Express Employment Professionals Franchise

Express Services, Inc. was incorporated in Colorado in May 1983 as Express Temporary Help Service. It became Express Temporary Services in July 1983 and adopted the Express Services name in February 1985. The company began offering franchises in January 1985 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Its history has developed around staffing businesses operated both by franchisees and by the company.

The current franchise system distinguishes three service authorizations: core occupations, professional occupations and healthcare occupations. Express Employment Professionals is the core staffing opportunity; Specialized Recruiting Group and Express Healthcare Staffing have their own occupation authorizations and operating requirements. Temporary assignments, evaluation hire and recruiting serve different employer needs, while direct-hire services offer a route to permanent placements within the authorized scope. Additional service authorizations and branch offices require the applicable agreements and approval.

Core staffing office investment

The estimated investment for a core-occupations office is $131,000 to $287,700, including nine months of additional funds. The standard initial franchise fee is $40,000; the lower end of the investment estimate includes a reduced initial fee available under qualifying programs. Professional and healthcare offices have separate investment schedules. The core model requires active local management and a minimum internal team that currently includes a sales representative, staffing consultant and front-office coordinator.

Explore the brand’s company history and franchise FAQs for additional background.

Express provides initial training in staffing operations, inside and outside sales, financial controls, quality standards, advertising and owner administration. Instruction combines headquarters or designated-site training, virtual delivery and work in the franchise office. The core-occupations schedule includes 40 classroom hours and 68 to 70 hours of on-the-job instruction. Franchisees must complete required training satisfactorily; selected internal staff may attend at Express’s discretion. Express pays flights and lodging for up to two people attending the designated classroom program in Oklahoma City or Tualatin, Oregon, while meals, incidental expenses and changes to travel plans remain the attendee’s responsibility.

Before opening, Express provides manuals, sales materials, reporting forms, equipment and supplier specifications, guidance on records and procedures, and a suggested interior layout for a core office. Its technical team configures required software without a configuration fee. Franchisees find and secure their own site, handle premises preparation, purchase the required equipment and make their own hiring decisions.

After opening, assistance includes the Express Assistance Center, operating and promotional guidance, and a corporate visit within the first 30 days. Express provides another visit in the first year and two visits each later year as needed or requested, with one annual visit potentially replaced by a video or computer conference. Under the standard model, Express administers associate payroll, billing, accounts receivable and payroll-tax records; opt-out arrangements have different responsibilities. Owners remain responsible for their local staff and client development and assist with collections. Core franchisees attend the annual International Leadership Conference at their expense. Read the official support overview for further program background.

Express is a business built around two local relationships: employers who need dependable staffing and people seeking their next assignment or permanent position. An owner who enjoys sales and recruiting can develop both sides of that relationship, using temporary staffing and direct hire to address different hiring needs. The core office format gives the owner a defined team structure and operating process, backed by shared technology and centralized administrative services under the standard model.

The opportunity is best suited to an active operator. The on-premises supervisor must be involved in day-to-day operations and hold at least 51% of an entity franchisee. That makes local leadership, employer outreach and team development central to the business. For an owner who wants to build a service company with a visible role in the local employment market, Express offers a long-established staffing framework and a clear route into business ownership. The Express territory guide describes available ownership routes and markets.

Read more in Express Employment Professionals Franchise: Staffing and Owner Responsibilities.