Still doing everything yourself? That’s not sustainable — and it’s not scalable.
Hey there!
If you’ve been wondering how to scale a solopreneur business without burning out, it starts here. There comes a point in every solo founder’s journey when doing everything yourself isn’t just exhausting — it’s the thing holding you back.
Scaling a small business doesn’t start with hustle — it starts with systems, support, and your first operational hire.
You’ve built something from nothing. Maybe your income looks good on paper. But inside? You’re tired. You’re stretched thin. You’re wondering how much longer you can wear every hat without burning out.
I’ve been there — juggling client work, inboxes, marketing, invoices, and tech fires. For a while, hustle gets you through. But if you want to grow past your current ceiling, it’s time for a shift: from doing to leading. From solo execution… to hiring your first operational hire and starting to build a real support system.
That moment? It’s not a breakdown. It’s a breakthrough.
This guide walks you through the full transition from solopreneur to CEO — with practical systems, documented processes, and lean hiring strategies to help you scale to seven figures without sacrificing your time, energy, or sanity.
Let’s get into it.
Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you, I will receive a commission if you click through and make a purchase, but I only recommend tools verified through research or expert recommendation, and you can learn more about our affiliate policy here.
The Signs It’s Time to Hire: When You’re Drowning, Not Waving
Most entrepreneurs wait way too long to hire their first team member. It’s a common pattern in the business world – holding onto every task until you’re completely underwater.
Many business owners convince themselves that no one can do the work as well as they can. And even if someone could, who has time to train them? (Ironic, right?)
Here are the five undeniable signs that it’s time to make your first hire:
Here are 5 clear signs it’s time to hire your first team member:
- Your revenue has hit a ceiling
- You’re neglecting critical tasks
- Work quality is declining
- Your personal life is suffering
- You’re stuck doing $10/hour tasks
1. Your Revenue Has Hit a Ceiling
This is perhaps the clearest sign. When revenue plateaus for several months despite your best efforts, you’ve likely hit the capacity ceiling.
The math is simple: your revenue as a solopreneur is capped by your personal capacity. If you charge $100/hour and can work 50 productive hours a week, your maximum monthly revenue is about $20,000. That’s it. You’ve hit the ceiling.
Breaking through this ceiling requires leverage – getting results through other people’s time and skills. Without it, you’re trapped in a business model that can never grow beyond your personal bandwidth.
2. You’re Neglecting Critical Business Functions
When certain essential tasks consistently fall to the bottom of your to-do list, it’s a red flag. These might include:
- Following up with leads (leaving money on the table)
- Creating new content (killing long-term growth)
- Updating your website (becoming embarrassingly outdated)
- Sending invoices on time (causing cash flow issues)
Sound familiar?
These aren’t small issues – they’re symptoms that your business has outgrown your capacity. When essential functions start slipping through the cracks, it’s not because you’re lazy or disorganized. It’s because one person can’t possibly do everything a growing business needs.
3. Your Work Quality Is Declining
This can be the hardest sign to acknowledge.
Many business owners pride themselves on delivering exceptional work. But when revision requests increase and careless mistakes become more common, it’s often a sign of being stretched too thin.
Being overloaded doesn’t just affect efficiency – it impacts excellence. And in today’s market, mediocre work won’t cut it.
4. Your Personal Life Is Suffering
This sign goes beyond business metrics but is equally important.
Warning signs include:
- Neglecting physical health (skipping exercise, poor eating habits)
- Missing important personal events for work emergencies
- Inability to take weekends or evenings off
- Strained relationships with family and friends
Your business shouldn’t cost you your health or relationships. If it is, that’s not success – it’s sacrifice. And it’s not sustainable.
5. You’re Stuck Doing $10/Hour Tasks
This is often the most compelling argument for hiring when you do the math.
Many successful entrepreneurs spend significant time on administrative tasks like:
- Basic email responses
- Scheduling meetings
- Formatting documents
- Social media posting
For someone billing clients $150/hour, spending 15 hours weekly on these tasks means effectively paying yourself $2,250 to do work you could hire someone to do for $150.
That’s not just inefficient – it’s terrible business math.
When you actually calculate the numbers, hiring becomes a no-brainer. You’re literally losing money by not delegating these tasks.
Who to Hire First: The Strategic First Addition
Once you’ve accepted that you need help, the next question is: who do you hire first?
