8 Job Board Success Stories [2024]
Starting a job board can be a lucrative way to make money online with little to no start-up costs. The global online job board market size was $28.68B in 2019 and is projected to reach $43.39B by 2027.
It's no secret that finding a job can be tough. In today's job market, it can be tempting to give up on job hunting, but here's another option: start your own job board.
In this list, you'll find real-world job board success stories and very profitable examples of starting a job board that makes money.
1. Lensa ($18M/year)
Gergo, the founder of Lensa, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing the broken hiring process firsthand. Through his previous successes in launching and selling various startups, he recognized the need for a technological solution to the career marketplace crisis. With a mission to help job seekers find their perfect career match using advanced AI technology, Lensa has seen impressive growth, with a 12% increase in revenue from the previous year and reaching a total of $22 million in revenue and 6 million new subscribers in 2022.
How much money it makes: $18M/year
How much did it cost to start: $350K
How many people on the team: 130
Hungarian founder Gergo created Lensa, an AI-powered job search platform that focuses on improving the hiring process and career marketplace, achieving a 12% increase in revenue from the previous year, reaching a total of 22 million in revenue and 6 million new subscribers in 2022.
2. OnlineJobs ($12M/year)
John Jonas, a programmer and accidental entrepreneur, came up with the idea for OnlineJobs.ph when he hired two Filipino workers to help with his online business and realized their incredible work ethic and competence. After experiencing the life-changing benefits of outsourcing, he decided to create a marketplace where business owners could find top-tier virtual workers from the Philippines, ultimately helping them create more time and freedom for themselves. Since its launch in 2009, OnlineJobs.ph has grown exponentially and has revolutionized the way entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses.
How much money it makes: $12M/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 38
OnlineJobs.ph founder John Jonas shares how his accidental business idea turned into a fluke success, as he realized outsourcing to the Philippines could help people achieve their ultimate business goal: creating more time and freedom for themselves.
3. TECLA ($1.02M/year)
Gino Ferrand came up with the idea for TECLA while struggling to find backend software engineers for his own mobile game project. After realizing the challenges of outsourcing and the inefficiencies of freelancing sites, he decided to build his own remote team in South America and offer the same services to other companies. With a network of almost 9,000 remote candidates and a platform that allows companies to directly hire talent, TECLA has successfully connected hundreds of engineers with U.S. companies for full-time positions.
How much money it makes: $1.02M/year
How many people on the team: 12
TECLA is a bootstrapped business connecting startups with pre-screened tech talent in South America, boasting almost 9,000 remote candidates on their platform and over $1 million in revenue as of 2019.
4. Loopcv ($180K/year)
George Avgenakis, the founder of Loopcv, came up with the idea for his business when he was struggling to find a job while pursuing his master's thesis in Belgium. He noticed a lack of tools for job seekers and decided to create a platform that would automate the job search process. His idea gained traction on Reddit and he quickly found co-founders to help bring it to life. Loopcv now offers solutions for job seekers, bootcamps, universities, career coaches, developers, recruiters, job boards, and more. The business is growing at a rate of 15% MoM and continues to improve its offerings for businesses supporting job seekers.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $200
How many people on the team: 2
Loopcv is a job search automation platform experiencing 15% monthly growth, offering solutions for bootcamps, universities, career coaches, developers, recruitment companies, job boards, affiliates, and companies looking to perform internal restructuring.
5. RailsDevs ($120K/year)
Joe was an independent contractor, and had some folks willing to work with him around 2021. Swamped with work, he didn't have the bandwidth to interview them, and came up with an idea to note their details down in a spreadsheet. As he shared the sheet with businesses in his network, a couple of people had landed the gig! That was the moment he realized a business is waiting to be built.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 0
RailsDevs is a reverse job board for Ruby on Rails developers, which encourages organic conversations between developers and hiring businesses resulting in 30+ developers finding new jobs through the platform in just a year, with the company making an average of $10,000 per month through monthly subscriptions and hiring fees.
6. CareerPioneer ($72K/year)
pay for. And two, you need the right mindset and determination to push through the obstacles and failures that will inevitably come your way. Focus on providing value, building relationships, and always learning and adapting to the needs of your customers.
How much money it makes: $72K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 0
CareerPioneer CEO Bob Gardner offers "Land your Dream Job" and "Dream Career" coaching services with an impressive QoQ revenue average of 50% growth in their first year of operation.
7. iBranch Recruiters ($61.7K/year)
Tshepiso Leinane, the founder of iBranch Recruiters, came up with the idea for his business during his time in school. After participating in a regional ICT fair and winning awards for graphics design and programming, Tshepiso developed a passion for computer applications. Inspired by a call from BlackBerry to develop apps for their community, Tshepiso decided to create a mobile app that would help curb unemployment in Botswana. He conducted research and identified the need for offline capabilities and artificial intelligence to match job-seekers with employers. Tshepiso dropped out of school to pursue his idea, joined the Botswana Innovation Hub, and spent years coding and refining his platform. Through pre-launch events and pilot testing, iBranch Recruiters has gained over 90,000 users, helped 1,600 users get employed, and generated over $15,000 in sales. Despite challenges, Tshepiso's dedication to creating a user-centric app and building a strong product helped him overcome setbacks and achieve success.
How much money it makes: $61.7K/year
How much did it cost to start: $16K
How many people on the team: 5
A 24-year-old entrepreneur from Botswana founded iBranch Recruiters, which has already recorded over 90,000 users and has helped 1,600 users get employed since launching in 2020, using technology and artificial intelligence to connect graduates across Africa to employers globally.
8. Permworks ($18K/year)
Permworks was founded by the co-founder of Gohock, who hired a virtual assistant from the Philippines named Daina. Recognizing the value of Filipino talent, the founder decided to create Permworks, a jobs board that connects employers with Filipino talent, making it easier for startups to access staff and focus on growth.
How much money it makes: $18K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 0
Permworks is a job board connecting employers worldwide with Filipino talent, with 7000+ job seekers and almost 100 employers since its launch, including streams of revenue such as job ad posts, employer of record service and end-to-end recruitment service.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
