Where Small-Metro Energy Meets Big-Time Opportunity
Build your future in a $94 million temp staffing market
Burlington, NC isn’t just in the middle of North Carolina—it’s in the middle of everything that makes business grow. Straddling the I-40/I-85 corridor, it’s perfectly placed between the innovation hubs of the Research Triangle and the manufacturing might of the Piedmont Triad. Here, companies tap into a 1.7 million-strong labor force, a business-friendly climate, and a cost of living that keeps both employers and employees planted for the long haul.
Burlington’s economy blends established corporate anchors with an expanding roster of small and midsized companies. The result? A market that’s as stable as it is dynamic, with new projects and investments steadily adding to the area’s momentum. Employers in Burlington value relationships, results, and reliability—making it a prime setting for a locally owned staffing franchise powered by national resources.
Workforce development isn’t an afterthought here—it’s part of the DNA. Alamance Community College’s Career Accelerator Program and regional initiatives like the Eastern Triad Workforce Initiative ensure a steady pipeline of skilled, motivated talent.
Top employers in the Burlington-Alamance County area:
- Laboratory Corp of America (Labcorp)
- Alamance-Burlington School System
- Cone Health Alamance Regional Medical Center
- Elon University
- Honda Power Equipment Manufacturing
- Glen Raven, Inc.
- Walmart
- GKN Driveline
With its strategic location, strong educational infrastructure, and diverse industry base, Burlington offers the kind of environment where a staffing franchise can build lasting partnerships—and a serious competitive edge.
Burlington, NC Business Highlights
Named among "100 Best Communities for Young People" by America's Promise Alliance
73,000+ person workforce in Alamance County
Home to Alamance Community College and Elon University
Designated as a "Main Street America" community
Recognized as part of the Piedmont Triad region's economic development corridor
$94 million temporary staffing industry (2023) with average payroll per staffing branch of $1.95 million
About You
Who is an ideal Spherion Staffing franchise owner candidate?
What skills and traits does the ideal Spherion franchise candidate possess? After more than 65 years of franchising, here are the character traits, leadership skills, and business expertise we expect our franchise candidates to demonstrate:
- Sufficient operating capital or the ability to obtain operating funds from a verifiable source
- At least 5 years' experience leading and developing a team or teams in areas of:
- Customer development, service and support
- Sales and prospect identification and activities
- Managing a P&L, basic accounting principals, accounts receivables management and delivery of compensation recommendations and guidance
- Personal experience in sales and market development including new business prospecting, sales calling, consultative selling skills, business negotiation skills and responding to bid opportunities
- At least 3 years' experience recruiting, hiring and developing team members to manage role-specific responsibilities and demonstrate criteria-based results
- Personal residence within your desired market
- A strong desire to contribute to your community; involvement in civic and community business organizations
- Confident speaking and presentation skills
If this sounds like you, read more about franchising with Spherion Staffing. Then, contact Dan Brunell to get started on your Spherion path to franchise ownership!
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.
Competition
A Robust Market Ready for Strategic Expansion
The Burlington, North Carolina staffing market presents exceptional growth potential for Spherion franchise owners, with a well-established $94 million temporary staffing industry as of 2023 and an impressive average payroll per staffing branch of $1.95 million. This market size demonstrates both the maturity and profitability potential of staffing services in the region, while ongoing economic trends suggest significant opportunities for expansion.
Burlington's position within the Piedmont Triad region provides access to talent pools from Greensboro, High Point, and surrounding communities while maintaining lower operational costs than competitors in larger metropolitan areas.
Spherion's investment in recruitment technology and candidate management systems provides Burlington franchise owners with tools that can significantly improve placement efficiency and client satisfaction compared to traditional local competitors. These technological advantages are particularly valuable in today's competitive talent market.
Growth & Expansion Opportunity
How can you build your Spherion business in Burlington?
Alamance County's ongoing economic development initiatives and business attraction efforts continue to bring new employers to the region. Each new business arrival creates potential staffing opportunities, from initial startup support to ongoing workforce solutions.
Spherion's success in similar mid-sized markets throughout the Carolinas demonstrates the franchise system's ability to adapt to regional workforce dynamics while providing the national resources that local competitors cannot match. The combination of local market knowledge with national recruiting capabilities creates competitive advantages in both temporary and direct hire services.
The Burlington market's industrial diversity—from manufacturing to healthcare to professional services—aligns perfectly with Spherion's comprehensive service model. Franchise owners can develop expertise across multiple sectors rather than depending on a single industry, creating more stable and sustainable revenue growth.
With a $94 million market foundation, strong average branch performance metrics, and favorable workforce trends across multiple industries, the Burlington, North Carolina market represents an outstanding opportunity for Spherion franchise owners to build a profitable and growing staffing business. The combination of established market demand, reasonable competition levels, and ongoing economic development creates an environment where dedicated franchise owners can achieve both immediate success and long-term expansion.
Request More Information
Learn more about buying a franchise with Spherion Staffing
Become a Spherion Business Owner.
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