You've done it. You've reached that exciting milestone in your business where you can finally afford to hire help. You're ready to delegate, scale, and focus on the parts of your business that light you up. But what happens when that hire becomes a liability instead of an asset?

The Real Cost of the Wrong Team Members

Let me paint a picture that might feel all too familiar. You hire someone who looks great on paper. They have the skills, they say all the right things in the interview, and their portfolio seems solid. You breathe a sigh of relief, thinking, “Finally, I can step away from these tasks and focus on growing my business.”

Six months later, you're still explaining the same processes over and over. Work is being submitted late or with errors. Your clients are starting to notice, and worse, they're starting to leave.

This isn't just a hypothetical.

I recently worked with a client who hired a contractor to handle client communication and project management. On paper, this person was perfect – experienced in the industry with glowing references. My client paid her $2,000 a month for six months, totaling $12,000. But the reality? This contractor was inconsistent. She'd drop the ball on follow-ups, misplace important client information, and communicate in a way that didn't align with the client's brand voice.

The result? The client lost two retainer clients who were worth $8,000+ each in annual revenue. Add that to the $12,000 paid to the contractor, and this “help” actually cost Bethany $20,000.

Now these are big numbers, and there is a likely chance that you're like, “DANG that's a lot of money! My business isn't that big so it would be so much less risk.” And honestly, you're right, it would be less MONEY, but less risk? I'd have to disagree.

At the end of the day we hire people to help our business grow not cost us more.

And the true cost goes beyond the numbers. This client spent countless hours managing the contractor, redoing work, and smoothing things over with frustrated clients. Hours she could have spent landing new business or creating systems.

What Could Your Business Look Like with the Right Team?

Now, imagine a different scenario.

You have a team that not only understands your vision but enhances it. They bring new ideas to the table. They spot problems before they occur. They handle client communications so well that your clients rave about how seamless the experience is.

You open your project management software and see tasks being completed – correctly and on time. You check your email and find your inbox is manageable because your team has handled routine inquiries.

Most importantly, you have mental space. Space to think strategically about your business. Space to create new offerings. Space to focus on the high-level tasks that only you can do.

This isn't a fantasy. This is what happens when you hire the right people.

The Hidden Multiplier Effect of Bad Hires

Here's a sobering statistic: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a bad hire costs a company approximately 30% of that employee's first-year earnings. But when you factor in the lost business, missed opportunities, damaged client relationships, and your own time spent fixing problems, the real cost is often 5 times what you pay them annually.

Think about that. If you're paying someone $40,000 a year, a bad hire could actually cost your business $200,000.

For small business owners, these numbers aren't just statistics – they're the difference between thriving and barely surviving.

How to Build a Team That Increases Your Revenue (Instead of Draining It)

So how do you find team members who will help you make more money instead of costing you? Here's my simple framework that has helped dozens of women business owners build teams that actually work:

1. Hire Based on Values First, Skills Second

Skills can be taught, but alignment with your core values cannot. When interviewing potential team members, ask questions that reveal their work ethic, communication style, and how they handle challenges. Listen for answers that align with your company's values.

For example, if one of your core values is proactive communication, ask, “Tell me about a time when you anticipated a problem before it occurred and took steps to prevent it.” Their answer will tell you far more than asking if they're “good at communication.”

2. Create Clear Systems Before You Delegate

One of the biggest mistakes I see is business owners hiring help before they've documented their processes. When you hire someone without giving them clear guidelines, you're setting them up to fail.

Take the time to document your key processes, create SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), and clarify exactly what success looks like in the role. This upfront investment will save you countless hours of frustration later.

3. Implement a 30-60-90 Day Plan

Don't wait six months to discover you've made a bad hire. Create a structured onboarding plan with clear expectations and checkpoints at 30, 60, and 90 days.

This gives your new team member clear goals to work toward and gives you natural points to evaluate whether the relationship is working. If you're seeing red flags at the 30-day mark, you can course-correct or part ways before investing more time and money.

4. Regular Performance Reviews That Focus on Values and Results

Many small business owners avoid giving feedback because it feels uncomfortable. But remember: clarity is kindness. Set up quarterly performance reviews that assess both results (the what) and values alignment (the how).

A simple framework is to ask:

• What's working well?
• What could be improved?
• How are we living our company values?
• What support do you need to succeed?

5. Pay for Value, Not Time

Structure your team's compensation to reward results, not just hours worked. This might mean performance bonuses, profit-sharing, or project-based payment structures rather than hourly rates.

When your team directly benefits from the company's success, they're motivated to help you make more money, not just check boxes.

The Bottom Line: Your Team Should Be an Investment, Not an Expense

The right team members don't cost you money – they help you make more of it. They free you to focus on high-value activities, they enhance your clients' experience, and they bring new energy and ideas to your business.

Building this kind of team doesn't happen by accident. It requires intentionality, clear systems, and a willingness to act quickly when someone isn't the right fit.

But the reward? A business that runs smoothly even when you're not there. Clients who receive consistent, excellent service. And the mental freedom to focus on growth instead of constantly putting out fires.

Isn't that why you wanted to hire help in the first place?

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Ready to transform your team from an expense into a revenue-generating asset? Let's talk about implementing values-driven leadership and systems in your business. Book a discovery call today to learn more about my 90-day implementation plan.