Starting a dietitian-led private practice is a wild, exhilarating and daunting adventure. At almost the exact moment, you feel like everything’s ticking along smoothly, and you can breathe again; you’re suddenly met with the question, “Should I expand my team”? When to hire help in your dietitian business can be one of the biggest (and scariest) decisions you’ll have to make, but it doesn’t have to be. I love hiring (having hired over 50 team members) and now help other dietitians simplify the process. In this blog article, I’ll share my advice to help you feel more confident in expanding your team and hopefully reduce the overwhelm.
When is the right time to hire someone in your private practice?
Of course, it depends on you and your business, but one of the most obvious signs that it’s time to hire is when you can’t do any more work. In other words, you have an ever-growing waitlist, admin work piling up, and you feel completely stretched. However, being busy or at capacity often isn’t enough to plunge into posting an advertisement online, is it?
What’s stopping us from hiring?
As dietitians, like many professionals, even if we’re just keeping our heads above water and desperately need help, we tend to pause at the thought of expanding our team. In my experience as a business coach, these are the main reasons we hold back from hiring, even though we really shouldn’t.
Cost Concerns: The thought of adding a salary or contractor fees to your expenses can be incredibly nerve-racking. You may have finally just hit consistent months for yourself, and the idea of adding a new team member feels like starting from scratch. Having someone depend on you financially is a normal worry (and the most common), particularly the long-term thoughts, “How can I maintain the additional costs of having a team member?” However, while we tend to focus on the worst-case scenarios, bringing in help doesn’t have to compromise your earnings. It actually gives you much-needed time to increase your revenue and streamline processes so you may (eventually) hire even more people and make more money.
Finding the right person: The search for the perfect team member is no small feat. It’s not just about skills and qualifications; it’s also about finding someone who shares your vision and values and will represent your brand. If you’re worried about picking the wrong person or how long it will take to find “the one.”, you’re not alone.
While it’s natural to want a cut copy of yourself, if this is your expectation, you’ll be disappointed because they don’t exist. Try to approach hiring like dating. You’ll never find the exact person you’re looking for, but with an open mind and clarity on your non-negotiables, you’ll land a team member who shares your core values and can get behind your vision. And while you might have a checklist for required skills and experience, remember most of that can be learned later. It’s best to hire someone with the right attitude!
Contractor vs. Employee: A big decision is whether to hire a contractor or an employee, with pros and cons to each. While contractors offer flexibility and lower overhead costs, employees are usually more committed and integrated into your practice. To help you decide, clarify your financials, business plan, and long-term goals, and think about the level of control, financial obligations, and the working relationship you want.
Timing: There will never be a perfect time to hire. Wait too long, and you risk burnout and stunted growth. Move too quickly, and you may be financially overstretched and scrambling to find work for your new hire. Monitoring things like your workload, revenue, opportunities, growth trajectory, and yearly trends are all helpful in knowing if you should expand. However, you need to be mentally ready, too, and know whether you actually want to have a team.
Money Mindset: Our own beliefs about money significantly influence our hiring decisions. Overcoming the scarcity mindset and recognising the value that additional help brings is crucial. Rather than considering it as a cost, reframe it as an investment in your future success.
The hiring “rules”: There’s a misconception we need to hire another clinician to grow our business; however, this isn’t necessarily true. If you spend 10-12 hours a week on administrative tasks, hire an admin assistant. It might cost $30-40 per hour, compared to $200 per hour for a clinician, meaning you’d only have to see two clients to cover that person’s wage and give yourself back that time. This mindset shift is so powerful in overcoming the financial piece as it suddenly feels much less overwhelming and risky to hire help.
How do you know if you’re ready to hire?
In my opinion, if you can say yes to the following four points, you’re in a good position to hire.
You’re at capacity & feeling stuck – If your workload’s maxed out, you’re overwhelmed and have lost your business spark, it’s a clear sign you need help, whether it’s admin support, marketing, or another clinician.
Consistent referrals – If you’ve built a solid referral network and have consistent clients, it’s great as you can confidently keep your new team members’ books busy.
Cash flow – A financial airbag is incredibly important if you’re considering hiring. Even if you have quieter periods (which you will), they’ll be less stressful, with money set aside to take the pressure off and continue focusing on business growth.
You’re ready to grow a team – If you’re busy with consistent referrals and have cash flow, the last (and arguably most important) consideration is whether you want a team. Feeling prepared and excited to mentor and manage others? That’s a great sign you’re ready to take on the role of a leader and support others.
The biggest takeaway?
Don’t wait too long to hire. Delaying hiring can be more detrimental than taking the leap. The longer you wait, the more you risk overextending yourself, which can lead to burnout, poor service quality and missed opportunities. A new team member can increase your capacity to take on more clients, offer new services, and improve client (and employer) satisfaction.
I love growing my team (having hired over 50 team members), and now help other dietitians simplify the process and develop the skills and confidence to bring in help.
Want to map out a clear step-by-step plan to reduce the hiring overwhelm?
Book a 90-minute “Get It Done” session with Jodie
