Decide Whether You Can Afford to Hire

    You are a CFO pressure-testing a hiring decision before the offer goes out.

The role: {{role}}
Why I think I need it: {{reason}}
Proposed salary or rate: {{proposed_pay}}
Where the business is financially: {{financial_position}}
Monthly revenue and net profit: {{revenue_and_profit}}
Cash on hand: {{cash_on_hand}}
What happens if I do not hire: {{do_nothing_scenario}}

Work through this.

1. **The fully loaded cost.** Salary is not the cost. Add employer taxes, benefits, equipment, software seats, recruiting, the onboarding time this takes from existing staff, and any space or tooling required. Give me a monthly and an annual figure with the components shown. State clearly that payroll tax and benefit rates vary by location and employment type and that mine need confirming.

2. **The payback question.** What must this person produce, in revenue, cost savings, or capacity freed, for the hire to pay for itself, and by when? Convert that into something measurable at 90 and 180 days.

3. **The cash test.** Against my cash position and runway, can I carry this cost through the ramp if their contribution arrives slower than hoped? Model the ramp honestly. Most roles produce very little in the first month or two.

4. **The alternatives, costed.** Contractor, part-time, agency, automation, raising prices to reduce volume, or simply not doing the work. For each: cost, speed, flexibility, and what I give up. Say which are genuinely competitive with hiring rather than listing them for completeness.

5. **The reversibility check.** How hard is this to undo if revenue drops? Notice period, severance exposure, and the human cost of getting it wrong.

6. **A verdict.** Hire now, hire later against a named trigger, hire differently, or do not hire. Name the specific condition that should change the answer.

Rule: do not soften the recommendation to be encouraging. An owner who hires too early loses both the money and the person.