If you're on staff, you are already doing the work of three people. If you're a designer, illustrator or photographer, the decision to take on even a small payroll is a big one! The main criteria is CREATIVE TIME. At some point in the growth of your business or department, you must move beyond the "I'll do it yourself stage". It will start costing you time, energy and attention to your creative work and you must delegate. When your time is better (and more profitably) spent on creative or client consultations, you must get professional help! Try using this "reality checklist" to determine if you're ready:

1. Do you find yourself updating your mailing list when you should be making calls to clients instead?
   
2. Is your portfolio out-of-date because you don't have the time do self-assignments or organize the materials to update it?
   
3. Do you spend more time than you should organizing a job cost proposal because you can't keep your printed samples, client testimonials and other promo pieces current?
   
4. Are you always behind schedule because you have to abandon self-promotion or administrative work when creative work comes in?
   

Once you have determined you're ready to consider hiring, then work on a job description before you start interviewing. Walk through your work for at least two weeks with a notepad in hand jotting down each task AS YOU DO IT. These should be chores that don't require your personal attention. Be brutal and objective.

The key is to keep your hands on the subjective work and hire someone for the more objective and measurable tasks. Then, you can hire someone or even delegate to someone already on staff!