There is a ceiling on what one person can do. Here is how to think about crossing it — and what making your first hire actually involves.

I had over 15 employees in my handmade business at our peak. My only real regret about hiring is that I did not do it sooner. I held on to doing everything myself longer than I should have, convinced that no one could do things as well as I could, or that I could not afford help, or that the training investment was not worth it. All of those beliefs cost me time, energy, and growth that I could not get back.

If you are at the point where you are constantly dropping things, missing opportunities, working every evening and weekend, or simply too exhausted to think clearly about your business — that is not a sign to work harder. It is a sign to get help. Here is how to think through that decision and act on it well.

How to Know It Is Time

If you are asking "is it time to hire?", the answer is probably yes. Sellers who genuinely have capacity do not usually find themselves wondering if they need more of it. The more common failure mode is recognizing the need clearly but delaying the action — waiting for the perfect moment, the right revenue level, the right candidate to appear without any effort on your part.

The right time to hire is before you are overwhelmed, not after. Once you are already drowning, bringing on someone new while managing a full workload is genuinely harder. You have less bandwidth to train them. You make faster, less considered decisions about who to bring on. The onboarding is chaotic. Hiring proactively — before the need is urgent — gives you the space to do it right.

Independent Contractor vs. Employee: What You Need to Know

The legal distinction between these two is not a technicality — it has real implications for taxes, liability, and how the working relationship operates.

Independent contractors run their own businesses. They set their own hours, use their own equipment, and take responsibility for their own taxes. You pay them for work completed, not for time spent. Legally, you cannot dictate exactly when or how they work — only what the deliverable is. This model works well for virtual assistants, graphic designers, copywriters, and other remote specialists.

Employees work under your direction. You set their schedule, provide the workspace and equipment, withhold payroll taxes, and take on the legal obligations of being an employer in your state. For in-person production, packing, and shipping roles — where you need someone present, following your specific process, during specific hours — the employee model is usually the correct one legally.

Misclassifying an employee as a contractor to avoid payroll obligations is a real legal risk. Research your state's specific rules, or consult a local HR professional or attorney, before you make this decision. The administrative overhead of having an employee is higher, but doing it correctly protects you.

Finding the Right Person

Before you start looking, get clear on what you need. What tasks are you hiring for? What skills and qualities does the right person need? How many hours per week? What does success look like in this role after 90 days?

With those answers in hand, you have a job description. Without them, you are interviewing candidates without knowing what you are looking for.

For local in-person roles, start with your local community before going to job platforms. Mom groups and neighborhood Facebook groups often surface good part-time candidates. Word of mouth from other local small business owners who have hired is frequently the best source. For roles that require more specialized skills, Indeed is reliable for job postings.

For virtual or remote roles — virtual assistants, social media help, administrative support — look in Facebook groups specifically for freelancers and virtual assistants. Bucketlist Bombshells Community, Virtual Assistant Savvies, and How She Did That are good starting points. Colleagues and other business owners who have hired remotely are also excellent referral sources.

Building a Team and Stepping Into Leadership

Bringing on your first team member changes your role. You are no longer only a maker — you are a manager. That shift involves thinking about things you may not have had to think about before.

What do you do when someone calls in sick? What happens if their quality does not meet your standard? How do you handle a conflict between team members if you eventually have more than one? What is your policy on phone use during work hours, or arriving late, or personal time off?

None of these questions need elaborate answers before your first hire. But having thought about them — even briefly — means you are not making policy on the fly when an awkward situation arises. Document your basic expectations. Be explicit about them during onboarding. Revisit and refine as you learn what actually comes up.

The sellers who build effective teams are almost always the ones who invested in being a clear, honest, consistent communicator. That means having the hard conversations early rather than letting problems fester, setting expectations at the start rather than assuming they are understood, and treating your team members with the same professionalism you would want from an employer.

The Belief Worth Letting Go Of

The most common block I see is the belief that no one can do things as well as you can. Sometimes that is true. More often it is a story we tell ourselves to justify staying in control of everything.

The goal is not to find someone who does things exactly as you would. The goal is to find someone who meets your standard and frees your capacity for the work only you can do. Train them to your standard, trust the process, and adjust as you learn what they need to succeed in the role. That is manageable. Doing everything forever is not.

Ready to Build a Team That Helps Your Business Grow?

Inside The Growth Thread, the hiring and operations content covers the full arc from identifying your first hire through building team systems and stepping into true leadership as your business scales.

Enrollment is not always open, but you can get on the waitlist and be first to know when doors open:

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Not ready for that yet? A good next read is the guide to moving from solopreneur to CEO — the mindset and leadership shifts that make managing a team sustainable rather than overwhelming.