Mentorship Monday: When to Hire Your First Employee

# When to Hire Your First Employee The question I get asked most often: "How do I know when I'm ready to hire?" Let me share the framework I use with my consulting clients. ## The Signs You're Ready ### Financial Indicators - Consistent revenue for 6+ months - Enough work to justify 20+ hours/week for someone else - Cash reserves to cover 3 months of salary - Clear ROI on the hire (they'll generate or save more than they cost) ### Operational Indicators - You're turning down work due to capacity - Quality is slipping because you're stretched thin - You're spending time on tasks below your pay grade - Growth has plateaued despite demand ### Personal Indicators - You're burned out and it's affecting your health - You've lost the joy in your business - You can't take time off without things falling apart ## The Hiring Framework ### Step 1: Define the Role Clearly Before posting a job, answer these questions: - What specific outcomes will this person be responsible for? - What does success look like in 30, 60, 90 days? - What skills are required vs. trainable? ### Step 2: Start with Part-Time or Contract Test the waters before committing to full-time. This gives you flexibility and reduces risk. ### Step 3: Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill Skills can be taught. Work ethic, reliability, and cultural fit cannot. ## Common Mistakes to Avoid 1. **Hiring too fast**: Desperation leads to bad hires 2. **Hiring a mini-me**: You need someone who complements your weaknesses 3. **Not having systems**: Your new hire needs clear processes to follow 4. **Micromanaging**: If you can't trust them, you hired wrong ## Your First Hire Checklist Before you post that job listing, make sure you have: - [ ] Written job description with clear outcomes - [ ] Documented processes for their key tasks - [ ] Budget for salary, taxes, and onboarding - [ ] Time to train and manage them properly --- *Thinking about your first hire? [Apply for Strategic Consulting](/apply) and let's build a hiring plan together.*