“Stuff I wish I knew before I took on my first team member”.

First Employees

Do you have any or all of the following?

  • one to three employees? (Or, if casual employees, maybe more of them, working small numbers of hours each week)
  • one or more team members offshore?
  • at least one contractor who works under your direction for at least one day per week?

We often speak to business owners who tell us that the issues they EXPECTED to encounter where not always the ones that did arise. We suggested that there should be a handbook entitled: “Stuff I wish I knew before I took on my first team member” and they all agreed that this was a great idea.

So, here we go with #1 is a series. We’re going to start with:

#1 – Maybe there are other options.

Typical micro business owners start their business because they have a skill and/or passion for something.
Great at making cakes and decorating them?
Love gardening?
Worked as a tradie for a few years and have decided it’s time to branch out on your own?

The biggest problems I encounter when working with sole traders who take on their first employee, contractor or offshore team member fall into two main categories;

  • Compliance issues due to genuine ignorance or lack of knowledge
    (Example; “I know about Fair Work Information Statements because I got on when i started my last job, but noone gave me a Casual Employment Information Statement in 2018 [They didn’t exist in 2018] “) , and
  • Issues around managing another human being.

So, my starting poiint when working with a client who is planning to take on their first team member is: “Back the bus up – why do you need an employee or contractor? Can any of those duties be outsourced? “
If they can, then you are now a CLIENT, not an EMPLOYER.

Example?
Employ a bookkeeper for 1 day per week or let me connect you with a bookkeeper from my referral network.

So, look for a bespoke solution for your business. what works for one business may not work for another, similar business. ‘Bespoke’ does not mean ‘expensive’ – it means the best solution for YOUR business.

There’s a Contact Us form on every page of our website and a confidential discussion can be had without cost or obligation.