Clients needed for care temporary staffing agency

[MoSpeedley]

Hi everyone,

I’m a care temporary staffing agency owner with no clients for almost 2 years. I have tried many sales/marketing techniques in getting clients but none is working. I have loads of qualified and experienced carers/Support workers with atleast 6 months paid experience in the UK.

I’m here randomly based on google search on how to get clients. Please help

Kind regards
Mo

 

[japancool]

How did you get clients two years ago?

 

[MoSpeedley]

How did you get clients two years ago?

I said I started the agency 2 years ago with no clients yet.

 

[japancool]

I said I started the agency 2 years ago with no clients yet.

So you've never had any clients?

 

[Webapex]

But what are things you have try out to reach people who are in need of your services

 

[fisicx]

As above, what have you tried? Considering the shortage of care workers it may simply be you are using the wrong techniques or your pitch is wrong.

 

[NickGrogan]

Im confused. Are you saying you've run a care agency for two years, but never had any clients and never placed any candidates.

You said you have loads of candidates with 6 months+ experience. Where are you sourcing these candidates from?

Getting clients for a care agency is literally the easiest thing in the world of recruitment. Every single care home is always looking for staff.

My wife who had absolutely no knowledge of recruitment, care workers or anything else even vaguely related to working in care sector could sign up 2 or 3 clients in a "day". Her working day was typically less that 2 hours and never more than 4.

You mention temps. Do you have sufficient funding in place to pay them staff weekly and get paid on 60 days net monthly from the care homes? They'll promise quicker, but it won't materialise.

 

[WaveJumper]

Realistically has the "pool' of experienced care staff you have been sitting around for two years waiting for you to get them work, pretty sure if it was me I would have had my fingers in many other pies especially when companies are falling over themselves to get care workers on board.

I would have thought you get clients by getting out there and speaking to care homes, NHS, local council services. A family member here has just spent the whole of Easter in hospital as enough home care staff could not be sourced to give her the support she needed at home...... so the works out there

 

[Mark T Jones]

There is a catch, or a twist - what might it be?

Are you pricing yourself ot of the market?

Is there something abnormal in your offering?

There is no other reason - the challenge of a care agency is one of balance or plate-spunning, not of finding clients

 

[Shopclicks]

Go to the job boards (Indeed, Total Jobs, Reed, etc.) and see who's hiring in your sector. Contact them and sell them: they'll never have to advertise or interview for a care position again. One phone call and you'll send someone that day. Someone fully trained and experienced. You need to be pro-active and enthusiastic. If you don't do this, your candidates are going to go direct to the employer and bypass you.

And become a paid member of this forum and get a website review. Your website needs SEO help.

 

[japancool]

Pick up the phone.

Simples.

 

[NickGrogan]

Pick up the phone.

Simples.

Send an email, which is even simpler. My wife never called anyone. Email them, and they'll happily agree to terms, send requirements, etc., all without speaking to anyone. Get them to call you once basics are agreed.

I'd ignore SEO as well; you don't need it to get clients.

 

[Ian J]

You mention temps. Do you have sufficient funding in place to pay them staff weekly and get paid on 60 days net monthly from the care homes? They'll promise quicker, but it won't materialise.

That's why the recruitment sector is the largest sector using invoice finance to fund their working capital requirements

 

[fisicx]

@MoSpeedley - another likely cause of the problem is the website. Can’t review here as that’s only for business members. But I can tell you it needs a some major rework. And you need to be much more proactive. You need to talk to the care homes rather than expect them to talk to you.

 

[Shopclicks]

I'd ignore SEO as well; you don't need it to get clients.

care home jobs (6,600 Google searches per month)
nursing jobs (8,100 Google searches per month)
support workers jobs (6,000 Google searches per month)

I wouldn't be ignoring SEO if I wanted the attention of both jobseekers and employers. A few changes on the website after some keyword research could prove worthwhile. If I needed to hire a care worker, the first place I'd go is Google (Or I'd call the agency that reached out and impressed me with their pitch).

 

[NickGrogan]

I'm going to disagree with this, @fisicx. Most clients will never look at the website, and those that do won't really care.

 

[IanSuth]

That's why the recruitment sector is the largest sector using invoice finance to fund their working capital requirements

Especially when it is written in the law you can not have pay when paid clauses for temps - they need to be paid with money leaving your account the tuesday following the week they worked.

 

[NickGrogan]

care home jobs (6,600 Google searches per month)
nursing jobs (8,100 Google searches per month)
support workers jobs (6,000 Google searches per month)

I wouldn't be ignoring SEO if I wanted the attention of both jobseekers and employers. A few changes on the website after some keyword research could prove worthwhile. If I needed to hire a care worker, the first place I'd go is Google (Or I'd call the agency that reached out and impressed me with their pitch).

All those searches make sense for candidates, but less so for HR or hiring managers.

Getting clients is too easy, it's candidates that are the issue.

 

[IanSuth]

Hi everyone,

I’m a care temporary staffing agency owner with no clients for almost 2 years. I have tried many sales/marketing techniques in getting clients but none is working. I have loads of qualified and experienced carers/Support workers with atleast 6 months paid experience in the UK.

