Last Updated on August 4, 2023 by Treana Wunsch
It can be difficult to decide when you need to hire help for your small business. You want to make sure your business is successful, but you also want to be sure that it remains financially viable. Knowing when to bring in extra hands can be tricky, but with the right information, you can make an informed decision.
How do you know when it's time to hire someone?
Running a small business can be challenging and time-consuming. Knowing when to hire help is an important decision that can make or break the success of your business. Identifying the need for additional help is a big step towards achieving organizational goals and growing your business.
Making the decision to hire additional staff requires careful consideration of resources and objectives. It is important to understand how a new team member would contribute to current operations, as well as whether there are enough other tasks that need attention without having to add more work for you. It’s also essential to consider whether the organization has sufficient funding in order to onboard new personnel and cover associated costs like salary, benefits, equipment, etc.
Here are 5 ways to know if you need to hire help for your small business:
You're burning out
Burnout is an all-too-common phenomenon for small business owners. As the sole decision maker, the weight of responsibility can quickly become overwhelming and lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed by work. If you feel like your workload is taking over your life and affecting your physical, mental, and emotional health, it may be time to consider hiring help.
When you’re in the midst of burning out, there are certain telltale signs that indicate it’s time to bring on additional help. You may find yourself struggling with deadlines or feeling discouraged by the sheer number of tasks that need to be done each day. Perhaps you’re having difficulty focusing on one project at a time or you’re missing deadlines.
Not taking enough breaks or getting enough sleep will reduce your productivity and prevent you from making the best decisions for your business. It will also increase the likelihood of making mistakes or missing tasks. Additionally, taking time off in the form of a vacation recharges you so you can come back to your business with a fresh perspective.
If you can’t get proper rest, it’s time to hire help. A good benchmark is to keep your working hours to 50 or fewer per week. Productivity declines drastically after that. Your health is also impacted. Also, taking one full day off is necessary to keep your productivity at its peak. This article goes into further detail.
You don't have the expertise
For small businesses, one of the greatest challenges is to know when to hire help for certain tasks that are beyond their expertise. When running a business, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the amount of work that needs to be completed and not have enough time or resources to do everything on your own. While hiring help may seem like an extra expense at first, it can actually save you money in the long run by eliminating costly mistakes and allowing you to focus on other important aspects of your business.
It is important for small business owners to recognize when they don’t have the necessary skills or knowledge required for a particular job. Acknowledging this fact allows them to make informed decisions about where they should allocate their resources. Hiring someone who has expertise in a specific area can save valuable time and money, as well as add greater value to their business overall.
Hiring help allows business owners to benefit from an extra set of hands and expertise. An employee or independent contractor with knowledge in areas that may be lacking in the small business, such as marketing or bookkeeping, can provide invaluable assistance and insight for growing your business. Also, having another person on board will enable the owner to focus more on their core competencies and less on day-to-day tasks that could be delegated to a new hire.
You have too much work
Do you feel like you have too much work and not enough time in your small business? It can be hard to know when it’s the right time to hire help, but there are a few tell-tale signs that suggest it might be time. If you’re finding yourself feeling constantly overwhelmed with no end in sight, or if you find yourself taking on tasks outside of your skillset, it could be beneficial to consider hiring help.
Once the workload becomes too much for one person to handle alone, delegating certain tasks can free up valuable time and energy that can be used more productively elsewhere. Hiring additional staff does not have to mean bringing on full-time employees; freelancers or part-time workers can help ease the burden without increasing overhead costs substantially.
The quality of work is suffering
The quality of work is suffering in many small businesses today, as owners often take on too much and find themselves stretched too thin. It isn’t a surprise that quality can suffer when a single individual has to juggle multiple tasks alone. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the workload of running your business, it might be time to consider hiring help.
Hiring new employees or freelancers can free up more of your precious time and allow you to focus on higher-level activities such as driving innovation for your business or looking for growth opportunities. With the right team in place, you can ensure that projects are completed with minimum stress, allowing you to maintain high standards of work. Hiring additional help not only enables you to deliver better quality results but also boosts productivity and morale amongst existing staff members.
If customers are complaining, it’s time to hire help.
It makes sense financially
No small business owner wants to take on unnecessary costs. But there comes a time in the life of every small business that taking on extra help makes sense, both financially and practically.
When your business is growing, it can be difficult to keep track of all the moving parts: managing customers, sales, marketing, operations and more. Hiring additional employees or outsourcing specific projects can free up your resources and help you focus on what’s most important—growing your business.
Not only does hiring help allow you to dedicate more time to the core of your company, but it can also save you money in the long run. An outside expert might offer a specialized service for less than it would cost you to do it yourself—or even hire an employee—and having someone with experience can eliminate costly mistakes down the line.
When hiring help for your small business, think about what your time and energy are worth. If hiring someone to take on the task will either save you money, time or energy, it’s worth it. Business owners who try to do it all, just end up spinning their wheels and never getting anywhere. In order for your business to grow, you must hire help.
Final thoughts
Hiring employees can help you build your business in many ways. However, you must remember that nobody is going to care about your business like you are so you can’t expect your employees to work as hard as you do. That is an unreasonable expectation. They are not getting the same benefits from the business as you are. If they work as hard as you, pay them what they deserve and never let them go.
Also, micromanaging will only create tension and decrease motivation with your employees. They are your greatest resource and should be treated that way. I’ve seen business owners treat their employees like slaves. This will not get more work or better work from them. Treat them with the respect they deserve and compensate them well. This is the best way to build motivation and culture within your business. Create a situation where they never want to leave. Invest in them and they’ll want to put their best foot forward.
Payroll, benefits and supplies for your employees are expenses, however, the work they do is an invaluable investment. Without them, you’ll never reach your business goals.
That's All Folks...
Knowing when to hire help for your small business can be a difficult decision. It’s important to remember that it’s not just about the financial cost, but also about the time and effort you will save in the long run. Taking some time to research and plan ahead is key so that you can ensure your hires are well-informed, motivated and invested in their work.
Hiring help will help create an environment for your business to grow but before you start hiring, there are things you need to do in order to be successful. Watch for my article on what to do before hiring help for your business.
