn't matter ... it's not limited to any specific industry. Someone is always growing and needing extra help." Woods' strategy has paid off: Her office has doubled its business every year – a feat she attributes to the backing of the entire Express organization. She also said Express’s services are in demand even during these challenging economic times. For example, her client Marman Industries landed a big contract and needed people with a very specific skill set right away and Express was able to deliver several candidates immediately to launch the project on time.

"We're very aggressive in staying involved with the local community," she said. "You have to continue to talk to people through all of the business cycles. Even when they downsize and budgets are being cut, we can help."

Photo: Express Employment Professionals owner Anne Woods.

All Aboard!

Would you ever walk into your office wearing a captain’s cap and flower lei on a day that isn’t Halloween (or casual Friday)?

The Oklahoman reported that Art Atkinson dons the aforementioned accessories nearly every day as the vice president of Express Employment Professionals’ Express University. Though the company’s headquarters are in Oklahoma City — no where near an ocean — Atkinson and his team have created a cruise-themed training program for the company’s new franchisees. Though it’s a lot of fun, Atkinson said this is Express’s most intensive and hands-on learning experience yet.

This super-enthusiastic salesman — Atkinson first realized his sales potential in high school selling men’s clothing — has been molding trained Express franchise owners since 1983 after Express founder Bob Funk realized Atkinson’s skills with interpersonal communication were best suited for the classroom. "We call it accelerated learning,” said Atkinson. It’s where franchisees are intensely involved in team-building and role-playing activities, rather than listening to ongoing lectures, he said. "You learn by doing, not being told.”

Click here for a great Q&A with Atkinson about his career and what makes the guy beneath the captain’s cap tick.

Photo: Art Atkinson.

Not Just a Temporary Fix

As many jobseekers know, staffing agencies have become an invaluable resource during the recession and a way to obtain income when it’s needed most.

Examiner.com reported one of the top staffing agencies – Express Employment Professionals – has over 600 locations nationwide, including almost 20 in the DC Metro area. Jan Patillo, the owner of Express Employment Professionals in Alexandria, Va., works diligently to find positions for job seekers to provide not only a source of income, but a chance to maintain or gain valuable work skills. By successfully merging the needs of the job seeker and the business, she creates a win-win situation: Patillo and her team work with a wide range of companies including professional businesses as well as commercial industries and warehouses and as a result, the agency is able to place a diverse spectrum of job seekers from the professional to the entry level, as well as blue collar. Patillo also said that each of the DC Metro area Express offices work together to find the best fit for the clientele and businesses utilizing their services.

Patillo said her agency puts potential workers through rigorous testing to make sure that they are fit for any position that they are offered, including word processing and data entry tests to assess the skill level of each candidate, and that it is easy to spot those individuals that have a true desire to work. “Those are the people who will accept any type of employment,” says Patillo. They are willing to work in any position offered whether it is temporary or part time. If someone has taken a few courses to increase their skills - excellent! Taking courses while looking for employment is a sure sign that someone wants to increase their marketable skills.” Patillo is also optimistic about the future of the economy and falling unemployment levels. “The market place is already seeing a turn around with more and more jobs becoming available,” she observes. The task of Express Employment Professionals is to make sure that there are qualified employees available to meet the needs of DC Metro employers and Patillo and her team of experts are ready to make that happen.

Photo: a potential Express Employment Professionals candidate taking a skills test.

Job Seekers: Know Thyself!

Looking for a new job? If so, start by looking inside yourself.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported knowing oneself is a key ingredient in finding the right job, according to Express Employment Professionals owner Deb Gray. Gray said that besides figuring out what they WANT to do, job seekers also should figure out what they CAN do. For instance, someone without a car can't work the night shift in a location far from mass transit. Or someone who must be home to get their children from child care by 6 p.m. cannot take a job that ends at 6 p.m. She also advises job seekers to do an honest self-assessment: "How adaptable are you? What are you good at? What do you enjoy? What are you willing to learn?" Once they have answered those questions, they also should be open to some retraining or learning experiences, possibly taking a job that pays less than they wanted because it will get them through the door to other opportunities.

"Businesses simply need people who are dependable," Gray said. "It's so sad how many opportunities people have, and two days later they are calling off work. When that happens -- when just days after they get a job, they can't come in to work -- they have blown that opportunity."

Gray also said those who want to make a good impression on a job interview should get there on time -- or even better, a little early. That advice goes for all job seekers, those who are newly in the job market and those with years of experience because you can't make a good first impression when that impression is that you are late. A little common sense also goes a long way, she said. "Don't wear sweats to an interview. Don't wear shorts to an interview. Don't bring your children to an interview," she said, as they are all signs that you don't take your career seriously. "If you take pride in yourself, you can make something happen."

