When the emails, bookings and paperwork get too much, most owners start thinking about hiring. Sometimes that's the right call. Often, outsourcing gets you further for less. Here's an honest look at both.
The real cost of hiring
Salary is only part of the cost of an employee in the UK. On top of it you'll usually pay:
- Employer National Insurance on earnings above the threshold (15% since April 2025; see GOV.UK for current rates)
- Workplace pension contributions (at least 3% of qualifying earnings)
- Paid holiday of 5.6 weeks a year, plus sick pay
- Recruitment time or agency fees
- A laptop, phone, software licences and training
And there's your time: interviewing, training, checking work and covering when they're away.
What outsourcing does well
- No recruitment or employment costs
- A wider range of skills than one person usually has, such as inbox management, websites, CRM and social media
- Cover for holidays and sickness, so work doesn't stop
- Easy to scale up or down as you get busier or quieter
- Fixing the systems behind the admin, so there's less to do over time
When hiring makes more sense
Hiring is often better when you need someone physically on site every day, the role is mostly face-to-face, or you have enough steady work for a full-time person and want to build a team.
A middle ground
Many businesses outsource first, fix their systems, and then hire later for a role that's now clearly defined. That way the new person walks into a business that already runs smoothly.
The question to ask
Don't ask "who can do my admin?" Ask "why is there so much admin?" The best answer is often a mix: better systems, and a trusted partner to run them.