Stephen J. Bailey Sr. is a one-man enterprise zone working from a small office on Elm Street downtown on the edge of Over-the-Rhine.

        As founder, president and chief executive of S.J. Bailey Inc., Mr. Bailey offers companies placement and staffing services and each week guarantees that hundreds of workers will get to their jobs and work when they arrive.

        If some workers have no transportation, Mr. Bailey has a service provide it for free.

        When somebody blows his paycheck on the gambling boatsor drinking, Mr. Bailey advances him a week's pay. He then sets up a household budgeting seminar to get the individual back on track.

        Referrals come from word-of-mouth, Volunteers of America, Talbert House and state human services. Individuals are tested, drug-tested and then placed by skill levels.

        “Once we figure out where their best attributes are, we have customers looking to fill specific job placements, anything from general labor to clerical,” he said.

        Normally, workers stay on the outplacement company's payroll for 30-40 days before moving onto the client company's payroll. “We try to deal only with companies that are offering permanent jobs,” he said.

        Since the company was founded in October 1999, more than 1,000 jobs have been permanently filled, he said.

        About 250 to 500 people work at jobs each week for this outplacement company — jobs that pay from $7.50 to $15 an hour, depending upon skills and education.

        Mr. Bailey has big goals, too. In two years, the company will have a national footprint, perhaps international.

        “You've got to have high goals, because if you don't, you short-change what you could be doing,” he said.

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