Don’t Know If You Should Hire Yet? Start Smaller Than You Think
If you’re not sure you’re ready to hire full-time, start smaller.
In this clip, I explain how hiring someone part-time for just a few hours a week can create space, reduce risk, and turn into a win for both sides.
A lot of small business owners get stuck here:
“I know I probably need help… but I’m not sure I’m ready to hire.”
You’re answering the phones.
You’re doing installs.
You’re running sales.
You’re handling admin.
And the idea of hiring someone full-time feels risky.
So you wait.
But there’s another way to think about this.
Instead of asking, “Should I hire full-time?”
Ask, “Where can I create 5–10 hours of space?”
That’s a very different question.
Look for Overlap, Not Perfection
If you’re unsure who to hire, look around you.
Is there someone you trust who might need something you can offer?
Maybe:
Someone who just had a baby
Someone who wants to work from home
Someone burned out from commuting
Someone who wants extra income
Someone who wants flexible hours
Now look at your side.
Maybe you need:
Phones answered for 2 hours a day
Help returning emails
Help scheduling
Help with follow-ups
That’s not a full-time job.
But it is leverage.
Instead of hiring someone 40 hours a week, what if you hired someone for:
6 hours a week
10 hours a week
The last 2 hours of the day, three days a week
You keep answering the phones most of the time.
But now you’ve subtracted 6 hours from your week.
That’s 6 hours of quiet.
6 hours without interruption.
6 hours to sell, install, think, or train.
That’s real space.
Hiring Part-Time Is a Test for Both of You
This approach does something important.
It lowers the pressure.
They don’t have to quit their job.
You don’t have to commit to payroll you’re unsure about.
They get a taste of the role.
You get a taste of them.
If it doesn’t work, it’s fine.
It was extra hours for them.
It was added leverage for you.
But if they’re great?
Now you have options.
You can expand their hours.
You can offer them something more permanent.
You can build the role around them.
Why This Works So Well
Sometimes someone might even take less pay from you than their current job.
But net, they make more.
How?
No commute
No gas
No buying lunch
No getting dressed up
More time at home
More flexibility
If someone just had a child, or is planning to, or values time over money, this can be huge.
You’re not just competing on salary.
You’re competing on lifestyle.
That creates a real win-win.
You Don’t Need a Big Hire. You Need Space.
Most business owners think in extremes.
Full-time hire or nothing.
That’s the mistake.
You don’t need a 40-hour solution.
You need space.
Once you subtract even a small amount of your time from repetitive tasks, you create room to:
Focus on revenue
Improve systems
Train someone properly
Think clearly
That small subtraction can unlock growth.
And if the person turns out to be excellent, you expand from there.
If You’re Not Sure You’re Ready to Hire
Start with this:
What task drains me the most?
How many hours per week does it take?
Can I remove just 5 of those hours?
Who around me might value flexible work?
You don’t need certainty.
You need overlap.
When your need and someone else’s need cross, that’s opportunity.
And that’s usually how smart hiring begins.
Not with a job posting.
With a conversation.