Before you hire, ask yourself this…
“What kind of help does my business need right now?”
When things get busy, most business owners make the same call:
"We just need to hire someone."
It's a reasonable assumption. More work → stretched team → hiring feels like the right next step.
But what many business owners quickly discover is that hiring doesn't always fix the problems they think it will. In some cases, it can even create new ones — especially if the role doesn't provide the right type of support.
A pattern I see all the time
A business hires quickly to solve a pinch point… then discovers the pinch point was only a symptom.
The real root cause wasn't capacity. It was that workflows needed streamlining, a system needed updating, or the team needed clearer training, tools, and resources to work consistently.
Sometimes the gap doesn’t need to be filled with more people. Instead, at least for now, it’s about improving how you do what you do and getting everyone on the same page.
Hiring isn't necessarily wrong. It just might not be the right solution for what is actually going on.
I see a lot of businesses hire capable people… yet the owner still ends up being the go-to person for decisions, approvals, context, coordination, and fixing what falls through the cracks.
Not because the team isn't strong. But because what the business actually needed was someone to either manage the day-to-day work, or strengthen how the business runs.
Two different problems. Two different solutions.
At The Business Distillery, I call these solutions:
Plug-In Business Manager — hands-on operational support to keep things running smoothly. Also known as an Online Business Manager (OBM).
Wing Woman — strategic operational partnership to redesign and strengthen how your business works. Also known as a Fractional Chief Operating Officer (Fractional COO).
One supports the engine. One improves the engine.
Both bring structure, clarity, and calm — they just work at different levels.
Here's what that looks like in practice.
When everything still funnels through you
Meet Laura.
Laura leads a successful consultancy with a small, capable team. Everyone knows their job and does good work. But Laura's still in the thick of it all:
A client needs their quarterly report, so Laura pulls it together at the last minute
Marketing and business development has been pushed to "next week" for four weeks running
The contractor needs briefing, but Laura's in back-to-back meetings
Someone needs to update the proposal template, chase the invoice, and schedule the team check-in
Leave requests need approving and performance reviews scheduling
The business runs, but only because Laura fills every gap. The team isn't the problem. They're good at what they do.
But there's no one to pick up the operational pieces, keep things moving, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks — so it all lands back on Laura.
What she actually needs isn't another team leader or a junior admin assistant.
She needs a Plug-In Business Manager.
Someone who can jump in and handle whatever needs doing:
Pull together client reports and manage communications
Get marketing back on track — writing newsletters, coordinating content, updating the website
Coordinate contractors and keep projects moving
Run team meetings and create the SOPs and templates that make work consistent
Handle admin, accounts, HR processes, and the day-to-day tasks that keep slipping
Spot where systems are breaking and fix them
This role works in the business — hands-on, pragmatic, versatile.
Not just coordinating from the sidelines, but actually doing the work that needs doing. Whatever it takes to keep the business running smoothly.
Laura doesn't need to step back. She just needs someone who can confidently handle “business as usual” operations so she doesn't have to fill every gap herself (or hire 3 different people to get it done).
When the business is growing, but feels messier and harder than it should
Now meet Matt.
Matt’s business has grown quickly. More clients, bigger projects, more staff.
His team works hard. But growth has exposed cracks he didn't see coming:
New hires take weeks to get up to speed because there's no clear onboarding process
Different team members deliver the same service in completely different ways
Handovers between projects are chaotic — things get missed, clients notice
Everyone's busy, but no one's quite sure what the priorities are
The systems that worked fine for five people are buckling under ten
Matt spends more time firefighting than leading
The team isn't the problem. They're capable and committed.
But the structure isn't keeping up. What worked when the business was smaller doesn't work now — and patching things on the fly isn't sustainable.
Matt doesn't need help managing daily tasks. His team can handle the work — if the foundations support them.
What he needs is someone who can stand back, look across the whole business objectively, and redesign how it operates.
He needs a Wing Woman.
Someone who can:
Clarify who does what, so roles don't overlap or leave gaps
Design workflows that work across the business, not just within teams
Build proper onboarding so new staff can contribute faster
Create the communication rhythms that keep everyone aligned
Identify where bottlenecks keep recurring — and redesign those parts of the business
Prepare the operational foundations so growth feels steady, not chaotic
This role works on the business — strategic, systems-focused, partnership-driven.
Not swooping in with corporate frameworks or handing over a plan and leaving. Instead, working alongside Matt to co-design solutions that fit his business, then embedding them with the team so they stick.
Matt doesn't need someone to take over. He needs a strategic partner who can help him build a business that runs well — not just one that's getting bigger.
How to tell which one you need
Here’s the simplest way to decide:
If your main issue is keeping up with the work…
→ You probably need a Plug-In Business Manager.
If your main issue is how the business itself runs…
→ You probably need a Wing Woman.
You don't have to guess
Most business owners only discover what type of support they truly need once we talk through what's happening behind the scenes:
Where things are getting stuck or preventing you getting you to where you want to go
What keeps landing back on your desk
What's causing inconsistencies or things to fall through the cracks
What the team needs to operate confidently and deliver value for your clients and customers
A short conversation is usually all it takes.
If you're unsure whether you need a Plug-In Business Manager or a Wing Woman, book a discovery call and we'll figure it out together.
And if you haven’t already — get The Business Distillery Services Guide HERE.