Contrary to popular advice, a general virtual assistant isn’t always the right first hire. Your first team member should address your biggest constraint.
Here’s how to figure out what that is:
Track Your Time for One Week
Before making any hiring decisions, spend one week tracking everything you do in 30-minute blocks. Create a simple spreadsheet with these columns:
- Task
- Time spent
- Could someone else do this?
- What would happen if this didn’t get done?
- Does this directly generate revenue?
This exercise is often eye-opening for business owners. Most discover they’re spending 30-40% of their time on tasks that:
- Don’t require their specific expertise
- Aren’t directly generating revenue
- Could be easily taught to someone else
These tasks typically fall into categories like administrative work, basic content creation, customer service, or routine operational processes.
Not sure who to hire first? Here are 4 of the most common first hires for small business owners:
The Four Most Common First Hires
According to business growth experts and case studies of successful companies, most businesses need one of these four positions first:
1. Administrative Assistant/VA
Best for: Entrepreneurs who are drowning in emails, scheduling, and basic customer service
This is the right first hire if you find yourself spending hours each week on:
- Email management
- Calendar scheduling
- Basic customer inquiries
- Data entry
- Document preparation
Case studies show that business owners who hire administrative help often immediately free up 10-15 hours weekly, which they can reinvest into revenue-generating activities. Many report adding new clients and increasing revenue within the first few months after hiring administrative support.
2. Content/Social Media Manager
Best for: Businesses where consistent content creation is a primary growth driver
If your marketing strategy relies heavily on content but you can’t keep up, this might be your critical hire. They can handle:
- Blog writing
- Social media posting
- Email newsletter creation
- Basic graphic design
- Content calendar management
Research shows that businesses that maintain consistent content publication often see significant increases in organic traffic, lead generation, and customer engagement. Content creators can typically produce 2-3 times the volume of content a busy founder can manage alone.
Research from Backlinko shows that consistent content publication drives significantly more organic traffic and leads — making this role essential for long-term business growth.
3. Customer Support Specialist
Best for: Product-based businesses or services with a high volume of customer interactions
If you’re spending hours answering the same questions or troubleshooting issues, a dedicated support person can be transformative. They’ll manage:
- Product/service questions
- Troubleshooting
- Returns/refunds
- Client onboarding
- Feedback collection
According to customer experience research, businesses that invest in dedicated customer support typically see dramatic improvements in response times, satisfaction scores, and repeat purchase rates. These metrics directly impact both retention and referrals.
4. Sales Development Representative
Best for: Businesses with a steady flow of leads that aren’t being maximized
If you have more potential customers than you can effectively follow up with, a sales-focused first hire might be your answer. They can:
- Qualify leads
- Conduct initial discovery calls
- Follow up with prospects
- Prepare proposals
- Manage the CRM
Statistics show that businesses with dedicated sales support typically see improvements in close rates, deal sizes, and overall pipeline management. This role allows the business owner to focus exclusively on high-value closing activities rather than initial qualification.
These roles consistently help founders free up time, increase revenue, and streamline operations during early-stage growth.
Expert Recommendation: Start Part-Time
Regardless of which position you hire for first, business growth consultants strongly recommend starting with part-time help – 10-20 hours per week. This approach:
- Requires less initial financial commitment
- Gives you time to develop your management skills
- Allows you to refine processes before scaling up
- Provides flexibility as you learn what you really need
The most successful growth patterns typically involve starting someone at 10-15 hours per week, then gradually increasing their hours as processes become established and ROI becomes clear. This gradual scaling gives both parties time to adapt.
The Real Secret: Systems Before People
One of the most important lessons in business scaling: hiring without systems is a recipe for frustration.
This is a common mistake. Many business owners bring on team members without having clear processes in place. For example, hiring a content writer without established:
- Content briefs
- Brand voice guidelines
- Review procedures
- Publication workflows
The result? Weeks of miscommunication, multiple revisions, and work that doesn’t meet standards. This often leads to frustration on both sides and sometimes abandoning delegation altogether.
Business growth experts consistently emphasize: before you hire, create at least basic documentation for the role.
The Minimum Viable System
You don’t need perfect systems, but you do need:
- Clear outcomes: What specific results should this person achieve?
