Hiring Help vs Doing It Yourself – A Smart Founder’s Decision Tree

When you’re building a small business, you wear all the hats. But eventually, you hit a wall.

Should I keep doing this myself?
Should I hire someone?
Should I outsource it?
Should I automate?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer — but there is a system to help you decide with more confidence and less guilt.

Welcome to the Smart Founder’s Decision Tree.

🔹 Step 1: Ask the Capacity Question

Do I have time to do this well, consistently, and without it burning me out?

If no, you either need to:

• Reduce the task’s importance

• Delegate it

• Build a system for it

• Or let it go

Hustle is fine — but death by multitasking isn’t a business model.

🔹 Step 2: Ask the Value Question

Is this task directly connected to revenue, reputation, or retention?

If yes:

• Keep control of it until you have someone you fully trust

• Consider hiring slowly or outsourcing with a tight brief

• Prioritise quality — even if it costs more

If no:

• It’s a prime candidate for automation or delegation

🔹 Step 3: Ask the Skill Question

Am I the best person to do this? Or am I just the only person right now?

This is where ego trips up a lot of founders.
Just because you can design a website or run payroll doesn’t mean you should.

Use this simple filter:

🔹 Step 4: Ask the Cost-to-Replace Question

If I were paying myself hourly, would I still be doing this?

If you’re doing a R100/hour task when you should be earning R600/hour in sales or strategy, you’re losing money — even if you’re “saving” on staff.

Founders who won’t delegate become bottlenecks.

🔹 Step 5: Run the Numbers

Here’s a quick formula to help you decide:

If the task:

• Takes more than 5 hours/month

• Is not directly tied to your core genius

• Can be trained or templated
  Then:
  ⏩ Outsource it, automate it, or document and delegate

Final Thought:

You are your business’s most expensive and strategic asset.
Spend your time accordingly.

The goal isn’t to do everything.
It’s to do the right things — and build a support system that does the rest.