Determining whether your business is ready to hire an employee requires careful analysis and consideration. You need to assess your company’s financial position and calculate return on investment before ultimately deciding if hiring is the best path forward for your company.  What does that entail?  Let’s discuss.  

Assess Your Company’s Position

Financial Health Check
Review your current financial statements, including your income statement (profit and loss statement), balance sheet, and cash flow statement. This will provide an overview of your business’s financial health.

Assess Revenue and Profitability
Analyze your revenue and profitability trends. Are your sales and profits consistently increasing, or are they stable? Make sure your business can cover the added expenses of a new employee without compromising your financial stability.

Consider Your Current Workload
Assess whether your existing employees are at full capacity or if they have the capacity to take on additional tasks. Hiring a new employee should be justified by a genuine need for their skills and labor.

Cash Flow Analysis
Review your cash flow projections to ensure you have sufficient cash reserves to cover the new employee’s salary and other expenses, especially if there will be a delay between hiring and increased revenue.

Consider the Investment

Budget for Employee Benefits
Factor in the cost of providing benefits, such as healthcare, retirement plans, and paid time off. These costs can significantly increase the total expense of a new employee.

Calculate Return on Investment (ROI)
Estimate the potential return on investment that a new employee could bring. Consider how their work will contribute to increased sales, productivity, or efficiency. A positive ROI is a good indicator that hiring is financially feasible.

Short-Term vs. Long-Term
Distinguish between short-term and long-term financial considerations. Hiring may have an initial cost but could lead to long-term growth and profitability. Ensure that the long-term benefits outweigh the short-term expenses.

Explore Alternative Solutions
Consider whether there are alternative solutions, such as outsourcing, freelancers, or automations, that could fulfill the same tasks without the commitment of a full-time employee.

Make Your Decision

Create a Hiring Budget
Once you’ve assessed all the financial factors, create a hiring budget that outlines all the expected costs associated with hiring a new employee. This will help you track your expenses and make informed decisions. See the next page for a budget worksheet. 

Monitor and Adjust
Continuously monitor your financial situation after hiring to ensure that you can sustain the additional costs. Be prepared to adjust your budget and staffing decisions as needed.

For a complementary budget worksheet, click the link below.

Final Thoughts

By following these steps and conducting a thorough financial analysis, you can make an informed decision about whether or not your business is financially able to hire a new employee. It’s crucial to ensure that the decision aligns with your business’s long-term goals and financial stability.

At Aligned CPA, we help our clients understand these metrics and others, to move their business forward.  Become a client and see your dreams of owning and running a profitable and successful business become a reality.

Schedule Your 15 Minute Consultation

Cessie Cothran, MBA

As our in house CFO, Cessie provides high-level financial expertise, offering strategic guidance to our clients.  Tailoring services to their specific needs, Cessie improves decision-making processes to drive growth, maximizing profitability while minimizing overhead costs.

Tax Strategy and Accounting + CFO Advisory = The Perfect Alignment