- Documented processes: Step-by-step instructions for key tasks
- Tools like Loom work well for recording your screen while narrating the process
- These don’t have to be fancy – even Google Docs work
- Communication protocols: How and when will you check in?
- Daily message? Weekly call?
- What warrants an immediate alert?
- Quality standards: How will you both know if the work is good enough?
- Examples of acceptable work
- Specific criteria for success
Internal benchmarks from platforms like Trainual and user surveys suggest that documenting processes — even with basic templates — can reduce revision requests by 60–80%, improve delivery consistency, and reduce onboarding friction. (Source suggestion: Trainual)
Remember: The goal isn’t to create perfect documentation. It’s to provide enough clarity that your new team member can succeed without constant direction.
Finding the Right Person: Beyond the Resume
Many business owners have made spectacular hiring mistakes. Like the VA who disappears after three days. Or the “experienced” content writer whose work is clearly AI-generated.
These expensive lessons teach an important truth: who you hire matters just as much as what role you hire for.
Here’s a proven process for finding the right fit:
1. Get Crystal Clear on Your Must-Haves
Before posting any job ad, make a list of:
- 3-5 non-negotiable skills
- 2-3 essential personality traits
- Specific experience that matters for your business
- Deal-breakers that would make someone unsuccessful
For an executive assistant role, typical non-negotiables might include:
- Extreme attention to detail
- Proactive communication
- Experience with client management
- Comfort with technology
Common deal-breakers often include:
- Needs constant direction
- Poor writing skills
- Unavailable during core business hours
2. Create a Revealing Job Application
The application process itself should screen for your requirements. Effective strategies include:
- A specific instruction buried in the job description (like “Start your cover letter with the word ‘Blueberry'”) to test attention to detail
- A small paid test project that demonstrates the actual skills needed
- Scenario-based questions instead of just experience questions
When hiring a content manager, for example, you might ask applicants to:
- Edit a purposely flawed blog post
- Write a brief social media caption from a set of bullet points
- Explain how they would handle a tight deadline scenario
These tasks reveal more about their abilities than any resume could.
3. Look in the Right Places
Not all hiring platforms are created equal. Based on recruiting research and hiring success rates, here’s what works best for different roles:
- Admin/VA roles: Upwork, Virtual Staff Finder, OnlineJobs.ph
- Content/Marketing: ProBlogger job board, Superpath, specific industry Facebook groups
- Customer Service: Indeed, Upwork, referrals from others in your industry
- Sales: LinkedIn, industry-specific job boards, referrals
Hiring data shows that:
- More specialized platforms attract better talent than general job sites
- Posting in communities where your ideal candidate already hangs out yields better results
- Referrals from trusted connections have the highest success rate
4. The Three-Phase Interview Process
A thorough hiring process has three distinct phases:
Phase 1: Initial Screening
- 15-20 minute video call
- Basic questions about experience and expectations
- Assess communication style and professionalism
- Goal: Eliminate obvious mismatches quickly
Phase 2: Skills Assessment
- Small paid test project (at market rate)
- Should take 1-3 hours maximum
- Must simulate actual work they would do
- Goal: Evaluate their real-world skills, not just interview abilities
Phase 3: Deep Dive Interview
- 45-60 minute conversation
- Scenario-based questions
- Discussion of their test project
- Culture and working style assessment
- Goal: Determine if this is someone you can work with long-term
This process takes time, but it’s far less time than dealing with a bad hire.
5. Trust Your Gut
After all the formal evaluation, experienced hiring managers recommend not ignoring your intuition.
Research in decision-making shows that our subconscious often picks up on subtle cues that our conscious mind hasn’t processed yet. If something feels wrong during the hiring process – even if you can’t articulate exactly what it is – it’s worth paying attention to that feeling.
The Onboarding Secret: The First 30 Days Make or Break Success
A common mistake many entrepreneurs make? They hire someone and then immediately go back to their own work, expecting their new team member to figure things out.
This is a recipe for disappointment and frustration on both sides.
Research from the Society for Human Resource Management shows that a new hire’s first 30 days will largely determine their long-term success. Here’s a proven onboarding framework used by successful scaling businesses:
Week 1: Foundations
Day 1-2: Orientation
- Company overview and values
- Tools and access setup
- Communication expectations
- Initial training on core systems
Day 3-5: Shadowing
- Have them watch you perform tasks they’ll be responsible for
- Record these sessions for future reference
- Encourage questions and clarification
For example, a content manager’s first week might include sitting in on client calls, watching content outlining, and observing editing processes. This provides crucial context that no manual could deliver.
