Access Hollywood: a staffing franchisee carves a new niche in showbiz—and finds fame in his own right

Entrepreneur, May, 2005 by Sara Wilson

Max Tselevich, 25, has made a name for himself in Hollywood, the land of glitter and fame. But you won't see him on the big screen--at least not at the moment. Though Tselevich is an aspiring actor, he has staked his claim to fame with his AtWork franchise, which provides temporary, temp-to-hire, payrolling and full-time placement services.

Opened in July 2003, Tselevich's West Hollywood franchise has grown to include several divisions, including personnel and medical services. However, it's the entertainment division that helped him define his niche, making his franchise the largest audience agency in Hollywood.

Staffing audiences for sitcoms and game shows makes each day interesting, as Tselevich and his employees regularly find themselves on the sets of such TV studios as CBS and NBC. But balancing out the glamour are Tselevich's responsibilities of overseeing candidate recruitment, testing and placement. And he's always busy maintaining relationships with clients and being involved in the community. "We try to do business as a small community business, regardless of how big Los Angeles is," he says.

Thanks to such efforts, Tselevich is on the path to success. He has grown his franchise to include 16 employees and projects 2005 sales at $3 million. And who knows--one day, he may be just as big in front of the cameras as he is behind them.