As a small business grows, it has many needs — increasingly, more needs than you can take care of with a tiny staff. But as the owner, you also have to keep a tight rein on your costs. How can you meet these two challenges? One excellent way is the strategic use of temporary workers. 

What can temporary workers do for your business? Here are four obstacles that they can help you solve.

Meeting Seasonal Needs. Does your business have a regular cycle of busy times and slower times? It could be the summer season, tax season, or even the holidays, depending on your industry. If you can't afford to — or don't have the work to — hire a full-time staffer, you probably end up seriously short-staffed when things get busy. The solution is to hire temporary workers for the busy season only.

Getting a Project Done. Is there some upcoming project, either in the office or in the field — that you need extra help to accomplish? Hire temporary workers for a specific duration or a specific task. This is a great way to avoid letting office work become insurmountable, take on occasional big service jobs, or fill large orders. 

Filling in for Vacations. What do you do when you have almost no staff and someone needs to take time off? Usually, the work piles up, the remaining staff are overworked, and the customers suffer. Instead, hire a temporary worker to cover the office work, provide assistance or take on service tasks, or perform necessary errands. Temporary staff includes every skill set, from untrained laborers to highly-skilled accountants. 

Testing Out Employee Need. Are you on the cusp of hiring employees or adding to your small employee pool? Then test the waters by contracting with a temporary worker to fill that position for a period of time. You can find out exactly what you need to hire for, what personality or skills you need to look for, and how much work you really have to offer. And, if that temporary employee turns out to be great at it, you can often hire them.

How can temporary workers provide a service to your business? No matter what your staffing issues are — from temporary to long-term — this is often an excellent step to managing them. For help finding the right fit, work with a temporary job placement company such as Employment Source.

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