Are you too afraid to hire your first employee?

It’s understandable if you are too afraid to hire your first employee. There’s the responsibility of having to come up with their wages every week, all the additional paperwork, the insurances, and all the legal requirements. Not to mention the time it takes to train them up, and will they ever do it as well as you can? The truth is possibly not, but if you’re too afraid to hire your first employee, it could be costing you a lot more than you realise.

By not having employees to delegate tasks to, it means you are the only person available to do everything and with only twenty-four hours in a day, once you reach your limit, there’s no more potential to scale and grow your business. This also means there’s a limit to your earning capacity. It’s capped at whatever you earn per hour for the number of hours you can work per week. And what if you get sick?

There’s also your quality of life. Do you really want to be working this hard for the rest of your life? Most people get into business because they want freedom. The ability to choose when they work and how much they work. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to take some time off and not have your income affected? That’s just not possible unless you decide to hire some help.

Let’s address the three biggest fears when it comes to being too afraid to hire your first employee:

I’m afraid I’ll choose the wrong employee?

It is possible you might choose the wrong employee initially or pay them the incorrect amount or the wrong award but you can combat this risk by researching what’s required and even Google, “How to hire the right employee”. There’s so much information available.
Also, if you do end up hiring someone that doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. Consider it a learning experience that’s bringing you one step closer to finding the ideal employee who can help you to turn your business around.

I’m afraid I won’t have enough work for them?

Usually, if you are ready for an employee it means you are working way too many hours yourself so the reality is you will have plenty for them to do, but if you are concerned then start with a casual or part-time employee until the business gets busier. Having that employee will also free you up to spend more time on growing the business, which in turn will bring the funds you need to afford them.

I’m afraid they won’t do it as well as I can?

There will be times, especially during training, when your employee may make mistakes with the potential to cost you in some way, but the benefits of all the other times they get it right will far outweigh this risk.

Imagine if they could actually do some things better than you currently can? This is a common result and one of the gifts that come from this experience. If you are willing to listen and learn from your employees, often they will come up with a faster or more efficient way to do something you may not have thought of before. Encourage this because it will help your business to grow.

I don’t know where to start

It’s impossible to be good at every aspect of your business so make a list of all the tasks you do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and then highlight those you don’t enjoy doing or aren’t your forte. Then hire an employee or a consultant to manage those so you can focus on what you are good at, which will result in more business.

So, although these fears are valid to a degree, the real question you need to ask yourself is, “But what if it works out as the best thing ever?” If you are working too many hours and not able to grow your business, then this is the next crucial step. Don’t be too afraid to hire your first employee, instead, focus on what the benefits can be if you do.