As the owner of a contracting business, you likely know how it feels for your company’s growth to be stunted because of a shortage of labor.  

While finding good people has been a longstanding burden in the construction industry, the data shows it is only getting worse. In fact, 88% of construction firms expect hiring to either remain difficult or become harder in 2025 – while demand for construction services continues to rise.  

With a unique perspective on this talent crisis – having served as a CMO both in the home improvement and remote talent spaces – I found it especially valuable to hear WorkBetterNow’s Co-Founder Rob Levin on a recent episode of the Contractor Evolution Podcast. The conversation focused on how contractors can strategically leverage nearshore talent – professionals based in Latin America – in what has traditionally been a hyper-local, hands-on industry. 

In the episode, Rob shares insights any contractor can benefit from – showing how a more open mindset toward today’s labor market can drive growth, free up your time, and make your company a better place to work.   

👇 Tune in below:

Construction Is Local– But Not Every Role Needs to Be

First, to address the elephant in the room – yes, construction is a hands-on industry. You cannot expect someone in Argentina to install a new roof in the United States or someone in Colombia to pour concrete in Canada. But in reality, there are many tasks within a construction company that can be done remotely.  

Some functions to consider within your own business include:  

• An Executive Assistant for the Owner (more on that below)  
• Bookkeeping  
• Estimating Support  
• Marketing  
• Customer Relations  

All of these tasks can be completed from anywhere, at any time. And by taking advantage of the global labor market, you can fill these roles with employees who are thrilled to complete the tasks and can do so at a fraction of the cost.  

Contractors across North America are already embracing this approach – not as a temporary fix, but as a permanent, strategic solution. From niche specialty trades to 9-figure commercial contractors, forward-thinking companies are integrating remote team members into their operations and seeing measurable gains in efficiency, margin, and morale.

The Game Changer for Every Business Owner: An Executive Assistant   

As Rob mentions on the episode, one of the most pivotal moves a small business owner can make is to hire an assistant. Here at WorkBetterNow, we often quote Jack Daly, who says, “If you don’t have an assistant, you are one.”  

In many companies, the owner is often doing very little work – as little as 20% of their workday – within their Unique Ability®. Coined by Strategic Coach, Unique Ability refers to the work in your business for which you’re both highly skilled and have a high level of passion. With an executive assistant who could potentially take care of the other 80% of your tasks, you can grow your business much faster and to much higher levels.  

Hiring a dedicated virtual assistant for you, the business owner, can create immediate momentum – freeing up your time, sharpening your focus, and unlocking growth you didn’t have the bandwidth to chase before. 

Empowering Your Individual Departments with the Right Support

While getting an executive assistant for the business owner is often the first step a business takes in a remote growth journey, it’s also worth considering if your individual departments could benefit from having an assistant.  

You may not actually need an additional salesperson, estimator or marketer. What you may need is an assistant to support your sales, estimating or marketing departments so that, like the owner, they can spend more time in their Unique Ability ®.  

Taking this step to ensure your best workers are both happy and supported will not only improve morale within your workplace – it could prevent you from having deal with costly turnover issues. This is a step that can propel your contracting business forward while also protecting your bottom line.  

How Construction Firms Use WorkBetterNow as Their Competitive Edge 

If you’re the owner of a contracting business who is serious about scaling, you owe it to yourself to rethink your org chart. Ask yourself:  

1. What roles, tasks and responsibilities in my business can be handled in a completely different country?  
2. Is it time for me to have my own executive assistant?  
3. Could any leaders or departments within my business benefit from their own assistant?  

At WorkBetterNow, we provide small and midsize businesses with outstanding talent from Latin America, filling 40+ professional roles. Construction firms in the United States and Canada choose us because we have:  

• Full-time team members who are 100% dedicated to your business.  
• Nearshore talent means your team is in similar time zones for better work collaboration.  
• Superior talent quality – accepting only the top 2% of 4,000+ monthly applicants using our Top Talent Filter™. 

As Owner of Eastman Cooke Construction Peter Morandi shares about his WorkBetterNow Certified Professionals™ whom he refers to as his Productivity Army: “What we’ve been able to do is put a very detailed scope of work together, and say, ‘Go and execute.’ And it’s been nearly flawless.” 

Don't Just Work Harder– Work Better

If you’re ready to explore how hiring remote nearshore talent can propel your construction business forward, schedule a free consultation with WorkBetterNow today.  

You may be surprised to find out that we can get a highly skilled professional up and running in your business in as little as two weeks, and for a fraction of the cost of hiring someone with similar skills locally.  

Scaling a construction business isn’t just about working harder – it's about hiring smarter. Let’s talk about what that could look like for you. 

WorkBetterNow (WBN) provides outstanding remote talent to small and midsize businesses. WBN’s highly skilled and pre-vetted Latin American professionals are hand-matched for each client’s unique needs. Hundreds of growing businesses turn to WBN to unleash their potential through our exceptional talent, ease of hiring, and ongoing support. Request a consult today!