If you are planning to hire an employee in order to help grow or support your business, just how should you go about it?

What’s your growth plan?

Each solo business owner needs to decide whether they want their business to grow. Flying Solo’s survey suggests it’s on the cards for half of all soloists. How do you know when is the right time to hire an employee?

Spotting the symptoms of growing pains

One of the main issues with being a soloist is deciding when it’s time to relinquish control of your “baby”. Many solo business owners can’t get past this point and struggle to continue providing their services by themselves.

What do you gain from doing this? In my view, nothing. You become worn out, your service level drops, customers leave, and you start feeling unmotivated.

You need to recognise these symptoms early and look for solutions. This is the time when you know you need to look for help.

Outsource or hire?

Initially your solution could be to outsource some tasks or responsibilities. But outsourcing can be expensive and will only relieve you of some duties. To really get the help you need, you’ll probably eventually need to hire an employee.

Want more articles like this? Check out the growth section.

How do I find an employee?

Do I look to family? Do I advertise in the local paper? Do I advertise on a jobs board or use a recruitment consultant?

For a soloist, using a recruitment consultant can be too expensive, advertising on a jobs board or in the local paper can be like a lucky dip, and using family can end in disaster.

I normally suggest you try hiring someone you know (but who isn’t related to you) or have worked with in the past. You could also take a referral from a friend or friend of a friend that knows someone looking for work.

Regardless of where you find your new employee, make sure you interview them thoroughly, implement a strong employee contract, and always, always have a probationary period.

Have you bitten the bullet and hired an employee? What’s the experience been like, and how has it affected your business?