……. then his look turned toward Ona (his wife), who stood close to his side, and he saw the wide look of terror in her eyes. “Little one,” he said, in a low voice, “do not worry—it will not matter to us. We will pay them all somehow. “
“I will work harder” said Jurgis Rudkus - Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle”
This is a classic novel written about an immigrant’s family struggle as they left Lithuania for the American dream. The setting is the early 1900’s in Chicago’s infamous stockyards – where work was abundantly available, dangerous and with little pay.
These sentences show him trying to pacify his wife Ona’s worries about their dire financial conditions before migrating to the United States. Through these lines, the author foreshadows the idea of the American Dream that if an individual works hard, his condition changes for the better.
Unfortunately, their financial situation never improved as hard work and working more hours was not enough. Hard work needs to lead to higher compensation, otherwise financial conditions will not improve.
I have been on this subject a lot lately because some staffers are working many hours to find labor and they are not being properly compensated for their herculean efforts. The time to earn better margins is now. With record job openings coupled with many people that have not returned to the workforce – why bother focusing on job orders with low margins.
Isn’t it better to make more money with the same or less effort?
For those that currently own staffing businesses, try reducing the number of placements with high maintenance, low margin accounts and fill more higher margin orders. Even if billable hours decrease a little in the short-run, you may be more profitable with less effort.
Check out this example:
Average Mark Up 32.00% Average Mark Up 42.00%
Bill Rate $25.08 Bill Rate $26.98
Less Expenses Less Expenses
Pay Rate $19.00 Pay Rate $19.00
Approximate Payroll Burden Approximate Payroll Burden
Finance & Processing Costs $3.69 Finance & Processing Costs $3.76
Gross Profit $2.39 Gross Profit $4.22
Multiply Hours Billed 5,000 Multiply Hours Billed 4,500
Gross Weekly Profit $11,950.00 Gross Weekly Profit $18,990.00
10% less business and 60% more profitable
Why work for peanuts?
Sometimes, individuals don’t realize their own value. I have been guilty of that. Psychologically, people get used to earning x amount of dollars that they never realize that they could be making so much more – without putting out that much more effort.
Another great immigrant example is much closer to home for me – my mother. She immigrated in the 1960’s and while she didn’t have a lot of formal schooling – she is an incredible talented tailor. The clothes she produced are legendary. So legendary that Chicago Cubs great Andre Dawson went to her for his tailoring needs.
She worked hard – but always for very little money. Like many immigrants, she was very risk adverse. Instead of asking for more pay, leave for a better paying job or opening her own business – she just made-do.
It doesn’t have to be that way. The younger generation of workers understand this. If a job doesn’t pay enough – they find one that pays more. When staffers gain experience and realize they can make more money on their own, they open their own agency.
Starting or growing a staffing company is easy. Companies like my employer, Madison Resources, provide their clients with unlimited payroll funding to fuel growth. They also offer very cost-effective, critical infrastructure so entrepreneurs can focus on growing the business.
The bottom line – The more money made in a shorter period of time allows for more freedom to enjoy life. Feel free to contact me to learn more.
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