Start a Niche Staffing Agency for Veterans or Neurodiverse Talent

The market feels small, but SDVOSB contract set-asides and corporate inclusive hiring commitments create buyers most agencies ignore.

1. 1

   Pick one population, one role

   Veterans into logistics and field service, or neurodiverse talent into QA testing and data roles. A tight pairing lets you speak both the candidate's and the buyer's language.

2. 2

   Learn the incentives cold

   Know the WOTC tax credit employers earn per hire, SDVOSB contract set-asides, and DoD SkillBridge for candidate flow. These incentives are why buyers take your call.

3. 3

   Set up the agency properly

   Entity, insurance, a fee agreement at 15 to 25 percent of first-year salary, and a replacement guarantee. If you are a service-disabled veteran, pursue SDVOSB certification; it opens set-aside contracts.

4. 4

   Build the candidate pipeline

   Partner with base transition assistance offices and SkillBridge coordinators, or with autism employment nonprofits and university disability career centers, before you pitch a single employer.

5. 5

   Target committed buyers

   Federal contractors with veteran hiring goals and companies with public inclusive hiring pledges have quotas and budgets. Pitch the HR and supplier diversity teams, not generic recruiters.

6. 6

   Support placements past day one

   Offer structured onboarding support or job coaching for the first 90 days. Lower fall-off rates justify premium fees and are the reputation this niche runs on.

7. 7

   Turn wins into contracts

   After the first placements stick, propose an ongoing hiring partnership or pursue a set-aside contract instead of living placement to placement.