Small-Business Hiring is Rising, Sales Jobs

Joe Weinlick
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With the holiday season approaching, it's a great time to make strategic moves to further your sales career. Looking at recent small business hiring trends can help you determine the direction you want your career to go. According to the National Federation of Independent Businesses, recent hiring trends show that the percentage of small business owners planning to hire more employees increased in August to its highest level since 2007. While current hiring trends suggest that the availability of small business jobs is increasing, there are a few other trends that you need to consider before you make any career decisions.

In addition to hiring trends, you should also consider sales trends before you decide to change jobs. According to the recently-released Small Business Economic Trends Survey, overall sales for small businesses have decreased, and in August, small businesses cut employee numbers for the fourth straight month. When you take these factors into consideration, it can be hard to understand why so many small business owners are planning to hire new employees. This is because many businesses are anticipating sales increases over the next few months due to the holiday season in the fourth quarter. At first glance, the statistics seem to contradict each other, so it's important for you to consider each potential job individually. Look for jobs with established companies that offer high-quality products. This way, you're less likely to get laid off because someone incorrectly anticipated an increase in sales.

Another survey, completed by SurePayroll, shows that current hiring trends are for many small businesses to hire independent contractors rather than full-time employees. The SurePayroll survey reflects hiring trends in businesses with an average of eight employees, and the results of the survey indicate that 22 percent of small business owners like to hire independent contractors. Fifty-one percent of those small business owners think that it's easier to hire contractors and 36 percent hire contractors because it helps them save money on benefits and taxes. If you want to work for yourself but don't like the idea of starting a brick-and-mortar company, you might consider taking an independent sales rep position. While independent sales reps can be found in most industries, software developers are particularly known for outsourcing sales work. When you're searching for the right company to work with, you should avoid companies with in-house sales forces in place. Instead, focus on small businesses and start-ups.

Recent hiring trends also show that many small businesses are looking for part-time employees. The reasoning behind this is simple. Like independent sales reps, part-time sales reps are less of a financial burden than full-time employees. Because it costs less to employ part-time employees, small businesses can have a wider range of reps selling for them, which could potentially increase profits.

Whether you're looking for a part-time, a full-time, or an independent sales position, small businesses of all types are hiring. With recent hiring trends indicating that the availability of small business jobs is set to increase over the next three months, you should be able to find a position that will help you build your successful career.

(Photo courtesy of ambro / freedigitalphotos.net)

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