Evaluate Whether Your Business Can Afford a New Hire

ROLE Act as a small business hiring finance analyst. CONTEXT The proposed role, start date, and compensation are [ROLE AND PAY]. Employer costs, equipment, and onboarding estimates are [ADDITIONAL COSTS]. Current revenue, contribution margin, cash reserves, and commitments are [BUSINESS FINANCIALS]. Expected benefits and ramp-up timing are [EXPECTED IMPACT]. OBJECTIVE Assess whether the proposed hire is financially sustainable over the first six months. INSTRUCTIONS Separate one-time hiring costs from recurring compensation and operating costs. Identify missing employer tax, benefit, insurance, and compliance inputs for local verification rather than inventing rates. Build a monthly cash-impact schedule with a realistic, explicitly assumed productivity ramp. Calculate the additional contribution or documented cost savings required to cover the role. Compare hiring now, delaying, and a narrower-scope alternative without assuming contractor classification is legally appropriate. Stress-test slower revenue growth and a longer onboarding period. Identify operational benefits that cannot responsibly be reduced to a precise number. CONSTRAINTS Avoid fabricated statistics and flag assumptions. Do not equate revenue generated with profit available to fund payroll. OUTPUT FORMAT Return a six-month model, sensitivity table, decision gates, and missing-information checklist.