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One Minute Odd Job Tip

According to Cambridge Dictionary, a job is defined as: the regular work that a person does to earn money. A little bit general, but you get the idea. And most of us have, at least one time or another, had a job. Basically, what most of us understand a job to be is where we perform certain tasks and contribute a certain amount of our time to perform.

So, the question begs, are there certain advantages and disadvantages of a job, and, what is a job, really, from a business owner’s perspective?

>>> NEXT WEEK: Let’s focus on Remote and Travel Jobs next week.

Strictly Business:

A job — the thing that defines a person as a useful and productive member of society and not just a waste of oxygen. Ok, that may be a little harsh, but you get my drift.

We are defining “ job” as an employee-type relationship between an employer and an employee where the employee receives a W2 each year. In this type of arrangement, the employer dictates when the jobholder comes to work, when they leave, and what they do and how they do it.

So, here is the real and pointed question that I always get in trouble for asking: Does the employer pay what an employee is worth? Ouch!! None of us who are employees want to think that we are NOT being paid what we’re worth. After all, that seems to be cheating us or demoralizing in some way.

What is the true reality, though?

The reality is that if an employer was, in fact, paying you what you’re worth, they wouldn’t be in business very long. In simple terms, your labor is a resource they utilize to make profit. The only way it makes any sense for someone to be employed is that the employer pays you less than what you’re worth, and sells your labor for more than they paid you for it. It may be a surprise to some people, but it is an irrefutable truth for business.

Let’s be sure to make something very clear, a business is not evil because they do this. This is just the way it is, and for most people in this day-and-age, it’s the way most people support their families. And that’s fine! For many people, this is an acceptable trade-off.

I have personally had very few jobs in my life. Almost all of my income over my lifetime has been generated in the S and B Quadrants¹ .

My first job when I was 16 was at a cheese factory. I’ll never forget an employee assessment that happened a few months after I started the job where the manager showed me what I was “costing” the business. Of course, I was making my $3.65 per hour so I assumed that was my “cost” to the business, but she showed me the Social Security taxes that the company had to pay in my behalf. Also, there were some other costs of having me employed. So, the business had to put out something like $4.12 for every hour I was working there. This was eye-opening to me!

You may find it interesting to look at your next job pay stub.

Take a look at the box that says Social Security Taxes Withheld. That amount is YOUR contribution (taken from your paycheck), but your employer is contributing an equal amount!

This is just one hidden-from-you cost that your employer has to pay to keep you.

I don’t mean to make you upset or frustrated! This is just to give information, because along with knowledge comes the power to decide better.

It’s no secret that I’m an advocate of the 3 Quadrants¹ (other than the “E” Quadrant¹⁾ , so that’s the wheelhouse I’m in. If you’re comfortable in the “E” Quadrant^1, that’s fine, but now though, you understand in more detail what being an employee is.

Some Odd Jobs You May Never Have Considered:

Number 1 - Preparing Taxes — This is a “We Did This” Job (E Quadrant¹)

It’s no secret that the IRS tax code is complex beyond words, and on top of that, changes happen every year. This is a seasonal gig that usually runs from about January 1st to the middle of April. The job includes interviewing clients to accurately, and to their greatest benefit, prepare their tax return.

Most returns will be W2-type returns for employees, but the variables are endless including children, side gigs, investments, royalties and even paying U.S. taxes on foreign income. We’ve done this gig now for a few years and find it to be interesting and rewarding. And we’ve met some really interesting people doing it!

Situations can be tense at times since we’re dealing with the two things that cause the most murders in the U.S.: Money and Family.

Our suggestion is to get in touch with the big franchises in your area in the summer and make yourself available to them. You’ll have to do some training (often paid) and get certified, but it’s not over-the-top hard. If you can interact with people well and navigate a computer, you can probably do this.

Number 2 - Seasonal work at National Parks — This is a “We Did This” Job (E Quadrant¹)

If you enjoy visiting national parks, this can be a great way to visit for a more extended time and get paid to do it! There are vendors in the national parks that operate the stores, hotels and many other services offered to park visitors. All of those vendors need staff. The pay isn’t high, but being in the park is a great perk.

