If you are a business owner, you can run your business alone, and many do. They are solopreneurs or sole traders, and they outsource any additional need they might have, ensuring they can provide exactly what their customers want every time.

This can work very well, but it won’t be ideal for everyone. For some business owners, it’s actually better to hire people to work within the business, even if it’s on a part-time basis, because this is what will improve development and allow for growth. With that in mind, here are some tips on how to know when it’s time to hire your first employee. Once you’ve overcome this hurdle, any future hires will be much easier to get right.

You’ll Make More Money

Hiring someone costs a lot of money, which is why a lot of business owners try to put it off or even decide not to do it at all. Not only do you have to pay the person you’re hiring, which is a huge expense, especially when you consider the additional benefits, such as a pension and health insurance, that you might be offering, but you’ll also need to take time away from the business to read through resumés and conduct interviews, not to mention training the new employee once you take them on.

However, it is prudent to look at hiring your first employee as an investment. There is only so far you can go in your business when it’s just you and outsourcing partners or freelance staff. If you want to push further and become more successful – and therefore more profitable – then you’ll need to hire at least one employee. Although this will cost you money, if it means you can make more money than it costs, it’s certainly worth doing. If you work on the same basis in the future, the more staff you have, the more profit you’ll make.

You Can Do It Right

Hiring someone isn’t just about what’s right for you and your business; you also have to do what’s right for your employee. It would not be fair to hire someone and then not be able to provide them with the money or benefits they were promised, especially if this is part of their formal contract.

This means ensuring that everything is done in the right way. Always make sure you have the right payroll software, for example, so you know your employee is being paid the right money. You should also make sure they have all the tools and equipment they need to do their job properly, and that they are able to come to you with any issues they might have.

You Need Something Specific

As we’ve said, outsourcing in business is sometimes crucial, and if you do it right, it can be highly useful – it means you can get more done in a more expert way. It’s the ideal thing to do initially if you need something specific, such as an IT expert or marketing professional.

However, as your business grows, it might be that you realize you can handle these things in-house and that it would be a better investment for you to do that. In which case, you can start looking for employees with these skills. Some business owners prefer this, as they have complete control over the process, rather than letting any aspect of their business out of their sight. Although micromanaging is not a good thing, keeping an eye on each step of the process can ensure you get the results you were looking for, and that will only be possible when you have your own team.