1. You’re already in the business:
Maybe you’re a recruiter, you run a recruitment firm, or have worked in similar settings or industries like employer services or HR. Maybe you’ve run online forums or social media groups that advise job seekers and recruiters, and have a built-in community of customers and users ready to join you on your new venture.
Bottom line is, if you already have insight into what your job board customers want and expect, and you know what it takes to communicate with candidates, you’ll be able to use that foundation as the basis for your job board.
2. You have a great domain name:
No, I am neither overly forgetful, nor am I a hypocrite. Yes, last week I said this was NOT a good reason to start a job board, and here I am, saying the opposite. I know.
The difference is in whether you have the motivation and a plan in place to turn a great name into a great business. If you’re an entrepreneur and you understand that using a great web address is just a (cool) part of your overall marketing strategy, then go for it!
3. You already serve a substantial community or membership:
A prime example of such a situation is a professional association, union, or public service organization. It might be your local community, an organized professional association, or a loose-knit online community of people in your industry.
If you’re tapped into a group of people who live or work in a particular niche or region, and they don’t have a good go-to spot to search for the kind of jobs they’re interested in and get career advice, you can fill that need and start your job board with a built-in audience.
4. You’re looking for a way to monetize your web traffic:
You are an online publisher. You have an online magazine, blog/news site, or journal, and you have lots of highly engaged visitors.
Creating an additional revenue stream with a job board is a great way to further generate traffic, develop readership, and foster community on your web property.
5. You want to make a difference:
You see the struggle from both sides. You know employers who have a hard time finding the right talent that will help their organization thrive, and you see wonderfully talented candidates who have trouble finding their place in the world of work.
You see a job board as a great opportunity to build a community for talent and employers to connect and grow their careers and businesses.
Why is this a great reason to start a job board? Because the urge to solve a problem, and a practical solution for doing it, is at the heart of every great business.