Before You Hire: Are You Solving the Right Problem?
There’s a moment most business owners reach sooner than they expect.
You’re busy.
You’re stretched.
You know you need help.
And suddenly the question becomes:
“Should I hire someone?”
But that question is often coming too late in the thinking process.
What I see again and again is what I call “hire a body syndrome.”
The business is under pressure, capacity feels tight, and the instinct is to bring someone—anyone—into the mix to make the problem go away.
Sometimes that works.
Often, it doesn’t.
Because hiring help doesn’t automatically create clarity. It can actually amplify the confusion if you’re not clear on what you truly need.
Need vs. Want: A Quiet but Powerful Distinction
Want often sounds like:
“I just need someone to take this off my plate.”
“If I had an extra set of hands, everything would feel easier.”
“I’m drowning—anything would help.”
Need sounds different:
“What outcome am I actually trying to create?”
“Is this work ongoing or situational?”
“Does this belong inside my business long-term?”
“Do I have the structure to support someone properly?”
Want is reactive.
Need is intentional.
Neither is wrong—but confusing the two can be costly.
More Help Doesn’t Always Mean More Relief
One of the hardest truths for leaders to face is this:
If your systems, clarity, or capacity aren’t solid, adding another person can increase strain instead of reducing it.
Bringing someone into your business—whether as a contractor or an employee—introduces:
new expectations
new dependencies
new responsibilities
and new leadership demands
If those pieces aren’t considered upfront, the “help” can quickly become another thing to manage.
This Isn’t Just a Compliance Question
Yes, there are rules.
Yes, there are guidelines.
Yes, classification matters.
But before you ever get there, there’s a more foundational conversation to have—one that rarely gets enough attention:
Do you need consistency or flexibility?
Do you need ownership or output?
Do you have the financial readiness to sustain support?
Are you building toward something long-term—or solving a short-term gap?
These questions shape not just who you bring in, but how your business evolves.
People Decisions Shape Culture (Whether You Mean Them To or Not)
Every working relationship sends a signal.
About commitment.
About belonging.
About expectations.
About how work gets done.
When leaders pause long enough to make intentional choices—rather than rushed ones—teams tend to feel it. The business feels it. The leader feels it.
Clarity creates steadiness.
Steadiness creates trust.
A Gentle Invitation to Slow Down
If you’re standing at the edge of a hiring decision, consider this an invitation—not to rush, but to reflect.
Not to add someone quickly, but to ask better questions first.
Because the goal isn’t just to get help.
The goal is to build support that actually supports you.
And that starts by understanding the difference between what you want… and what you need.
If this topic resonates, there’s deeper work to be done. The kind that helps you step back, assess your reality honestly, and make people decisions you won’t second-guess later
Ready to Go Deeper?
If you’re in a season where you know you need support—but want to make that decision thoughtfully—there’s value in slowing down and looking at the full picture.
I’ve created an on-demand program designed to help business owners and operators step back, clarify what they truly need, and understand how choices around contractors and employees impact culture, capacity, and long-term sustainability.
It’s practical, people-first, and designed to help you make decisions you won’t second-guess later.