I’m here randomly based on google search on how to get clients. Please help

Kind regards
Mo

Have you done your cqc registration - your website says "Our staffing specialities include supplying registered Nurses" pretty sure that is regulated and you have to be registered to do that, same with domiciliary care

Registration of domiciliary care agencies (England) - GOV.UK

You need to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to operate a domiciliary care agency in England in order to provide care in a person's home

www.gov.uk

to quote that .gov page

Fines and penalties​

If you carry out a regulated activity without being registered, you will be committing an offence, and you could be fined and/or imprisoned.

 

[fisicx]

I'm going to disagree with this, @fisicx. Most clients will never look at the website, and those that do won't really care.

I agree. But if his marketing strategy is to point people to his website then it fails.

I suspect this was a fire and forget project. Mo probably hasn’t contacted anyone touring for business. Which is why he hasn’t placed any staff.

 

[Shopclicks]

All those searches make sense for candidates, but less so for HR or hiring managers.

The search volumes for terms that HR or Hiring managers are much lower but there's no reason not to target phrases like 'care home staff' or 'nursing staff'. Indeed do this, so why wouldn't any other agency.

 

[NickGrogan]

Have you done your cqc registration - your website says "Our staffing specialities include supplying registered Nurses" pretty sure that is regulated and you have to be registered to do that, same with domiciliary care

Registration of domiciliary care agencies (England) - GOV.UK

You need to register with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to operate a domiciliary care agency in England in order to provide care in a person's home

www.gov.uk

to quote that .gov page

Fines and penalties​

If you carry out a regulated activity without being registered, you will be committing an offence, and you could be fined and/or imprisoned.

I bet he's glad he never had a client

 

[NickGrogan]

The search volumes for terms that HR or Hiring managers are much lower but there's no reason not to target phrases like 'care home staff' or 'nursing staff'. Indeed do this, so why wouldn't any other agency.

Indeed are targetting hiring managers to sell them ad space, nothing wrong with that.

He certainly could improve the SEO, but in the time it would take him to say I should improve the SEO he could sign up a new client.

 

[IanSuth]

Just read your terms and conditions.

Have you ever had anything to do with recruitment ?

Your terms are irrelevant and wrong for a staffing agency - for your own sake do some research and get hold of a set of model terms for an agency. There is for example nothing in your terms to stop a client taking on your staff direct without oweing you anything, or passing them to another agency even.

 

[fisicx]

It seems to be a template site. They haven’t even rewritten the content.

All of which suggests this thread will achieve very little unless @MoSpeedley is prepared to put in the hours to make the business work. Sadly I’m not sure this will happen.

 

[NickGrogan]

But he's put 2 years in already.

Not sure what he's been doing for that time, but still 2 years.

 

[MoSpeedley]

So you've never had any clients?

Yes no clients yet

 

[NickGrogan]

Yes no clients yet

Honestly, how have you managed this?

Have you emailed anyone, called anyone, written to anyone?

What did you say? What did they say?

 

[IanSuth]

Yes no clients yet

If you have workers then just pick up the phone to local care homes and you will have clients by tomorrow lunchtime (assuming you have a correct legal set of terms of business you can put in front of them)

There is no shortage of orgs needing care workers but a huge shortage of carers

 

[MoSpeedley]

Im confused. Are you saying you've run a care agency for two years, but never had any clients and never placed any candidates.

You said you have loads of candidates with 6 months+ experience. Where are you sourcing these candidates from?

Getting clients for a care agency is literally the easiest thing in the world of recruitment. Every single care home is always looking for staff.

My wife who had absolutely no knowledge of recruitment, care workers or anything else even vaguely related to working in care sector could sign up 2 or 3 clients in a "day". Her working day was typically less that 2 hours and never more than 4.

You mention temps. Do you have sufficient funding in place to pay them staff weekly and get paid on 60 days net monthly from the care homes? They'll promise quicker, but it won't materialise.

Yes I haven't placed any candidates yet.

Yes I have sufficient funding in place to pay them staff weekly, I will use invoice finance company to pay them.

Yes you're right that every single care home is always looking for staff, but if approached, either they said I should contact their head office, or I should contact their vendor. If I proceed to contact their head office, they would say they don't need agency for now. If I also contact their vendors, they always they have enough agencies now which automatically leaves me in a limbo.

Please how does your wife sign up 2 or 3 clients in a "day". What do I need to achieve that.

Many Thanks

 

[MoSpeedley]

Send an email, which is even simpler. My wife never called anyone. Email them, and they'll happily agree to terms, send requirements, etc., all without speaking to anyone. Get them to call you once basics are agreed.

I'd ignore SEO as well; you don't need it to get clients.

I have sent numerous emails, done some telesales, sent out flyers.

Please how did she get the emails and please can I see the template, maybe my template needs some edit.

