CPG, an emerging recruiting franchise is on the cusp of major franchise growth after trying and testing its franchise model in 2022 – awarding and opening 5 locations in its first 6 months of franchising.
“We didn’t come out of the gates and say we would sell hundreds of franchises in year one,” said Christian Saab, the 30-year-old founder and CEO. “We came out and said let’s hyper focus on making our first franchisees successful, then grow. We are doing that by challenging the growing frustrations of business owners and leaders working with the recruiting world.”
The recruiting world is flooded with competition. Saab knew this. But he also knew that client satisfaction was limited.
“People hate staffing companies, but they have no choice but to use them because demand is so high,” he said. “As someone coming into the industry with a fresh set of eyes, I realized the only way to differentiate was to do things differently — find out what most of them are doing wrong, and do the opposite.”
Saab says he would always ask the same three questions to every business owner he talked to: “How does the money flow in your business model” “Why do you enjoy doing what you are doing?” and “What is the worst part of the business?”
“I compiled answers across two years, and although I talked to people from nearly every industry, everyone had the same answer for the third question: their biggest headache was finding employees,” said Saab. “I knew If I could solve that issue, I would never run out of work. That is how I discovered the recruiting world.”
CPG specializes in finding and solving the root cause problems of recruiting, onboarding, training, and employee retention for industry-leading businesses. The company offers a full suite of back office support, including a CRM lead generator tool (Diva), cloud-based operating procedures, automated billing and client agreements and more.
Saab Couldn’t Stand Corporate Life
Just like many first time franchise owners, Saab felt frustrated in the corporate world and didn’t see a pathway to building the wealth he desired.
“I looked at my boss’s boss’s boss,” said Saab. “He had been there for years upon years. I thought of my own wealth dreams. Not only did he not have that wealth, he had to grind to get there — and there were layers upon layers blocking me from even getting there. That’s when I decided I had to be in business for myself.”
After working as an engineer at Chrysler, Saab dove into entrepreneurship with a mobile detailing business, which ended up being extremely successful. “I quit my job to run it full-time, but I knew it wasn’t going to be forever,” he said. “It was just to prove to myself I could run my own company.”
Saab ended up selling that mobile detailing company five years later. Around the same time, he says he had another breakthrough moment.
“With my detailing business, we don’t offer a mobile service in the winter, so I had two vans that were just sitting there for four months out of the year,” said Saab. “In order to make some extra money during the winter, we started using the trucks to deliver Amazon packages. I found several people who wanted to deliver packages and ended up connecting some of them with a friend who needed a driver for his landscaping job. In that moment, everything came together: I needed to help companies find the right people. The next day, I was a part of the recruiting industry.”
Fueled by this experience, CPG was created with a simple value proposition: identify and fix the problems an organization is having when recruiting, training and retaining its employees.
But it was hard. Saab hustled, but was limited by team resources. “I love that franchising builds support around the entrepreneur,” he said. “We are solving both the life dream and supporting people to get there.”
Over the last four years, that approach has proven to work, especially following the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing labor shortages. Now, CPG has launched a turn-key franchise model that allows new agents to start a business in their local community and repeat Saab’s success.
“We are selling a lifestyle,” said Saab. “When I first entered the recruiting world, I wanted to be part of a business that was a necessity, not a luxury. I also wanted to sell high-ticket items to high-volume customers, deal with high-profile clientele, enjoy residual income, have the freedom to live anywhere geographically and be able to easily scale my business and run it like a well-oiled machine. Today, these are the talking points I share with other franchise owner candidates.”
Since starting to franchise, CPG has already sold five units throughout the U.S. and Canada — Windsor, Ontario; Edmonton, Alberta; Detroit, Michigan; London W., Ontario and London E., Ontario.
How CPG Stand Outs as a Franchise Opportunity with Low Startup Costs, Market Availability and Attractive Lifestyle Benefits
Although Saab recognized the strength and recession-resistant nature of the recruiting industry, he also knew he needed to find a business that would provide him with the life he wanted to live.
“No one defines themselves by work,” said Saab. “But your work is your method of making the money to give you the lifestyle you want to have. Hours, money, routine — it all has to complement your daily life. A lot of people pick a career and build a life around it, but it should be the opposite. Once you are clear on the life you want to live, you can find the exact right job.”
When it comes to the CPG franchise model, Saab says there are several ways the concept stands out as an investment. “We have a very similar franchise fee to competitors, $40,000 to $60,000, but most other recruiting concepts have a temporary firm contract staffing model, which brings along a lot of risk,” he said. “This is where a recruitee is technically hired by the staffing company and is contracted out to an organization. That means the owner has to front the payroll, which can add up quickly with a lot of employees. CPG uses a direct placement model. I simply introduce the employee, and the client hires them. After one month of work, we get a one-time check.”
The CPG franchise also keeps start-up costs low because franchisees aren't required to open an office or hire a huge team. The total initial investment necessary to start a CPG franchise ranges from $50,000-$75,000, including a $50,000 franchise fee.
“You have zero overhead and no running costs,” said Saab. “You can work from home and bring in customers at no cost. You don’t have to sign away your freedom by signing a lease. We give you the flexibility to build a business around your lifestyle. Whether you are looking to start a passive business with one employee or an active business with 15 employees, we can make it work for you.”
This simplified and flexible model also helps owners achieve profitability faster. “After only six months of operation, every location that we’ve opened has seen profits,” Saab said. “That is when we knew we could really dominate through franchising.”
Overall, Saab says the value proposition for franchisees comes down to the support and team they will have behind them. “We are here to ensure you never feel alone and that you have the clarity to build a business that matches your lifestyle,” he said. “It all comes back to what you want and how you want to live. We are selling freedom — CPG is a tool to make you the money you need to live your best life.”
Why CPG is Set to Dominate the Recruiting Industry
When looking up reviews of staffing companies, Saab says it is almost always negative. CPG set out to do it differently by prioritizing excellent customer service and solutions above all else.
“With other staffing agencies, it's impossible to get a hold of anyone on the phone,” Saab said. “We only text and call clients; we refuse to email. We are available 24/7. Another big key is listening to each client’s individual needs. Instead of just doing the same thing over and over, it is important to listen to what the customer wants and understand what they need specifically.”
Usually, staffing is very transactional, Saab says, but not with CPG. “Agencies will refer to employees as bodies,” he said. “For us, everyone has a name. We are giving people careers. This is a very vulnerable time for people — the company is vulnerable, the employee is vulnerable — so we are determined to create long-lasting, relatable relationships.”
In order to create those relationships, CPG adheres to a philosophy of “fix the customer’s problem, do not bullshit them,” Saab says. “If we do that, we will never run out of customers. That has really followed us to where we are today. Every system, process and procedure we have was built around that concept. Customer satisfaction is number one. We’ve had 100% loyalty from customers since day one.”
Looking ahead, Saab says he hopes to have 20 units sold by the end of the year, with a long-term goal of one day having over 1,000 locations. “The big difference between us and many of the other larger staffing companies is that their systems are all corporate-owned locations, not franchises,” he said. “If they were owned by a local, dedicated owner, they would be able to provide a greater service to clients. That is why the CPG franchise is set to disrupt the recruiting industry, and the time has never been better to get in on the ground floor of this exciting opportunity and live the life you have always wanted to live.”