FRANCHISE RESALES

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Buy an AtWork Franchise

AtWork is a staffing and recruiting franchise founded in 1986 and franchising since 1992, headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee. The brand operates two distinct franchise models: AtWork Personnel, a physical office serving light industrial, warehouse, and administrative/clerical staffing; and AtWork Professional, a remote-based concept covering specialized sectors including IT, engineering, accounting, legal, and marketing.

Each Personnel franchise operates from a protected geographic territory with at least two staff members; the Professional model runs without a commercial lease and carries a national territory for its chosen specialty. Both models focus on B2B relationships, with franchisees sourcing vetted candidates and placing them into temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire roles for employer clients.

AtWork’s corporate team provides in-house payroll funding and processing for all franchisees, covering a back-office function that independent staffing agencies typically manage at substantially higher cost. With approximately 100 locations across the country, AtWork is one of the more established staffing franchises in the US, recognized by Franchise Business Review, Staffing Industry Analysts, and ClearlyRated.

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Why buy an AtWork Franchise?

The staffing sector has proved resilient across economic cycles, with employer demand for flexible labor holding steady even in softer markets. AtWork’s coverage of light industrial, administrative, and professional staffing segments gives franchisees exposure across multiple employer types. The brand’s in-house payroll infrastructure is a meaningful overhead advantage over independent operators.

For those looking to buy a staffing franchise, AtWork offers a low-cost entry point relative to industry standards. WOTC eligibility is a genuine advantage: AtWork is one of the few staffing franchises that makes owner-operators eligible for Work Opportunity Tax Credits, which can improve location-level profitability. The combination of national resources and local autonomy enables owners to build profitable businesses that positively impact their communities by connecting people to meaningful employment.

AtWork Franchise Costs & Information

Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD

  • Brand Profile

    • Year Founded

      1986

    • Franchising Since

      1992

    • New Startup Cost

      $165,000 – $250,000

    • Avg. Resale Price

      Contact us for details
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  • Franchise Fees

    • Initial franchise Fee

      $60,000

      for new territories

    • Transfer Fee

      50%

      of current Initial Franchise Fee

    • Royalty Fee

      7%

      of Gross Revenue

    • Marketing Fee

      0.5%

      of Gross Revenue

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  • Unit Performance

    • Total Units *

      90

    • New Units Opened *

      21

    • Units Transferred *

      0

    • Avg. Unit revenue *

      $3,658,091

    * Based on 2025 data reported in the 2026 FDD
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AtWork – Additional  Information

  1. Training & Support

    AtWork's initial training follows three phases: the Owner's Launch Camp, a full week of Foundation Learning at the corporate headquarters in Knoxville, and a Field Implementation Week with a dedicated field operations representative on-site at the franchisee's location. Ongoing support includes a personal field operations executive assigned to each branch, in-house payroll funding and processing, annual conventions, regional meetings, and access to a discounted tech stack. Resale buyers should confirm what onboarding training and system access AtWork provides when ownership changes.

  2. Ideal Owner

    The ideal AtWork franchisee is outgoing and relationship-driven, with experience in B2B sales, account management, staffing, or customer service. Prior staffing industry experience is not required, but comfort with sales prospecting, managing client expectations, and leading a small team of recruiters and account managers is important. The Personnel model suits owners who want an active community presence; the Professional model suits specialists in fields such as IT, accounting, or legal who prefer a remote operating structure.

  3. Recognition & Awards

    AtWork holds Franchise Business Review's Hall of Fame designation and received the FBR Franchisee Excellence Award in 2026 and Top Franchise recognition in 2025, part of a consistent record of franchisee satisfaction awards going back to 2019. The brand is recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as one of the largest staffing firms in the US and by ClearlyRated for Best of Staffing Client and Talent satisfaction. AtWork is listed on the Franchise Times Top 400 and holds IFA membership. For resale buyers, unit-level reputation, local reviews, and client retention are the most direct indicators of goodwill to assess.

  4. Industry / Market

    The US staffing industry, spanning temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct hire placements, is a multi-hundred-billion-dollar market. IBISWorld projects the US office staffing and temp agency segment to reach $290 billion by 2030, growing at around 2.2% annually. Demand is driven by employer preference for workforce flexibility and cyclical hiring peaks in light industrial, logistics, and professional sectors. For resale buyers, unit performance is closely tied to local labor market conditions and the employer client base the location has built.

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