Many thanks

 

[MoSpeedley]

If you have workers then just pick up the phone to local care homes and you will have clients by tomorrow lunchtime (assuming you have a correct legal set of terms of business you can put in front of them)

There is no shortage of orgs needing care workers but a huge shortage of carers

Yes you're right. I have done this but none is working out. That's the reason I ended up here trying to find a way out. Thanks

 

[NickGrogan]

What are you saying to these care homes?
What does your email say?
Can you copy and paste here?

 

[MoSpeedley]

I agree. But if his marketing strategy is to point people to his website then it fails.

I suspect this was a fire and forget project. Mo probably hasn’t contacted anyone touring for business. Which is why he hasn’t placed any staff.

I have done loads of marketing strategy with proofs but none is working.

With everything I have done and the passion I have for the industry, I don't know if I'm doing the wrong thing. So I'm trying to recruit a recruitment consultant or sales executive so they can bring in their expertise to the company. I have no recruitment experience nor sales experience, I'm a senior carer who decided to start this business to help filled the shortage of care workers in the UK. Though I used a consultant to start up the business which was perfect except the clients part which I'm struggling to get.

 

[MoSpeedley]

What are you saying to these care homes?
What does your email say?
Can you copy and paste here?

Dear ABC company,

My name is XYZ, and I'm reaching out because we are a temporary staffing company for the healthcare sector in the UK.

Our company name is RRRRR and registration no 11111. We are capable of supplying agency staff to Care homes, NHS, Supported living e.t.c.

We have a large database of qualified and experienced Healthcare Assistants/Support Workers, and Senior Healthcare Assistants.

All our staff have atleast 6 months UK care experience within the last one year, and we do an additional in-house care training for them before we start allocating them shifts.


Our company would like to be part of your agency suppliers.

Please visit our website for more info at www.errrrr.co.uk.

I have also attached our client leaflets.


I look forward to hearing from you


Many thanks

XYZ

Client Relationship Manager

0123456789

 

[NickGrogan]

The clients part is the only part that matters, the rest is just fluff. I'm not sure what the consultant did for you, but I hope you didn't pay them much.

I wouldn't recommend hiring someone at this stage, you need to understand and make the business work first.

As a senior carer you have an idea how the business works and what its all about, so I don't really understand how its not working.

 

[NickGrogan]

we do an additional in-house care training for them before we start allocating them shifts.

Is this true? How did you plan to do this?

 

[NickGrogan]

OK, not the worst.

Dear NAMED CONTACT (find out who the manager of ABC company is)

(My name is XYZ, and I'm reaching out because we are a temporary staffing company for the healthcare sector in the UK. - DELETE No one wants to know your name and of course its UK, we're in the UK)

We provide temporary staff to healthcare providers like you

(Our company name is RRRRR and registration no 11111. We are capable of supplying agency staff to Care homes, NHS, Supported living e.t.c. DELETE, you said that already)

We have a large database of qualified and experienced Healthcare Assistants/Support Workers, and Senior Healthcare Assistants. (Good)

(All our staff have atleast 6 months UK care experience within the last one year, and we do an additional in-house care training for them before we start allocating them shifts. Wordy and confusing, plus if I want someone tonight, when are you going to train them?)

All our candidates have at least 6 months UK experience, and we provide them with additional in house training on a regular basis

(Our company would like to be part of your agency suppliers. Delete, what does this mean?)

(Please visit our website for more info at www.errrrr.co.uk. Nope, you've got their attention now, don't send them elsewhere)

(I have also attached our client leaflets. Nope, not needed)


I look forward to hearing from you


Many thanks

XYZ

(Client Relationship Manager) Director

0123456789


Which actually leaves you with


Dear NAMED CONTACT

We provide temporary staff to healthcare providers like you.

We have a large database of qualified and experienced Healthcare Assistants/Support Workers, and Senior Healthcare Assistants.

All our candidates have at least 6 months' UK experience, and we regularly provide them with additional in-house training.

Do you have any roles that you're having trouble filling at the moment?

I look forward to hearing from you

Many thanks

XYZ
Director
0123456789

 

[NickGrogan]

This is a genuine email that my son sent out. He was 14 when he wrote it, so it's not that polished.

Good Evening,

I saw you are recruiting on your website for Nurses and Support Workers in different areas, which my team specializes in recruiting for, and wondered if you would be looking to engage with a recruitment agency on this role?

What's is the best time and contact number to talk to you? Should we send you our Terms of Business?

This is the entire email, less his signature of course.

In one day that exact email signed up 3 clients, including a trial run with a company that ran 47 homes.

It's not a good email; it says almost nothing, and yet they are so desperate for staff that it works.

Which is why I don't understand how you can be two years in with no clients.

 

[Deleted member 356896]

I have done loads of marketing strategy with proofs but none is working.

With everything I have done and the passion I have for the industry, I don't know if I'm doing the wrong thing. So I'm trying to recruit a recruitment consultant or sales executive so they can bring in their expertise to the company. I have no recruitment experience nor sales experience, I'm a senior carer who decided to start this business to help filled the shortage of care workers in the UK. Though I used a consultant to start up the business which was perfect except the clients part which I'm struggling to get.

What area do you cover? Was speaking to someone today who’s after some staff.