🚀 Quick Start Revenue Plays Calculator
Your staffing business is the main engine, but contracts take 60 to 90 days to close and another 30 to 60 to pay. This tab from Dee's How To Charge workbook models eight revenue plays you can launch right now to generate cash while the pipeline builds: sourcing as a service, credentialing, retainer search, consulting, training, digital products, SOW projects, and paid events. Each play is modeled independently to a 90-day net with your numbers, then compared side by side. Real talk from the workbook: none of these are easy money; every one requires you to sell, deliver, and follow through.
Scenario 1 · Sourcing as a service
You sell your ability to FIND qualified candidates. No placement, no payroll, no burden. The fastest path to revenue.
Typical range: $150 to $500. Higher for specialized clinical roles.
Be realistic. 2 to 5 per week is a solid start.
Typical range: $1,500 to $5,000/month.
LinkedIn Recruiter Lite, phone, email. $0 if using free tools.
Scenario 2 · Credentialing as a service
Range: $300 to $700 depending on complexity.
Background check, drug screen, verifications, software, staff time.
Scenario 3 · Retainer / engaged search
The only search model where you get paid BEFORE you deliver.
Typical: $15,000 to $50,000+ for executive or specialized roles.
Industry standard: 25% to 50%. One-third is most common.
1 to 3 per quarter is a solid start.
Scenario 4 · Consulting
Range: $75 to $300+ depending on specialization.
How many hours can you consult while building your agency?
Scenario 5 · Training
Range: $49 to $500+. Certification prep commands premium pricing.
Scenario 6 · Digital products & lead magnets
Range: $7 to $497.
10 to 50 per month is realistic starting out.
Scenario 7 · SOW / project-based work
Range: $2,000 to $25,000+. Start smaller to build a track record.
Subcontractors, tools, travel, materials.
Scenario 8 · Events (think tank, hot seat, round table, golf)
Start small. 15 to 50 is solid for a first event.
Estimates for planning, not financial or legal advice. The numbers are illustrations built from your inputs; your market, your state, and your carrier decide the real ones.
Does this resonate?
Pick your play. Execute it this week.
The platform turns whichever play you pick into a week-by-week launch checklist, then keeps building toward the staffing agency behind it.
Build my launch plan free →Good questions about this math
Which revenue play starts generating cash fastest?
Sourcing as a service: you can land an agreement in 1 to 2 weeks with focused outreach, and revenue can start within days of signing because you are selling effort, not infrastructure. Consulting and SOW project work are close behind at 1 to 2 weeks.
What is sourcing as a service?
You sell your ability to FIND qualified candidates: no placement, no payroll, no burden. Clients pay per delivered candidate ($150 to $500 is typical) or a monthly retainer ($1,500 to $5,000). All you need is LinkedIn, email, a phone, and an agreement template.
Why does the engaged search play show cash now versus backend?
Because a retainer or engaged search collects 25% to 50% of the fee upfront before the search begins; the balance arrives when the placement closes, possibly 60 to 120 days out. The calculator separates the two so you never confuse booked revenue with money in hand.
Can I run more than one play at once?
Yes, and the workbook encourages it: many staffing founders run two or three simultaneously. The side-by-side table compares 90-day cost, revenue, net, revenue type, and time to launch so you can pick the mix that fits your skills and network.
Are these numbers guaranteed?
No. They are planning illustrations built entirely from YOUR inputs, and every play requires setup time plus real selling before revenue flows. The calculator's job is to make the tradeoffs honest, not to promise income.
Do I get the Excel version?
Yes. The $27 one-time unlock includes the standalone Quick Start Revenue Plays workbook with every formula live plus the START HERE guide tab.
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