Part-Time Work, Full-Time Mentality

Can part-time employees take your business to the next level? According to Betsy Knoke, they can indeed!

Knoke, the owner of 10 til 2 in Indianapolis, recently visited Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick and detailed the benefits of hiring part-time employees. Not only are payroll costs controlled and growth more calculated, 10 til 2 candidates always give 110 percent on the job because they are grateful for the work-life balance the opportunity provides.

Click here for more information about part-time workers and some interesting employment trends in the Indianapolis area.

Part-Time = Perfection at 10 til 2

Rejoining the workforce after a hiatus is never an easy task but here are two women helping jobseekers make that transition as seamless as possible.

The Pulse-Journal reported Beth Cooper and Gina Kopera have made it their mission to connect employers and potential employees in a tight job market through 10 til 2 – a part-time placement service specializing in placing college-educated professionals into long-term, part-time positions – and have found jobs for people only interested in part-time hours was a perfect solution in a struggling economy.

"It's good for small and medium businesses looking to hire people, but aren't able to financially commit to a full-time position," Kopera said. Cooper added 10 til 2’s services can help these employers stay competitive in a challenging market. "Prospective employers are still responsible for hiring their candidates in order to find the perfect match," said Cooper. "We do all the time consuming tasks and take a lot of the pressure off these businesses. We handle initial screenings, payroll and taxes. This frees up time in finding qualified employees and taking care of expenses."

Both women said that a variety of people are signing up to find a job, ranging from people over 50 who might need to postpone early retirement because of the stock market slide, to college students looking to get experience in their field before graduation and people looking for a second job to supplement their income. The quality of their employees is high because of their work requirements: all applicants must have at least one year of college education — although 93 percent of 10 til 2's applicants have a college degree — and many of them have a wealth of experience in a variety of fields. "We feel strongly that this concept will be a help in growing the economy in our area," said Kopera. "We're still getting the word out and we have a lot of people who need jobs that we want to help."

Photo: Gina Kopera (L) and Beth Cooper (R)

Back to Work

Stephanie Gathe stayed home and raised her daughters but now that they are in school, she felt the time was right to go back to work – a path many stay-at-home moms are taking for a variety of reasons.

Gathe told CBS2Chicago.com that she wants to set an example for the girls and to pitch in for the family in these tougher financial times. So while she continues her side business of making jewelry, she's also looking for a part-time white collar job that will put her degrees to use and still allow her to be the very busy parent she is. When asked if she thought there were part-time options available, Gathe said, "initially, not, and that's when I heard about 10 til 2.”

10 til 2 is a placement service that puts college-educated professionals into longer-term part-time positions. If you're a candidate, you don't pay anything; all you have to do is answer some questions and submit a resume to start the professional matchmaking. Across the country, the firm has placed positions ranging from attorneys to I.T. consultants. Franchise owner Terrie Nolen says companies pay her to find the candidates and screen them - especially in the current economy. "A lot of companies still have work that needs to get done, and they don't necessarily want to pay the expense of a full-time employee," Nolen said. Nolen doesn't just wait for companies to find her candidates and instead reaches out to them when she sees something post and has someone who fits the bill. Gathe is more than pleased: "I look forward to getting more [opportunities]," she said.

Photo: 10 til 2 founders Jill Ater, Heidi Crum and Jodi Olin.

The Many Benefits of Franchising

People are realizing now more than ever that franchising can give potential business owners the best of both worlds: the ability to run their company without the trial and error inherent in building a business from the ground up, the benefit of selling a well-known brand-name product, access to proven marketing strategies and business plans and easier access to financing than those who are starting their own businesses. Denise Crews agrees.

Virginia Business reported that Crews, co-owner of 10 til 2 with her brother Scott Eby, says the franchise arrangement provides the perfect mix of flexibility and support. “I have an entrepreneurial spirit, but I’m glad that we have someone to refer back to and ask questions,” says Crews. “We do have a lot of leeway as to how we run our business.”

10 til 2 specializes in finding part-time employment for college-educated professionals. Many of the employees are mothers who don’t want to work full time. Crews, who worked part time after having children, knew there’d be some interest in the concept. But the 10 til 2 parent company provided guidelines for proven business strategies. “It’s a blueprint for success,” says Crews. “It’s already been done; they’re very successful…There’s less risk because it’s a proven business that’s worked and you get the support from corporate in everything from marketing to software to payroll.”