Why franchise with Spherion?
Unlock opportunity in the "Research Capitol of the World"
Choosing to enter franchising with Spherion means launching a locally owned staffing business backed by decades of experience and proven operating systems. Owners receive onboarding, recruiting tools, and ongoing guidance while maintaining control over their local market. For entrepreneurs exploring a staffing agency franchise in Ann Arbor, this model supports flexibility as workforce needs shift.
Why open a staffing franchise in Ann Arbor?
Ann Arbor is more than a college town—it is a global powerhouse for innovation, healthcare, and high-tech industry. For a recruiting franchise, this market offers a rare combination of high-wage professional roles and a massive, consistent demand for specialized support staff.
A top staffing agency franchise
Employers often rely on staffing agencies in Ann Arbor, MI, to manage hiring needs tied to academic calendars, healthcare demands, and project-based work. Choosing a staffing franchise in Ann Arbor positions owners to build long-term partnerships with employers who value consistency, responsiveness, and local insight in a competitive hiring environment.
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Ann Arbor, Michigan Business Highlights:
$1.5+ Billion Estimated temporary staffing market size (2025).
$1 Billion+ Estimated annual temporary staffing payroll, driven by high-concentration technical and healthcare sectors.
200,900+ Person civilian labor force in Washtenaw County—reaching record highs in 2024–2025.
$2.16 Billion Annual research spending at the University of Michigan (FY2025), fueling a massive ecosystem of R&D and lab-support roles.
#3 Global Ranking on the Geography of Prosperity Index (2026), outperforming hundreds of cities for long-term economic resilience.
Top 5 U.S. "AI Career" Hub among small metros, with a dense concentration of software, robotics, and biotechnology firms.
Unmatched Talent Density: Home to the highest concentration of engineers and STEM degree holders in Michigan.
Meet other Spherion franchise owners
Learning from current franchise owners helps clarify what staffing ownership looks like beyond the launch phase. Each owner brings a different leadership style, market focus, and approach to growth.
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Leah Macgregor
A steady approach to staffing often comes down to follow-through and trust built over time. That mindset shapes how Leah Macgregor runs her operation, with a clear focus on aligning employer expectations and candidate experience.
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Cayley and Elliott Henson
Strong staffing businesses often reflect how well leadership works together behind the scenes. That collaboration is central to how Cayley and Elliott Henson operate, with shared accountability and open communication guiding their day-to-day decisions.
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Phil Frassinelli
In markets where hiring needs can change quickly, organization matters. Clear workflows, proactive communication, and defined expectations shape the way Phil Frassinelli approaches staffing ownership.
Staffing franchise ownership FAQs
Understanding how franchise ownership fits the local market and what support looks like long-term can help clarify early decisions. These questions address common topics entrepreneurs explore when evaluating staffing opportunities.
Is Ann Arbor a good location for opening a staffing franchise?
Ann Arbor’s mix of universities, healthcare systems, and innovation-driven employers creates steady demand for flexible hiring solutions. Many local employers rely on staffing partners to support seasonal shifts, specialized roles, and ongoing workforce needs.
What revenue potential does a well-managed staffing franchise usually have?
Revenue potential for a staffing franchise varies based on market conditions, client mix, and how the business is operated over time. Some Spherion franchise offices that have been open at least one year reported average annual revenue of $5.6 million and average annual gross profits of $1.2 million in 2024. The staffing industry itself continues to show long-term growth trends, which can create opportunities for franchisees who build consistent employer relationships and scale thoughtfully.
What kind of ongoing coaching and support is provided to franchisees?
Franchise owners receive structured onboarding, recruiting systems, and continued business coaching. Ongoing support helps owners operate with clarity, refine strategy, and grow their staffing business with confidence as local market needs evolve.
Support & Training
Our support is our signature: Our owner community across the country is collaborative, supportive, and helpful. Spherion franchisees include multigenerational groups, husband-wife teams, former Spherion corporate employees, former franchise employees, and entrepreneurs from all walks of life. A clear supermajority (98%) agree that Spherion's training is good or better, while 91% agree that their fellow franchisees are supportive of each other and the Spherion brand.**
You'll receive 380+ hours of comprehensive role-based training before and after opening. Periodic training addresses client development, legal requirements, marketing, and sales. You'll be supported by a dedicated portfolio leader who is available to answer questions and strategize with you, as well as by a national marketing team.
