When should a practice of one hire help?
Later than you think, and for the work only you find tedious, not the work only you can do. First cut the admin that software or the client can do. Then, if you’re still turning clients away, hire a few hours a week of help for one job, usually bookkeeping or editing, before anything else.
| Sign | Do this first |
|---|---|
| Admin takes a day a week | Cut it: booking, moving sessions, paying and accepting terms can all be the client’s job, on a page |
| You’re turning away clients | Raise your price, then hire for the tasks around the work |
| The books are late every quarter | A bookkeeper for a few hours a month |
| Writing takes your weekends | An editor for notes and proposals, by the piece |
| The work itself is more than you can do | A second practitioner, which is a different business, and a lawyer’s hour first |
Hire for an outcome, not hours
“Books reconciled by the 10th of each month” is a job somebody can do well. “Help with admin” is a job nobody can finish.
A contractor or an employee
Most practices of one start with a contractor billing by the job or the hour. Whether somebody counts as a contractor or an employee depends on how much control you have over how they work, and the rules differ in the US and the UK. Ask an accountant before the help becomes regular.
Checked 2026-10-11.