Startup staffing firm learns ropes from small-business counselors.

Celine Piri found herself jobless after taking a severance buyout from AT&T and felt the frustration of job seekers everywhere. But out of that frustration, a game plan was born: She would start her own staffing company.

Piri, a Nigerian native, launched Taricel Management Staffing on a shoestring in 2003. And what she lacked in capital, she has made up for in energy and determination.

Since she worked in corporate recruiting at AT&T, Piri already had experience in the staffing field. "I was on the receiving side when I worked at AT&T, so I knew what corporations were looking for," she says.

That proved to be a big advantage as she was building Taricel. She knew, for example, that it was about providing quality candidates. At AT&T, if a staffing agency provided poor candidates two or three times, she would stop using them.

Piri had the people knowledge; what she needed was the business knowledge. She needed marketing materials, she needed clients, and she needed to figure out her niche.

She started by drawing a pyramid. At the bottom were warehousing jobs; in the middle, clerical jobs; and at the top, executive positions. If she worked strictly at the bottom--where profit margins are thin and workers' compensation insurance is high--she'd never get ahead. If she focused on the top, she wouldn't have the right volume.

The answer was to balance her business, slowly climbing upward. Today, Taricel offers staffing services in a range of areas, from light industrial to medical. "The tip can't stand without the base," she says.

Cash flow was a challenge for the Cincinnati company that first year. "I made zero dollars in 2003," she says. It was frustrating, but it also meant she had nowhere to go but up. And in 2004, things began to change. Clients started to sign on. With each successful placement, Taricel was building up its credibility. Also, Piri took the time to get her Minority Business Enterprise certification--a move that she knew would serve her well for the future.

It wasn't until last year that the company really took off. In 2005, Taricel grew by more than 30 percent, with revenue of about $1.5 million. Already, 2006 is looking strong, and Piri expects to grow by another 30 percent. "We're just now figuring out where we're heading," Piri says. What she's discovered is that it's not just about higher revenues, it's about growing the business strategically and continuing to climb that pyramid.

"Celine follows the rules of working on her business rather than in it," says Michele Candy, director of the Cincinnati Manufacturing Technology Small Business Development Center, a wing of Small Business Development Centers of Ohio devoted to manufacturing technology and funded by the state and the Small Business Administration.

Piri understood that she needed to reach out and use resources available through agencies like the SBDC. After attending a seminar Candy hosted, Piri started investigating programs the SBDC offered. She signed up for one-on-one consulting with Candy, and joined a women's CEO roundtable that Candy heads--a networking opportunity that's proven valuable.

SBDC programs have helped open doors for Piri, especially by introducing her to more potential clients. She's also received assistance in developing marketing materials.

One thing the SBDC tries to get across to business owners is that growth is about making the right connections.

"Growth takes many forms," Candy says. "I've seen so many business owners open up their whole way of thinking once they start networking."

Sometimes, it's just about taking the burden off and helping business owners find solutions for human resource/staff problems and marketing issues. Through the SBDC, Piri found out about a program that reimburses business owners up to $3,000 if they hire a college student during the summer.

The SBDC also led her to get a grant from Miami University of Ohio for training in human resources. And she's participated in programs offered by the Southwest Central Ohio Procurement Technical Assistance Center, which helps business owners cut through red tape and win government contracts. With the help of PTAC advisors, Piri has filed all her paperwork to become a government vendor.

"When you start a business, you get confused by many things," Piri says. "You need an advisor--someone to help you take it to the next level."

In addition to attending the monthly women's CEO roundtable, Piri actively networks with other business owners. And she works--nonstop. Most days, she's in the office by 4 or 5 a.m.; often she doesn't stop working until 10 at night- seven days a week. "After the day is over and everyone is gone, that's when I can really settle down and get some work done," she says. Her four children are grown, so Piri can dedicate herself 100 percent to the business.

She has 10 in-house employees, divided between two locations. There are about 500 people on her payroll at any given time--that fluctuates as she fulfills contracts. Taricel is working in Ohio, but Piri would like to move into Indiana and Kentucky.

Piri still remembers the frustration of being unemployed, and that empathy with job seekers has served her well. She's proud of her accomplishments--but there is no time to rest on her laurels. There are challenges ahead, and an awful lot of work to be done. "I'm not there yet," she says. "Not quite yet."

TARICEL MANAGEMENT STAFFING LLC 

610 Reading Road and 230 Northland Blvd., Cincinnati, OH

[phone] * www.taricel.com

Founded: 2003

Employees: 10 onsite, 500 on the books

2005 revenue: $1.5 million