Spherion owners receive complete back office and technology support for all functions related to their temporary employees. We process employee payroll, including taxes, insurance, and benefits required by law. We invoice the clients, manage collections and application of payments as well as the W-2 process at the end of the year. Our corporate office maintains, supports, and troubleshoots all technology, eliminating the need for technical expertise and investment. Spherion's model allows you to focus on the business, not get lost in the business.
Our franchisees enjoy a full range of sales and marketing tools to help promote their business, including digital marketing, SEO & SEM support; sales collateral; print, radio, billboard, and online advertising; social media content; target account programs; direct mail campaigns; salary data; thought leadership research; and community giveback programs.
You'll enroll in our New Franchisee Launch program, a comprehensive training course that covers all aspects of opening a successful Spherion office. Plus, you'll receive ongoing support from a tenured team of professionals—from accounting, payroll, and technology to operations and marketing.
Growth & Expansion Opportunity
Talent Acquisition Challenges
Despite the area’s deep talent pool, employers still struggle to fill specialized roles—particularly in healthcare, skilled trades, biotech, and high-demand administrative support. A Spherion franchise can provide targeted recruitment strategies that meet these complex workforce needs.
Flexible Work Arrangements
Ann Arbor has long been ahead of the curve on hybrid and remote work, especially in tech, research, and education. This makes staffing solutions for contract, part-time, and hybrid positions even more essential for employers looking to stay competitive.
Seasonal and Academic Hiring Patterns
The University of Michigan and other local institutions create predictable hiring cycles around the academic calendar. This drives demand for temporary staff across hospitality, events, facilities, and administration—sectors that benefit from staffing support year-round.
Small and Mid-Size Business Growth
While anchored by major institutions, Ann Arbor’s economy is bursting with innovative startups and small businesses that are scaling fast. These companies often need help navigating HR and hiring, making them ideal partners for a service-oriented staffing franchise.
Competition
The Ann Arbor staffing market includes regional players and boutique firms, but few combine the scale and specialization that Spherion brings. A franchise backed by Spherion’s national systems—yet grounded in local ownership—can differentiate through speed, service, and strategic recruiting. There’s particular opportunity in supporting high-growth sectors like healthcare, IT, research, and nonprofit.
As labor demand continues to evolve in Ann Arbor, especially in knowledge-based and hybrid roles, the market is primed for a staffing partner that brings both insight and innovation to the hiring process.
Staffing Industry Analysts predicts the US staffing industry will grow by 1% in 2025 to reach $188.7 billion. This growth will be powered by lower inflation and interest rates that allow businesses to accelerate their growth compared to previous years. Regardless of economic conditions, the need for temporary employees to fill skills gaps and for permanent workers to fulfill longer-term business goals will remain stable.
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When you're ready to start your franchising journey with Spherion, text, call, or email Dan to ask how you can become part of our franchise community.
Dan Brunell
Senior Vice President of Franchise Development
Dan boasts 30+ years of experience helping prospective franchisees succeed. His background includes founding a top franchise brokerage as well as current and past senior executive roles in the staffing industry.
This website and the franchise sales information on this website do not constitute an offer to sell a franchise. The offer of a franchise can only be made through the delivery of a franchise disclosure document. Certain states require that we register the franchise disclosure document in those states. The communications on this website are not directed by us to the residents of any of those states. Moreover, we will not offer or sell franchises in those states until we have registered the franchise (or obtained an applicable exemption from registration) and delivered the franchise disclosure document to the prospective franchisee in compliance with applicable law.
*This data is based on 64 franchisees that were open and operating their businesses for at least one full year as of 12/31/24. Of these 64 franchisees, 20 of them (31.3%) surpassed the average annual sales stated above, and 22 of them (34.4%) surpassed the average annual gross profit stated above. Some outlets have earned these amounts. Your individual results may differ. There is no assurance that you’ll earn as much. Please review Item 19 of our April 18, 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) for more information.
**Franchise Business Review survey, December 2024