Consider the volume of work, not just the need
If marketing tasks add up to a few hours a week, outsourcing to a specialist usually costs less than a part-time hire and delivers more experienced work.
When to Hire Your First Office/Marketing Person vs. Outsourcing
Published 2026-02-10 by Ember & Echo Multimedia
There's a point in most trades businesses' growth where the owner can no longer handle marketing, scheduling, and the actual work all at once. Deciding whether to hire in-house or outsource at that point depends on a few honest questions.
Outsourcing gives you a team, not one person's skill set
A single hire typically can't cover website work, SEO, photography, and social media all at a professional level. An outside team usually brings a wider range of specialized skills.
In-house makes more sense once volume is consistently high
A steady, high volume of day-to-day content, scheduling, and customer communication can justify a dedicated hire once the business has grown enough to keep them fully busy.
A hybrid approach often works best during growth
Many trades businesses keep day-to-day scheduling and customer communication in-house while outsourcing specialized work like web design, SEO, and video production.
Revisit the decision annually, not once
The right structure at an early revenue stage is often different from the right structure after significant growth. Reassess as the business changes rather than locking in permanently.