What the Numbers Say: How to Know If You're Ready to Hire (Without Freaking Out)

Hiring is one of the most exciting—and terrifying—decisions a founder can make.

On one hand, it’s a sign of growth. On the other, it’s a big commitment: salary, onboarding, training, and the pressure to make it work.

So how do you know you’re financially ready?

1. Run the numbers first (before emotions take over)

We always start with a full cost model:

• Base salary

• Superannuation

• Payroll tax (if applicable)

• Software, hardware, and setup costs

• Time lost in onboarding or handover

Once you know the true cost of hiring, you can build a revenue forecast to test whether your margins can sustain the new team member.

2. Map capacity and opportunity

If your current team (or you) are:

• Working late

• Saying no to work

• Missing deadlines ... you’re already paying the cost of under-staffing.

Hiring isn’t just about freeing up time. It’s about protecting your business’s reputation and future revenue.

3. Model best, worst, and realistic scenarios

We help clients simulate:

• What happens if the new hire is at 80% billable hours?

• What if they’re not revenue-generating (e.g., admin, ops)?

• What’s the breakeven point?

✅ Client story: One of our clients in a creative agency was terrified of hiring a senior designer. We ran the model and found they only needed 20 hours/week of billable time to break even. They hired—and doubled revenue in 9 months.

Hiring shouldn’t be a leap of faith. It should be a strategic move backed by your numbers.