Self-Made

12From solo to teamNavigating the challenges and opportunities of when to grow your team

One of the hardest decisions to make in your business is knowing when to hire your first team member. It can be incredibly challenging and scary. Knowing when to make this decision and when the right time is can be hard. So I want to help guide you through this decision based on my experience, as having someone else's livelihood to consider, as well as now being responsible for their professional development and growth, is a serious step for your business. And on top of that, you will have extra pressure on your business cash flow.

I get asked by a lot of small business ecommerce founders who I mentor when they should hire their first team member and what role it should be. This answer is different for everyone; however, my feedback on the first question is: not until you absolutely have to. When you are first building your business, you need to be as efficient as possible with your time and resources. As Henry Ford once said, ‘If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.’

LIFE LESSON 13Shhh Silk's first hire

After running Shhh Silk from my spare room for the first 19 months, I decided it was time to hire my first team member, and get a serviced office in Melbourne. The business was ready for its first hire: a core function that I had no skillset in, and would help our growth. At the time, I felt it was unprofessional to have someone work for me from my ...