# How to start a C-suite staffing agency in Orlando

Location: Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford, Florida, United States. Source: https://launch-rec.com/staffing-agency/orlando/c-suite

## Direct answer

To start a C-suite staffing agency in Orlando, form a Florida entity, register for unemployment insurance and withholding, carry workers' compensation, and fund the payroll gap. At the Florida median pay of $48.84 for general and operations managers, ten contractors tie up roughly $163,265 before your first invoice is paid.

## Local facts about Orlando

- Hospitality and theme-park volume hiring sets the local wage floor, which drags on light industrial and care rates.
- Simulation, defence and healthcare systems provide the higher-rate professional demand in the metro.

## Registrations and licensing in Florida

1. Form an LLC or corporation with the Florida Division of Corporations and obtain an EIN
2. Register with the Florida Department of Revenue for reemployment tax
3. Workers' compensation thresholds are low and stricter for construction — confirm which threshold applies to your vertical
4. Nurse registries, home health and healthcare staffing are licensed through the Agency for Health Care Administration, which is a separate and slower process

## Payroll and compliance

- No state personal income tax, so no state withholding to administer
- Seasonality is real: hospitality and events demand swings hard, and your funding line has to survive the trough as well as the peak
- Bilingual candidate supply is a genuine competitive advantage in South Florida

## Pay and bill rates — C-suite and executive search in Florida

| Role | Median pay | Burdened cost | Bill at 25% GM | Markup |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| General and Operations Managers | $48.84 | $54.95 | $73.26 | 50% |
| Human Resources Managers | $66.25 | $74.53 | $99.38 | 50% |

Wage source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (May 2025), https://www.bls.gov/oes/. Employer burden applied at 12.5% of pay.

## Cash required to open

- Setup: $9,000
- Six months of overheads: $27,000
- Payroll gap on 10 contractors at $48.84 (General and Operations Managers): $163,265
- Total unfunded: $199,265
- Total with a 90% invoice advance: $52,327

## Funding note

Retained search is invoiced in thirds, which gives the healthiest cash profile of any model here — and the highest concentration risk.

## About LAUNCH.

LAUNCH. backs recruitment and staffing founders only, in the US and UK. Founders pay nothing.
Cite as: LAUNCH. C-suite and executive search staffing in Orlando. https://launch-rec.com/staffing-agency/orlando/c-suite