When to hire a full-time finance person and what to look for

As a small business owner, you’re used to doing it all, including managing the finances. In the early days, that’s often the only option. But as your business grows, so do your financial responsibilities. At a certain point, keeping the books and making financial decisions without professional help becomes risky and costly.

Signs it’s time to hire a finance professional

Not every business needs a full-time finance hire on day one, but there are clear indicators that it’s time to bring someone in to take the load off your shoulders and guide smarter decisions.

• Review how much time you (or your team) spend on finance each week
• Track how often you make decisions without up-to-date financial data
• Evaluate your ability to manage cash flow confidently
• Consider whether late reporting or tax issues are slowing you down
• Assess the complexity of your financial operations (e.g., inventory, payroll, multiple entities)

Do a time audit and track how many hours per month you spend on finance tasks like invoicing, payroll, reporting, or planning. If it’s more than 10–15 hours or causing decision delays, it’s time to consider a hire.

What type of finance help do you actually need?

Before hiring, it’s essential to define the type of financial support your business needs. You may not need a full-time CFO. Map out the financial tasks in your business, consider whether a virtual CFO or fractional finance support could cover your needs, identify gaps in your current setup, and forecast your hiring budget.

The business case for a full-time finance role

Hiring a finance person is a cost but it’s also an investment. A skilled hire can help your business grow faster, avoid financial risk, and make better use of your capital. List the 3 biggest financial challenges or missed opportunities from the last 12 months — if having a skilled finance person in-house would have prevented or improved any of them, you have a business case.

What to look for in a finance hire

• Experience in businesses similar in size and stage to yours
• Commercial thinking and communication skills as a priority
• Examples of forecasting, budgeting, and growth planning they’ve led
• Ability to build or improve systems (cloud accounting, dashboards)
• Can translate financial insights into clear, actionable advice

Create a role profile that includes both technical requirements and soft skills. During interviews, ask scenario-based questions — e.g., “How would you help us manage cash through a seasonal sales dip?”

Onboarding and making it a success

Hiring is just the first step. Define clear 30/60/90-day objectives, give them access to historical reports, budgets, and tools, schedule regular check-ins, involve them in strategic planning early, and empower them to recommend improvements to financial systems.

Final thoughts

If you’re feeling stretched managing the numbers, or worried you’re not seeing the full financial picture it’s probably time to bring in professional help. Start by defining your needs clearly, and look for someone who not only understands numbers, but can translate them into actionable insights that drive real business results. We can also help take some of the stress of managing your finances. Talk to us today.