Unfortunately, there’s no “best” time to hire an employee – it depends mostly on how much help you need, the type of help you need, and how much you can afford to pay someone.

Before placing an online or newspaper ad, or contacting a job placement/temp service, take a look at current business operations to decide the type of help you’ll need. Look at current sales/revenues to see if you can afford to hire full-time, part-time, or a freelance contractor.

Ask around to see if your friends or family know of someone looking for work. This is a great option if have little time to review resumes or field phone calls after placing an ad. Also, you get instant references to determine quickly whether the person would be a good fit or not.

Determine Your Needs

Make a list of duties/tasks, number of hours, and days during the week when you need the most help. This information can help greatly when creating a position description before/during the interview process. It’s very important to be as honest and straight-forward as you can with a potential employee about the realities of the job. Not only does this help you build trust, it also allows you to find the best person for the job.

Make it Legitimate

In addition to find the right person for the job, you also need to follow state and federal guidelines concerning tax filing, tax withholding, and other tax-related issues. Read this article from the Small Business Administration to get started. You should also contact your bookkeeper or CPA and inform them of your new hire.

Create a Comfortable Atmosphere

Once you hire an employee, make them feel comfortable by creating a proper workspace (this is especially important if you work from a home office). Make sure employees have a desk, somewhere to store their personal belongings, and access to computers and other office equipment. Slowly integrate new employees into your daily operations. Provide adequate training, allow for mistakes, and work with employees to ensure they always treat your customers and your business with respect.