You can start a maid agency business in Singapore after you incorporate your company and obtain all the necessary licenses.
A maid agency business is similar to an employment agency, except that the services you will offer as a maid agency differs to those of an employment agency. As a maid agency, you will assist people with their household cleaning and chores by sending the right cleaners and maids to the required premises. With the busy life that many Singaporeans have today, people do not have enough time to clean their home and do chores by themselves. As a well-established maid agency, there are a lot of people who will require your services.
If you are looking to start a maid agency business in Singapore, here is a comprehensive guide you need to get started.
What Licenses Do I Need to Start a Maid Agency Business?
You have to obtain the Employment Agency License to start your business operations. All agencies that perform recruitment-like services must have this license. You can apply for this license via the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Singapore.
The Employment Agency License authorizes you to offer employment and help to people who need your services. All individuals and organizations who intend to be involved in employment-related activities, including maid agencies, qualify for this license. You must apply for the license regardless if you are dealing with local or overseas jobs.
You need to comply with the criteria outlined by the MOM in order to be eligible for the Employment Agency License. The criteria includes:
- You must be a Permanent Resident or Singaporean citizen at the time you are applying for the license.
- You never have any record of criminal convictions.
- You must not be declared bankrupt.
- You have never been involved in the management of a past employment agency whose license was revoked.
- You should hold one of the positions listed below in your organization, as registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA):
- Owner (for sole-proprietorship / partnership)
- General partner (for limited partnership)
- Partner (for limited liability partnership)
- Director (for company)
- You must have one of the following activities:
- Maid Agencies
- Employment Agencies
- Executive Search Agencies
What Activities Constitute to the term “Employment Agency”?
You may be confused as to why you need an Employment Agency License to offer maid services.
Note that an employment agency involves the following activities:
- Simplifying the hiring process of prospective candidates for employers
- Communicates with potential employers and prospective candidates regarding jobs
- Collect resumes for those seeking a job
- Apply for Singapore work visas on candidates’ or employers’ behalf to the respective authorities.
- Helps other companies with their staffing requirements and recruitment
If your maid agency business does not directly place maids with employers seeking their services, then you do not need to apply for this license.
Some examples of cases where you do not need an Employment Agency License include the following:
- If your business conducts ad-hoc, casual or informal job referrals
- If your business is involved in online job bulletin boards and job portals
- If your business engages in courier services used in job placement or recruitment activities
- If your business serves as centers or agencies that match clients with tuition teachers
How to Start a Maid Agency Business in Singapore
To start any business, company incorporation is a statutory requirement in Singapore. You must register and incorporate your maid agency business with ACRA before you start business operations.
To incorporate a company, you can either do so on the ACRA website, or hire a professional firm like Timcole to handle the process on your behalf.
Note that it is mandatory to have a registered office for your maid agency business. In Singapore, there is a variety of office spaces that you can choose from, based on what your agency needs. You must get approval from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) prior to space determination. You also need to get approval from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) before you renovate or alter the office space you plan to utilize.
You must register your company with ACRA. Once the name of your company has been approved, you can proceed with the incorporation process by submitting the following documents:
- Your company’s name
- A description of your business and its activities
- The details of the shareholders and directors of the company
- The intended registered address ( P.O. Boxes are not acceptable)
- Your company’s Memorandum and Articles of Association
- The details of your Company Secretary
- Your company’s intended business structure
After you have completed the steps above, ACRA will give you an outcome, usually within 3 working days from the application date. The processing time may take longer if your application has some issues. Once your registration is successful, ACRA will issue a Unique Entity Number (UEN) to you. The UEN serves as the identity of your business, which is required whenever you make any update, changes or transaction with the government.
Upon registering your business with ACRA, you can now start to operate your maid agency business.
Get Help from Professionals
Timcole has many years of experience in company incorporation. Our experienced experts are always ready to assist you in setting up your business and it does not end there. To lessen your business burden, Timcole also offers professional secretarial and accounting services at affordable rates.
If you intend to establish a maid agency business, we are here to help. Simply contact us today to get more information on our company incorporation packages.
