I'm a successful sales and marketing manager, but I only earn 20k a year

Twice a week we publish problems that will feature in a forthcoming Dear Jeremy advice column in the Saturday Guardian so that readers can offer their own advice and suggestions. We then print the best of your comments alongside Jeremy’s own insights. Here is the latest dilemma – what are your thoughts?

I am a sales and marketing manager. I got the job in February last year and I love it. It is creative, I have flexibility, I’m not micro-managed and I’m challenged. My difficulty is: I’m currently paid £20,000 a year, which isn’t loads.

I’ve increased sales over a lot of different areas and sectors (web sales are up 50%, we have at least 30 new customers since I began, and customers who have been trading with us for years are talking about how they’ve spoken to me more in one year than they have to others over 10).

The sticking point is, the business is planning on becoming a cooperative. If we buy out the founder, then we will have a share, but this is projected to be in five years, and I would find it very difficult to be on £20,000 annually in the meantime.

When I asked my boss about annual pay reviews, she basically said they didn’t do them, and the only thing they were considering was the fact that the “living wage” was going up. Therefore I am considered to be one of the more well-paid members of staff, and I understand that the issue with the “living wage” will put some financial pressure on the business.

But I’m doing a lot to grow the business, and they need me to do so to try and buy out the founder ... which will benefit us all.

Do you need advice on a work issue? For Jeremy’s and readers’ help, send a brief email to dear.jeremy@theguardian.com. Please note that he is unable to answer questions of a legal nature or to reply personally.