Number 3 - Camp Hosts for Campgrounds — (E Quadrant¹)

If you like camping, this can be a great experience. You will probably be involved in maintenance of the campground as well as checking people in and general hospitality services. Oftentimes, included in your compensation is a campsite for the season.

Number 4 - Sugar Beet Harvest — (E Quadrant¹, maybe S Quadrant¹) This is a “We Did This” Job

Sugar beets are grown in Michigan, Wyoming, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. The window for harvest is quite short. The factories that process the beets are open 24/7 during the harvest and need staff for all of those times to weigh the trucks and unload and pile the beets for processing. Also, the farms oftentimes need help during the harvest as well.

We’ve worked at this gig in this capacity — driving semi-loads of beets from the field to the processor. This is a gig we do every year. The farm we work for is great, and we have more fun than a barrel of monkeys! Here’s a video, called Sugarbeet Mafia that’s fun to watch and gives a little perspective from the farm side. You can also search other videos that show the piler side of things. It’s gig that may only last a month or so, but a person can make good $$$ during that time.

Also, it’s a little-known fact that some states do not require a CDL to drive the big rigs for a farm during this time.

This Week’s Quotes:

Next to knowing when to seize an opportunity, the most important thing in life is to know when to forego an advantage.

— Benjamin Disraeli

A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.

  — Bob Hope

Remember that what you believe will depend very much on what you are.

— Noah Porter

The friendship that can cease has never been real.

 — Jerome

Adversity causes some men to break; others to break records.

 — William Arthur Ward

Book(s) for Success — This is actually a series of books by Thomas Stanley, starting with the book The Millionaire Next Door. In this book, Stanley uses hard research data to show how Americans who are truly wealthy live in the U.S.

The surprising facts show that it isn’t the glitzy, Rolex-wearing, Rolls Royce-driving individuals who are the real wealthy people, as a whole. Yes, there are those, but they’re more the exception than the rule.

This is a very eye-opening and sobering read. You’ll probably see a pattern in this book about those who are employees. When you look for this book, you’ll also find another 3 or 4 books by the same author that expand on what was written in The Millionaire Next Door. 

Snarfy Jokes —

Did you hear about the fire at the circus?

— It was in tents!

Why do ducks have feathers?

— To cover their butt quacks!

What’s the difference between a hippo and a zippo?

— One is really heavy and the other’s a little lighter.

What does a nosey pepper do?

— It gets jalapeño business.

Why should you never trust stairs?

— They’re always up to something.

Some Random Thoughts— In this issue, we really tried to drill down to what it means to be employed in a job situation. While this is a normal employment situation for our day and age, in its current incarnation, having a “job” is quite unique throughout history. It’s really a product of a modern industrial age. Before large industry — factories, etc. — this was not a normal activity.

Most people before the industrial age were agrarian. They were farmers, or in some way, related to agriculture, and by its nature at the time, self-employed. When you think about this in a broad sense, which lifestyle is probably more enjoyable?

You can decide for yourself.

The plain truth is that what appears to be “normal” to any of us, is really just what we’re used to. If you took your great great-grandfather and plopped him down in your current life/work scenario, what would he think about your quality of life? In many cases he would probably think you were crazy to live like you are.

My point, if your life is not the way you want it to be, figure out a way to change it! We made a rule in our family many years ago — we CANNOT say “We can’t do that”.

Instead, we change it to, “How can we do it?” That changes the whole dynamic of thought.

Now decide for yourself. Is life too LONG to live like you are? If the answer is yes, define what needs to change, and then change it.

¹ CashFlow Quadrant references the book, Cashflow Quadrants, by Robert Kiyosaki. In a nutshell, there are 4 sources of income — “E” Employee, “S” Self- Employed, “B” Business and “I” Investor. We reference these quadrants at the beginning of each of the Jobs we talk about in Odd Job Tips Newsletter. To see more about this concept refer to this issue of this newsletter.

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