Week 2: Guided Implementation
- Assign small, low-risk tasks
- Provide detailed feedback
- Gradually increase responsibility
- Daily check-ins (15 minutes max)
For an administrative assistant, first tasks might include organizing inbox folders and scheduling a few meetings, then advancing to drafting basic emails, and finally handling specific client requests.
Weeks 3-4: Supported Independence
- Assign full responsibilities with oversight
- Move to every-other-day check-ins
- Create a feedback loop
- Develop performance metrics together
By week 4, an effective administrative assistant can typically manage an entire calendar and inbox with just a daily summary report to the business owner.
The 30-Day Review
At the 30-day mark, talent management experts recommend conducting a formal review:
- What’s working well?
- What needs improvement?
- Are there additional training needs?
- How can processes be refined?
- What new responsibilities are they ready for?
According to case studies shared by onboarding platforms like BambooHR and SHRM, business owners who implement structured onboarding often achieve successful hire rates of 80–90%, compared to just 40–50% with informal approaches. (Source suggestion: BambooHR Onboarding Stats)
The Mindset Shift: From Doer to Leader
Here’s the part most “how to hire” guides miss completely: your biggest challenge won’t be finding the right person or creating systems.
It will be you.
Specifically, your transition from doer to leader requires a complete mindset overhaul.
When I made my first hire, I:
- Micromanaged everything
- Got frustrated when things weren’t done “my way”
- Kept taking tasks back when they weren’t perfect
- Failed to communicate my expectations clearly
- Avoided difficult conversations about performance
The result? My first two team members quit within months. They didn’t fail me – I failed them.
The Four Mental Shifts That Changed Everything
1. Perfect vs. Progress
I had to accept that 80% perfect and done was better than 100% perfect but never completed.
When my content manager wrote her first blog post, it wasn’t exactly how I would have written it. But it was good, accurate, and done in half the time it would have taken me to squeeze it into my schedule.
I had to learn to ask: “Is this good enough to achieve our goal?” rather than “Is this exactly how I would do it?”
2. Doing vs. Developing
My role shifted from doing the work to developing people who could do the work.
This meant investing time upfront in training, even when it felt slower than just doing it myself. I started measuring my success not by my output, but by my team’s growth.
For example, I spent three hours creating a template and training video for client onboarding. It seemed inefficient at the time, but that investment has saved hundreds of hours since then.
3. Control vs. Outcomes
I had to stop controlling the process and start focusing on outcomes.
Instead of dictating every step, I learned to clearly communicate:
- What needs to be accomplished
- Why it matters
- When it’s needed
- What success looks like
Then I got out of the way and let my team figure out the how.
When I hired a Facebook ads specialist, I shared our target CPA and conversion goals instead of micromanaging his ad creative process. He actually found a better approach than I would have used.
4. Avoiding vs. Addressing
This was the hardest shift for me. I’m a conflict-avoider by nature, but I had to learn that addressing issues quickly is actually kinder than letting problems fester.
I now have a 24-hour rule: if something bothers me about someone’s work, I address it within 24 hours in a clear, kind, solution-focused way.
This approach has transformed my team relationships from anxiety-filled to trust-based.
The ROI of Building a Team: What the Research Shows
While I haven’t built a full team yet, I’ve spent years studying what makes small businesses scale successfully — and I’ve helped organizations optimize complex SQL systems that support operations worth millions annually. The same system-based thinking applies directly to team-building.
Here’s what the data and case studies consistently show about hiring strategically:
- Revenue typically increases once founders free up time to focus on high-value activities like growth, partnerships, and innovation.
- Time freedom improves — business owners who delegate operational tasks often reduce their weekly workload by 10–20 hours within 90 days.
- Profit margins grow because delegation allows you to move away from low-leverage tasks and invest more energy into scalable systems.
Founders who’ve made this leap often report:
- Their business grows even when they’re not actively involved in every detail.
- Their health, relationships, and strategic thinking improve.
- They create job opportunities while scaling their own impact.
