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At a glance: money to start · hours · how fast it pays · how much you keep · how much it can earn. Taller bars are better; the dashed line is halfway.

Labour supply: what it really costs to start

Starting a labour supply business in Europe costs €15,000–€70,000 in 2026, with first income after about 14 weeks and earnings of up to €8,000 a month working full time.

Last updated: September 2026 · sources at the bottom of the page

Supplying crews to sites and venues.

Labour supply in numbers
Money to start €15,000–€70,000 What you spend before the first customer pays: kit, stock, licences, launch.
Hours a week 35–60 What it takes to run it properly, from part time to full time.
Weeks to first income about 14 How long you pay in before any money comes back. You still need to live in those weeks.
Kept of every €100 €8 What stays with you after running costs, before you pay yourself for your hours.
Most it earns a month €1,200 part time · €8,000 full time + A realistic ceiling for you running it. It can grow further, but only by hiring or adding units.
Competition medium Some competition: running it well is what decides.
Licence or qualification not usually Beyond registering the business and insurance, nothing specific in our research.

This maximum is not a wall

The figure above is what this earns in the shape described: you, running it. Past that it keeps going, but by hiring people or adding units, not by you working more hours. That is a different job from the one you would be starting, and worth knowing before you start it.

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What nobody usually tells you

Scales faster than almost anything here: every extra worker is a few euros an hour, and a hundred workers is a real business. It is a cashflow machine in reverse — you fund the wages, and one late-paying client can end it.

The route, in five steps

  1. Payroll float is the business: you pay weekly, clients pay monthly
  2. Check every right-to-work document — fines here are ruinous
  3. Charge a margin per hour, €4-8, and hold it
  4. Hospitality and construction are where the volume is
  5. One client over 40% of revenue is a loaded gun

What you'll need to buy

These are the categories this business pays for in the first month. We go through the software side on the tools page.

payroll floatemployer insurancecompliance checksscheduling software

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Common questions

How much does it cost to start a labour supply business?

Between €15,000 and €70,000 to begin. That covers payroll float, employer insurance, compliance checks and the rest of the setup. It does not cover your own living costs during the 14 weeks before the first income arrives, which is the cost most people forget.

How long after starting a labour supply business does the first income arrive?

Around 14 weeks to the first euro. Reaching the realistic maximum of €8,000 a month takes considerably longer, and assumes 60 hours a week.

How much can you earn a month if you start a labour supply business?

Up to about €8,000 a month working full time, or €1,200 part time. Of every €100 it takes, about €8 stays with you after running costs. Past that it can grow, but by hiring people or adding units rather than by working more hours.

Can you start a labour supply business alongside a job?

Yes, at a cost. Part time it realistically tops out around €1,200 a month, against €8,000 working full time, and it needs 35–60 hours a week.

Is there a lot of competition?

Competition is medium. Neither crowded nor protected: winning comes down to how well you run it rather than whether you can enter.

Similar businesses to compare

Sources

Where these numbers come from. Figures are rounded ranges for European markets; check the ones you are about to spend money on. Last checked September 2026.

  1. IBISWorld — Temporary employment placement agencies in the UK: market size competition · what it earns
  2. Forma — Accounting guide for recruitment agencies (PAYE, VAT on the full charge, cash flow) money to start · share kept · licence

Does it fit you?

These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on your money, your hours and how long you can wait. Put them in and see.

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