With a first on-site employee you get a lot of things you never wished for: the fear that they’re not working on what they should, the worry that something will go wrong and you won’t be able to pay their salary, the headaches and frustrations caused by bureaucracy, taxes, payroll systems, hours wasted finding and interviewing candidates that will prove to be a poor fit. It almost makes you stay a solopreneur forever.
Soon after deciding to hire an on-site employee, you discover even more things that might obliterate your enthusiasm. Depending on your industry and local labour regulations, you might have to hang posters on your office walls informing your employee, for example, that an employer can’t submit them to polygraph tests (as it’s required in Texas for some verticals).
Don’t despair. If you really want to hire someone (as an employee) you’ll find the inner strength to deal with all these things. And you’ll always have the option to hire contractors.
If you’re scared by the fact that hiring a local employee will cost you too much or cause you too much stress before getting to reap the fruit of hiring someone, there’s a loophole. You can outsource the tasks that would make up this first position for which you’ll have to hire. You’ll be able to test if you really need to hire someone or just manage your own time better, or if having “a team” makes sense financially (can you generate enough revenue?). You’ll get good quality work for just 20-30% of the cost of a local employee. You’ll enjoy more freedom and learn more about your business and where it could lead you.
No matter what you decide, remember that you should have the freedom to test out anything you believe could help your business grow. There is no one-size-fits-all type of a business solution, you’ll have to find the best one for yourself through trial and error.
