Snelling franchise
2022 filing · April 25, 2022
Snelling at a glance
A staffing office placing skilled, semi-skilled and industrial workers as well as office and professional staff. At the end of 2021 there were 48 Snelling locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- HQ Franchising Corporation
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchisor based in
- Goose Creek, South Carolina
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $45K–$146K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $3K–$25K
- Set by the territory's size and expected growth
- Royalty
- 18% of gross margin
- 4.5% of payroll plus 18% of gross margin per territory, taken weekly from gross margin, and 7% of permanent placement fees
- Agreement length
- 5 years
- Territory
- Protected
- Protected territory
- Franchisor financing
- Some financing offered
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 48
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 48
- Company-owned
- 0
- States
- 18
- Most in Texas, Florida and Georgia
From HQ Franchising Corporation’s 2022 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Snelling among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Snelling | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $95,450 | Costs less than 88% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $2,500 | Lower than 98% of franchises |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 48 | More than 64% of franchises |
How much a Snelling franchise costs
Opening one Snelling costs an estimated $45,150 to $145,750. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the franchises under $50K.
The biggest costs are additional funds (12 months) ($30,000 to $75,000) and initial franchise fee ($2,500 to $25,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $2,500 | $25,000 | |
| Real Property | $800 | $2,250 | |
| Leasehold Improvements, Furniture, Fixtures | $2,000 | $15,000 | |
| Equipment | $3,000 | $5,000 | |
| Opening Advertising | $2,500 | $5,000 | |
| Training Expenses | $1,500 | $2,500 | |
| Start-up Supplies | $200 | $1,000 | |
| Insurance | $1,000 | $5,000 | |
| Utility Deposits | $200 | $3,000 | |
| Professional Fees | $300 | $4,000 | |
| Business License | $150 | $2,000 | |
| Additional Funds (12 months) | $30,000 | $75,000 | |
| Software | $1,000 | ||
| Total | $45,150 | $145,750 | |
Source: HQ Franchising Corporation, 2022 filing, page 24
Snelling franchise fee
The franchise fee is $2,500 to $25,000, set by the territory's size and expected growth. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: HQ Franchising Corporation, 2022 filing, page 17
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 4.5% of payroll plus 18% of gross margin per territory, taken weekly from gross margin, and 7% of permanent placement fees. |
|---|---|
| Software | $1,000 |
| Transfer Fee | $5,000 |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: HQ Franchising Corporation, 2022 filing, page 18
Other fees as filed, from pages 18–19. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
No figures Snelling does not share sales or profit figures for its locations. Talking to current and former franchise owners is the usual way to learn what a location earns.
Source: HQ Franchising Corporation, 2022 filing, page 54
SBA loans to Snelling franchisees
Lenders approved 16 SBA-backed loans for Snelling franchisees from 1993 to 2006, $3.13M in all: 13 7(a) loans and 3 504 loans. All 16 have ended: 14 were paid in full and 2 were charged off.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Snelling compares
Of the 31 staffing franchises on this site, Snelling is the 7th cheapest to open and the 13th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Snelling | Typical staffing brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $45K | $85K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $146K | $145K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $3K | $40K | $40K |
| US locations | 48 | 27 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | +336.4% | −1.3% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | No | 15 of 31 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 31 brands in staffing franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 9 (−2) | 0 |
| 2020 | 10 (+1) | 0 |
| 2021 | 48 (+38) | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating. Most of the 2021 growth is existing Snelling and Link offices that converted after HireQuest's 2021 acquisitions.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: HQ Franchising Corporation, 2022 filing, pages 54–55
Where Snelling locations are
At the end of 2021, Snelling had franchised locations in 18 states. The most are in Texas, Florida and Georgia.
- Texas14
- Florida6
- Georgia3
- Louisiana3
- Michigan3
- New Jersey3
| State | Franchised |
|---|---|
| Texas | 14 |
| Florida | 6 |
| Georgia | 3 |
| Louisiana | 3 |
| Michigan | 3 |
| New Jersey | 3 |
| South Carolina | 3 |
| Tennessee | 2 |
| Wisconsin | 2 |
| Alabama | 1 |
All 18 states
| Colorado | 1 |
|---|---|
| Illinois | 1 |
| Kentucky | 1 |
| Massachusetts | 1 |
| Mississippi | 1 |
| Nebraska | 1 |
| New Mexico | 1 |
| North Carolina | 1 |
Source: HQ Franchising Corporation, 2022 filing, page 56
Who owns Snelling?
Snelling franchises are sold by HQ Franchising Corporation.
From HQ Franchising Corporation’s 2022 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on pages 15–17. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: HQ Franchising Corporation, 2022 filing, litigation on pages 15–17, bankruptcy on page 17
Snelling filings
The figures on this page come from HQ Franchising Corporation’s 2022 filing, issued April 25, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 25, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other staffing franchises
All staffing franchises
Snelling is also on these lists: business services franchises.