Manar Al Hinai: How to tell when it’s time to hire help

For the solopreneur, hiring help is a make or break decision, writes Manar Al Hinai.

If there is one thing I have become accustomed to during my entrepreneurial journey, it's learning to do everything myself. When you start off as a solopreneur, there's little option but to do it all on your own. You are the salesperson, the branding strategist, the administrator and even the accountant. But this is a good thing because it exposes you to tasks probably previously unfamiliar to you. More importantly, by learning these skills you can keep costs down as you build your business. But the real question here is when you should hire an assistant.

When I first started managing my consultancy, my friends urged me to hire help straight away, so that he or she would learn and grow with my business. I did not take their advice as there are a couple of factors to consider before recruiting staff: timing and your budget.

First, consider if taking someone on is a priority or if you need more time to strategise. Clients often look for help with their PR and social media activities – a need that generally arises when they are under stress and feel that they have not accomplished their goals. But before you dive in and hire someone to elevate that stress, review your strategy. Perhaps if you change your focus, or shift things around, you don’t need to recruit at all. Maybe you could substitute with software to earn some valuable time back. Or perhaps you are offering too wide a range of services – something that is leaving you feeling burnt out. I have been in exactly this situation. To tackle it, I reviewed what I offered, removed the elements that were not generating good income and focused instead on those that I enjoyed that were in high demand.

Alternatively, if the increasing number of clients is leaving you stressed because of the admin required to process them, use your time to serve them better and consider getting help. Start with a virtual assistant or a temporary assistant if have a strict budget, then work your way up.

This takes us to the second important point: your budget.

If you are just starting out and money is tight, then even if you are desperate for help taking on an employee could put the business under extra financial strain. Consider interns. Consult the student affair faculty at local universities; they are usually in charge of placing interns. You are likely to find undergraduates willing to work for the experience rather than a salary, and you might even meet an intern that you want to hire.

However, if your business has been doing well for a while now, you have a steady stream of clients and you are still a one-man show, then perhaps an assistant is the next step. It will give you someone to delegate tasks to, help you out when you are sick or away on holiday and offer a sounding board as you carry the business forward. You will never grow business unless you slowly expand your team. Many entrepreneurs overlook the fact that saving on the expense of hiring someone could result in a loss of growth opportunities and expansion potential.

Finally, when you do decide to hire help, figure out what they could do for you. Ultimately, an assistant should either help you save money or earn it. Start with a simple sheet of paper listing out the activities they can carry out.

An employee can either be a waste of money or a valuable resource and a great investment. Analysing your business needs and strategy will help you determine if you really need help or if you simply need to shift things around.

Manar Al Hinai is an award-winning Emirati writer and manages her branding and marketing consultancy in Abu Dhabi. Twitter: @manar_alhinai.

Follow The National's Business section on Twitter