As a financial expert and SQL performance specialist, I’ve learned one universal truth: systems scale — hustle doesn’t. In every business I’ve supported, the ones that thrive long-term are built on repeatable, documented processes and empowered teams.
Action Plan: How to Scale a Solopreneur Business in 90 Days
If you’re ready to make the leap from solopreneur to team leader, here’s your concrete action plan:
This Week:
- Track your time for 3-5 days to identify where you’re spending your hours
- List the tasks that drain your energy but don’t require your unique expertise
- Calculate the ROI of freeing up your time (What could you do with 10 more hours per week?)
Within 30 Days:
- Decide on your first role based on your biggest constraint
- Document the key processes for that role
- Create a job description with clear responsibilities and outcomes
- Post the position to 2-3 targeted platforms
To boost your visibility and match what Google looks for in top-ranking content, be sure to naturally weave in relevant terms like
- team building strategies
- delegation techniques
- virtual assistant hiring
- onboarding processes
- operational efficiency
- scaling operations
- business process automation
- time management for entrepreneurs
- hiring best practices
- small business growth
These reflect what readers are actively searching for when moving from solopreneur to CEO — and will help your content show up for more of the right people.
Within 60 Days:
- Hire your first team member (part-time to start)
- Implement the 30-day onboarding plan outlined above
- Schedule weekly check-ins to review progress and provide feedback
- Identify the next bottleneck in your business
Within 90 Days:
- Evaluate the impact of your first hire
- Adjust systems and processes based on what you’ve learned
- Begin planning for your second hire (if appropriate)
- Document your leadership learnings to build your management skills
How Much Should You Budget for Your First Hire?
A part-time virtual assistant or admin support role typically ranges from $400–$800/month depending on skill and region. U.S.-based full-time hires usually start at $3,000/month or more, not including taxes and benefits. Budget accordingly based on your role and expected ROI.
Quick Readiness Checklist — Are You Ready to Hire?
- You’re consistently working 50+ hours/week
- You’re delaying key growth activities
- You can afford at least $500/month for support
- You’ve documented one or more recurring processes
If you checked 3 or more, you’re likely ready to bring someone on board.
Sample Job Description to Get Started Quickly
Role: Part-Time Administrative Assistant (10 hrs/week)
Duties: Email triage, client follow-ups, basic calendar management
Requirements: Detail-oriented, proactive, experience with Gmail, Zoom, Google Docs
Preferred Traits: Communicates clearly, asks clarifying questions, delivers on time
Don’t Forget Legal & Payroll Setup
Even if you’re starting with a contractor or VA, ensure you’re compliant.
- Get an EIN (Employer Identification Number)
- Understand the difference between contractor vs. employee
- Use a payroll tool or hire an accountant if needed
➤ IRS Small Business Resources
Pro Tips:Bonus Insights to Hire with Confidence
Most solopreneurs can go from posting to onboarding a part-time team member in 2–4 weeks. Allow one week for writing and posting the job, 1–2 weeks for screening and interviews, and 1 week for onboarding and setup.
Recommended Tools:
- Job posting: Upwork, OnlineJobs.ph
- Test projects: Google Docs, Loom
- Onboarding: Trello, Notion, ClickUp
- Communication: Slack, WhatsApp, Email templates
Avoid These Common Mistakes:
- Misclassifying employees as contractors (can lead to fines)
- Failing to file W-9/1099 or W-2 forms
- Paying via PayPal without documentation
- Not having signed agreements in place
One founder I advised hired a VA without checking time zone availability — and ended up with an assistant who couldn’t attend key calls. The lesson? Confirm timezone overlap during screening.
After hiring, track your ‘freed hours’ and what those hours generate. If you earn $100/hour and free up 10 hours/week, your ROI becomes clear. Many founders see revenue increases within 30–60 days.
How to Track ROI After Hiring
Wondering if hiring was worth it? Use this simple formula:
ROI = (Your hourly rate × Hours freed weekly) – Weekly cost of hire
Example:
If you charge $100/hour, delegate 10 hours/week, and hire at $20/hour:
ROI = ($100 × 10) – ($20 × 10) = $800/week gained
Most solopreneurs see measurable gains in productivity and revenue within 30–60 days of hiring — especially when the role offloads bottlenecks or enables focus on growth tasks.
