Staffly operates an online retail staffing service that sources, vets and employs temporary workers for independent retailers, handling interviews, paperwork, timesheets and payments on behalf of employers. Businesses search the platform or app for matches and communicate with workers via text; workers who accept a block of hours are obligated to fulfill it. The platform includes mutual ratings so employees and employers build reputations over time. The founders, husband-and-wife Bjorn and Marissa Ovick, used an initial seed to build and test the program in San Francisco and have hired a senior recruiter to validate hiring processes. The company currently serves several hundred staffers and about a hundred retailers in its inaugural San Francisco market, and hires roughly 10% of applicants while maintaining a healthy candidate pipeline. Staffly plans to improve the platform and processes, enter a second market next, and then expand cautiously to multiple cities. Staffly operates a digital temp-agency for independent retailers, acting as the employer of record by hiring, vetting, training and employing staff on W-2 contracts while handling payroll, paperwork and compliance. Retailers post shift offers on the website; employees receive a text to accept, supervisors approve hours, and Staffly processes payments. The platform includes a one-to-five star rating system so employees and retailers build reputations, and staff can set availability. The company is piloting in San Francisco with 50 retailers and 150 staffers; pilot employees are making $13/hour. The founders, Bjorn and Marissa Ovick, hired a consultant to develop the software and have taken in $800,000 in seed financing so far. The startup launched in San Francisco and positions itself to expand to other cities facing retail staffing and retention challenges.

Total raised

$2M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

Dec 2015