Agreed. Also if you are hiring employee number 1 as a startup rather than just a small business, you are looking for a business partner, essentially. If you a

Agreed. Also if you are hiring employee number 1 as a startup rather than just a small business, you are looking for a business partner, essentially. If you are applying for a position like this, it's important to ask all relevant accounting questions. If you are hiring someone, it's important to provide accurate information on the cash inflow and outflow on the business. Also, my father always taught me, "the employees get paid first." That means if it is just an employee you are hiring, the question isn't whether you can afford to pay them, it's whether there is money left over when you get done to pay yourself.