Meet Jila Davachi of LA Business Personnel in Mid-Wilshire

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jila Davachi.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jila. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I had just started my third year at UCLA when life events obligated me to move out on my own. I started working part-time for a small company while continuing my education. Unfortunately, the company went out of business, and I was once again looking for another job. I felt confident that I can start up my own company. With the support of my boyfriend at the time, I started LA Business Personnel in 1988.

We rented a small office in Beverly Hills. As we couldn’t afford any staff, I was the only person and responsible for marketing, advertising, payroll, administrative functions and everything you can think of. My boyfriend had to continue with his job so we could pay the bills.

After a few months, I realized that I couldn’t work full-time and go to UCLA. Something had to give. I dropped out of UCLA and decided that I can always go back in a few years to get my bachelor degree (I eventually did years later). I knew for LA Business Personnel to be successful, I had to pick an area to specialize in. I chose legal. Within six months of opening LA Business Personnel, I was able to convince one of the top national firms to use our services for their temporary legal secretarial needs. I recruited heavily, screened candidates and was able to provide them with what they expected and more.

They became a regular client. This provided an opportunity for my boyfriend to join the company and shortly after, we were able to hire employees to assist us. After several years of specializing in placing legal support staff, we expanded to placing office support staff. Approximately 10 years ago, we expanded into placing accounting and IT staff.

Five years ago, we expanded our clientele and provided staffing in California. In 2016, we expanded into Texas.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Running a small business always has its challenges. Running a small staffing agency has a lot of highs and lows. A phone call or an email can provide an opportunity to place a number of temporaries or it can end many assignments. We were aware of this and were fortunate to have had the opportunity to establish a solid relationship with many of our regular clients. However, the recession of 2007 was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I never thought our business would be affected in such a stunning manner. It was heartbreaking to have candidates who worked for us for many years be out of work and for us not to be able to place them. It was distressing to have candidates interview with us, crying because they couldn’t pay their bills. Furthermore, we had a hard time ourselves as unemployment had reached a level where companies were hardly using staffing agencies. Even though, we took a huge loss for a few years, having a solid foundation and responsible management, we were able to overcome the hard time and push through. LA Business Personnel is one of the few small staffing agencies in Los Angeles, if not the only one, who started in 1988 and is still in business. That in itself makes me happy that I persevered with the struggle.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
LA Business Personnel specializes in placing legal, office, accounting, and IT support staff. We pride ourselves in providing superior customer service. As a candidate, you are not just another employee. We listen and work hard to match you with the right opportunities. No job order sits on a desk unattended. Whether we work with an international firm or a one-person office, we will provide all of our clients with superior service. We work hard to make sure our clients’ staffing challenges are minimized.

Additionally, we work fast. Our response time surpasses some of the nationwide staffing agencies. We are proud to be a woman-owned, small company who has been able to survive the challenges of being a small business in California and able to continue to service some of our candidates and clients from 1988 while adding new candidates and clients on a regular basis. Our professionalism, dedication to our clients and our candidates, and our quick response time sets us apart from others.

What were you like growing up?
I lived with my grandmother when I was a kid while my mom was living abroad. My grandmother had a cherry tree in her yard. I used to climb the patio railing to pick cherries. My grandmother would be so nervous that I might fall. As I picked the cherries, I would reassure her that I’ll be okay. I remember smiling and laughing as I picked them. My grandmother and I would then sit and eat them together. The cherries were so sweet. Perhaps that’s the reason that my favorite fruit has always been cherries.

Contact Info:

• Address: 3325 Wilshire Blvd.,
  Suite 805
  Los Angeles, CA 90010
• Website: www.labusinesspersonnel.com
• Phone: 213-365-1010
• Email: [email protected]

  

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