When to Hire (and Who to Hire First) in a Growing Business
Your business is growing — which is exciting — but suddenly you’re wearing every hat, working late nights, and wondering how long you can keep going before something breaks. Hiring help feels like the next logical step, but it’s not a decision to take lightly. Hire too soon, and you risk draining profits you need to grow. Hire too late, and you risk burnout, mistakes, or missed opportunities.
Here’s how to know if you’re truly ready to hire — and which role to prioritize first.
Signs It’s Time to Hire
Before you bring someone on board, you need to be sure you actually need the help and can afford it. Here are key indicators:
Revenue is steady (or growing) – If you’re consistently generating income and have a reliable cash flow, you can project how much you can invest in help.
You’re turning down opportunities – If you’re saying “no” to clients or projects simply because you don’t have the bandwidth, you’re losing growth potential.
Tasks are falling through the cracks – Deadlines are missed, emails unanswered, or you’re making avoidable mistakes because you’re stretched too thin.
You’re doing $10/hour work instead of $100/hour work – If you’re spending more time on low-value, repetitive tasks than on income-generating activities, hiring could free you up to focus on growth.
Your work-life balance is non-existent – If you’re sacrificing health, family, and sleep to keep up, you’re at risk of burnout — which can hurt your business long-term.
Quick Test: Track everything you do for a week. If 30–40% of your time is spent on admin or repetitive tasks someone else could handle, you’re likely ready to hire.
Who Should You Hire First?
The first hire should take the biggest weight off your plate, freeing you to focus on high-value activities. The right choice depends on your business, but here are common first hires:
Option A: An Administrative or Virtual Assistant (VA)
Best for: Service-based businesses or solopreneurs drowning in emails, scheduling, data entry, and admin tasks.
Impact: Frees you from repetitive, non-revenue tasks, giving you back hours every week.
Cost: Usually the most affordable hire to start with (hourly or part-time options available).
Option B: A Specialist in a Bottleneck Area
Best for: Businesses where a single skill gap is limiting growth (e.g., marketing, sales, tech support).
Impact: Allows you to offload tasks you’re not skilled at, improving quality and speed.
Example: A social media manager to handle content or a bookkeeper to organize your finances.
Option C: A Revenue-Generating Role
Best for: Businesses with strong operations but limited sales capacity.
Impact: Brings in more clients or customers, increasing your ability to scale quickly.
Example: A sales rep, lead generation specialist, or business development manager.
How to Hire Smart (Even for Your First Role)
Start with a contractor or part-time hire – Test the role before committing full-time.
Document your processes first – Type out step-by-step instructions for recurring tasks so onboarding is easier.
Hire for skills AND fit – A great resume means little if they don’t understand your vision or work style.
Set clear goals and expectations – Know exactly what success looks like for that role in the first 90 days.
Use the 70% rule – If the candidate meets 70% of what you’re looking for and has a growth mindset, they’re a solid investment.
The Bottom Line
Hiring is a growth decision, not just a financial one. The right hire can give you time back, help you serve more clients, and make your business sustainable. The wrong hire — or hiring too soon — can create stress and financial strain.
Start by identifying the tasks that drain your energy or pull you away from high-value work. Then, make your first hire the person who removes that bottleneck, so you can focus on what truly grows your business.