The economy seems to be steady and we have low unemployment rates, or so the headlines say. What I’m hearing from business professionals, though, is they’re asked to do more with fewer resources. Less people power and tougher deadlines. Friends of mine are working themselves into ill health, not helped my sleepless nights of worry. People leave companies for various reasons, and their work is shifted to other people to take up the slack. Then the company never replaces the person who left – leaving all that extra work on the shoulders of the people left behind – for good. And that extra salary in the corporation’s pockets.
Is contingent staffing still a thing? Yes! According to The Job Shop, in their post Utilizing Temp Workers In The Modern Workplace, I don’t think the need for temporary workers will ever go away. It seems to me that permanent employees are just left to drown instead, working longer hours, getting less time with their families or for personal pursuits. 25 years ago I was a full-time temporary worker at various companies in the Seattle area, and there was always another assignment waiting. I loved the variety of the work (maybe that’s why I am doing what I do today!) It worked for companies because they needed help on short notice.
Are you drowning in work? There may be help for you! If you’re a sales professional in one of the major industries such as mortgage lending, real estate, or one of these other 8 high-paying sales jobs, your company will likely agree to your hiring a part-time support person to help you with the grunt work, leaving you more time to sell, Sell, SELL! You’ll want to ask them to cover the expense, but even if they don’t, the difference in the commission you could be bringing in might make it well worth it. And the check you write for your Virtual Assistant (or in-person assistant, if you find someone in your area), still might be an unreimbursed employment expense you can write off on your taxes. (Please check with your own tax professional on this, it’s not our area of expertise, but we saw this category on our tax forms.)
Just think – that dreaded expense report could be a thing of the past. Just save your receipts and turn them into your VA once a month AND let them sort out the mess! I speak from experience – I have had a lot of practice doing this, among other “boring admin tasks”. I don’t necessarily think it’s a party either, but at least for me, it’s an income-producing activity. For you, it seems like a waste of time because it is taking you away from your job of sales.
Talk to your employer today! See if you can hire a VA to help you become a more effective, and richer, sales professional!