Hiring Without Overcommitting: Know Your Numbers So You Can Move Ahead Amidst Uncertainty

Apr 29, 2025

Did you lay out big growth plans for your organization in 2025 that now feel unrealistic since it’s – somehow – almost May? You are not alone, and I hope you, too, will give yourself a little grace.

Growth requires action, including investing in the right people and systems, but taking action can feel extra risky amidst economic volatility and uncertainty.

That said, consider that staying understaffed might be costing you more than you realize. Another way to look at this ‘opportunity cost’ is to ask yourself, What revenue are you losing by not having help?

I say -- Go For It! But... be sure to know your numbers before moving ahead.

Whether you work in a for-profit or nonprofit organization, it’s important to know your numbers before setting new goals. These numbers may include the following:

Monthly revenue and expenses
Your profit margin
Cash flow runway
Cost to deliver you product/service

Think about your top goal for this quarter or this year and determine what needs to be measured to achieve your goal. For example, if your big goal is to attract the right people to increase your sales revenue, you probably want to measure the number of qualified leads and percentage of leads that turn into paying customers (or perhaps grants/donations received or new volunteers for nonprofits) each month.

Now ask yourself, Do you have the people and/or systems to achieve your goal? Which of your current tasks can you delegate or automate so you can focus more on direct revenue-generating activities?

Once you’ve decided to hire, know that you have several low-commitment hiring options including virtual assistants, independent contractors, and interns that can help you without the stress of committing to hiring them fulltime and/or long-term.

While I believe interns are a great option with a well-structured and well-run internship program (which my company Visions Internships specializes in - See last month’s Blog to learn ways an internship program can give you a business edge), I’m focusing this message on hiring more experienced short-term project assistants/consultants to help you gain traction more quickly and fill critical gaps (i.e. content creation, automation, AI, process documentation/improvement, etc.) to achieve your goals especially amidst today's uncertainty.

Pro Tip: Remember to agree to clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with your new hire(s) and demonstrate before you delegate, to minimize mutual frustration.

To Your Success!

Amy

P.S. To learn more about how I can help your organization meet its goals, check out our Services & Resources for Organizations. It's not too late to make 2025 your best year yet!