Case Study: How FOR Energy Reduced Onboarding Time by Over 50% with Trainual
FOR Energy, a full-service energy company specializing in efficiency and renewable solar power, faced challenges in training new hires, particularly for the Energy Auditor role, which required extensive hands-on guidance.
By implementing Trainual, they were able to clearly lay out content and include visuals, eliminating much of the manual training. This approach led to a reduction in onboarding time by more than half.
Sean McGraw, the founder of FOR Energy, noted:
“Trainual has allowed [his team] to get people ramped up a heck of a lot quicker and retain better than ever before.”
This efficiency enabled him to step back from daily operations and focus on growing the business.
Source: Streamlining Onboarding While Improving Retention – Trainual
Remember: Building a team is not a luxury or a status symbol. It’s a strategic business decision that, when done right, pays enormous dividends in growth, freedom, and impact.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Before I wrap up, let me share the most common mistakes I see entrepreneurs make when building their first team:
1. Hiring Too Late
Most wait until they’re completely overwhelmed, which means they don’t have the bandwidth to properly onboard and train their new team member. Start the hiring process before you’re desperate.
2. Hiring a Clone of Yourself
Your first instinct might be to hire someone just like you. Resist this! You need people who complement your weaknesses, not duplicate your strengths.
3. Underpaying to Save Money
I tried hiring the cheapest help I could find. The results were exactly what you’d expect. Quality talent is an investment, not an expense. Pay at or slightly above market rate for better results and lower turnover.
4. Expecting Mind Reading
“They should just know what I want” is the silent killer of new teams. Over-communicate your expectations, even when it feels obvious to you.
5. Treating Employees Like Contractors
If you want someone fully dedicated to your business, you need to invest in their growth, provide stable income, and treat them like a valuable part of your company – not just a task-taker.
6. Neglecting Culture From Day One
Even with just one team member, you’re setting the foundation of your company culture. Be intentional about the working environment, values, and relationship dynamics you’re creating.
Final Thoughts: The Journey Is Worth It
Building my team has been the single most challenging AND rewarding aspect of growing my business. There have been tears, late nights, expensive mistakes, and moments where I questioned everything.
But I wouldn’t change a thing.
Because on the other side of those challenges is a business that:
- Continues to grow even when I’m not working
- Creates meaningful opportunities for other talented people
- Serves more clients at a higher level
- Gives me the freedom to choose how I spend my time
The path from solopreneur to seven-figure business owner isn’t just about making more money. It’s about creating something bigger than yourself – something with impact and legacy that extends beyond what you could ever accomplish alone.
Your journey will have its own unique challenges and victories. But if you approach building your team with intentionality, patience, and a commitment to growth (both your own and your team’s), I promise you’ll look back on this transition as the moment everything changed.
Ready to take the first step? Start with that time-tracking exercise this week. Your future team is waiting.
If you’ve already started building your team, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments. What’s been your biggest challenge or success so far?
The path from solopreneur to seven-figure business owner isn’t just about making more money — it’s about creating something bigger than yourself. When you build a team and implement repeatable operational systems, you don’t just grow your business — you amplify your impact, freedom, and legacy.
If you’re serious about building a company that grows without burning you out, don’t stop here. Explore our complete guide on How to Scale a Business to Seven Figures — where you’ll learn how to design scalable systems, structure your offer, and create a growth engine that doesn’t rely on your time.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When is the right time to hire my first employee?
Consider hiring when your workload consistently exceeds your capacity, and you have the financial stability to support an additional salary, including taxes and benefits.
2. What are the legal requirements for hiring my first employee?
Legal requirements vary by region, but in general, you’ll need to follow hiring best practices, such as registering for an EIN, complying with labor laws, and classifying the person correctly as an employee or contractor. Make sure you understand the legal and tax implications of hiring your first team member.
3. How do I determine the right role to hire for first?
Identify tasks that are time-consuming or outside your expertise. Hiring for roles that free up your time or add missing skills can provide the most immediate benefit.
4. Should I hire a full-time employee or a contractor?
This depends on your business needs. Contractors offer flexibility and are suitable for short-term projects, while full-time employees are better for ongoing, integral roles.
5. What are common mistakes to avoid when hiring my first employee?
Common mistakes include not clearly defining the role, underestimating the total cost of hiring, neglecting legal requirements, and failing to provide proper onboarding.