The Right First Hire: Who to Bring on to Stop Being Your Agency's Bottleneck
As an online service based business owner, there comes a point when you realize you simply can't do it all anymore. You're turning down exciting projects, working late nights and weekends, and feeling that familiar pit in your stomach when you think about how your business has become more of a burden than the freedom vehicle you envisioned.
I've been there. I started as an overworked Virtual Assistant who couldn't even take a vacation without bringing client work along. That’s when I knew it was time to build my agency. Over time, we went from a team with a lot of lumps and bumps in the road to a well oiled machine that allowed me to confidently step away knowing everything is handled.
The turning point? Making that crucial first hire.
Signs You're Ready for Your First Hire
Before we dive into who to hire, let's make sure you're truly ready. Look for these telltale signs:
You're turning down work due to capacity issues. When potential clients want to work with you, but you simply don't have the bandwidth to take them on, you're leaving money on the table.
You're working nights and weekends regularly. The occasional late night is normal for any business owner, but when it becomes your standard operating procedure, something needs to change.
Low-value tasks are eating up your day. If you find yourself spending hours on administrative tasks instead of the high-impact work that only you can do, it's time for help.
You can't focus on growth because you're stuck in delivery. When you're constantly in the weeds of client work, you have no time or energy to think strategically about your business.
If you're nodding your head to at least two of these, congratulations—you're ready to make your first hire! But who should that person be?
Ready to learn more about removing yourself as the bottleneck in your agency?
Check out my YouTube video "How to Stop Being the Bottleneck in Your Online Agency: 5 Steps to Freedom" for the complete strategy.
The 2 Most Effective First Hires (and which one is right for you)
When it comes to making your first strategic hire, I've found through years of coaching agency owners that there are two approaches that consistently deliver the best results. Your perfect first hire depends on your specific bottlenecks and where you want to focus your energy.
1. The Operations Assistant
What they can take off your plate: Creating effective operations systems like SOPs, client onboarding processes, template creation, email management, scheduling, basic team coordination, and setting up the foundations that will support your growing agency.
Skills to look for: Strong organizational abilities, systems thinking, attention to detail, tech-savviness, process documentation skills, and the ability to anticipate needs before they become urgent.
When this is the right choice for you: If you find yourself constantly reinventing the wheel, lacking consistent processes, or spending hours on admin tasks instead of client strategy and business development, an Ops Assistant should be your first hire. This is especially valuable if you're planning to grow your team in the near future, as they'll create the operational foundation that makes future hiring smoother.
One agency owner in my Thrivemind program hired an Operations Assistant as her first team member, and within three months, they had documented all core processes, created client onboarding templates, and set up project management systems. The result? Onboarding new clients became 75% faster, and when it was time to hire service providers, the training process was seamless because everything was already documented.
2. The "Second You" (Service Delivery Specialist)
What they can take off your plate: Client deliverables and implementation work in your core service area—whether that's graphic design, copywriting, strategy, podcast production, or any other service your agency provides.
Skills to look for: Technical expertise that mirrors your own skill set, ability to match your quality standards, good client communication, and the capacity to take ownership of projects from start to finish.
When this is the right choice for you: If your bottleneck is primarily in service delivery—you have more client work than you can handle and it's preventing you from working on high-level strategy and growth—then hiring a "second you" is the way to go. This person allows you to immediately double your delivery capacity and creates space for you to step into more CEO-level activities.
A social media strategist in my Agency Alliance hired a "second her" who could create content and manage accounts with the same level of quality she provided. Within just one month, she was able to reduce her implementation work by 40%, giving her the bandwidth to land three new clients and increase her monthly revenue by $5,000.
The Decision: Operations vs. Implementation
When deciding between these two approaches, ask yourself:
What truly keeps you up at night? If it's "How will I get all this client work done?" then a "Second You" might be the answer. If it's "Everything feels chaotic and nothing is consistent," an Operations Assistant could be transformative.
Where do you want to focus your energy? If you love the client work but need more structure, hire for operations. If you're ready to step away from implementation and focus on strategy and growth, hire a "Second You."
What's your growth timeline? If you're planning significant growth in the next 6-12 months, starting with operations creates a strong foundation. If you need immediate relief and revenue growth, a service provider might be the better first step.
Remember, there's no wrong answer—just the right next step for your specific situation and goals. Many agency owners I work with eventually hire both, but starting with the one that addresses your most pressing bottleneck will create the momentum you need.
🎧 Related Podcast Episode: How She Got Out of the Weeds by Hiring an Ops Assistant
This is a key role that will change the trajectory of your agency.
In this episode, I talk about why you need to hire an operations assistant or a “director of operations,” what this role entails, and why I suggest it as one of the first roles that you hire for in your agency.
Setting Your New Hire Up for Success
Hiring is just the beginning. To truly remove yourself as the bottleneck, you need to set up your new team member for success:
Clear expectations and role definition: Document exactly what responsibilities they'll own and what success looks like in the role. Don't assume they'll just figure it out.
Communication rhythms that work: Establish regular check-ins—daily at first, then perhaps weekly as they gain confidence. Make sure they know when and how to reach you with questions.
The right level of oversight: Find the balance between micromanaging (which defeats the purpose) and completely hands-off (which can lead to costly mistakes). Start with more oversight and gradually give more autonomy as they prove themselves.
How to measure success: Define clear metrics for what good performance looks like. This makes it easier to evaluate whether the hire is working out and gives your team member clear targets to aim for.
💻FREE RESOURCE: Hire Right The First Time
Get My Agency-Tested Interview Template: 10 Strategic Questions that Reveal Your Next Top Team Member (And Red Flag The Wrong Ones Before It's Too Late)
The Freedom That Comes With Your First Strategic Hire
Making the right first hire is transformative. One agency owner told me: "For the first time in two years, I took a full weekend off without checking my phone once. I didn't realize how much anxiety I was carrying until it was gone."
Beyond the immediate time freedom, your first hire creates the foundation for future growth. When you're no longer the bottleneck for everything, you can focus on the big-picture strategy that will take your agency to the next level.
Next steps after your first hire succeeds: Once your first team member is fully onboarded and thriving (typically 2-3 months), you'll start to see new bottlenecks emerge. That's when it's time to consider your second strategic hire to continue building your dream team.
Quick tip to implement today: Before you post that job listing, spend one week tracking exactly how you spend your time. Use a simple tool like Toggl or even a notebook to log each task and how long it takes. This data will reveal your true bottlenecks and make it crystal clear which role you need to hire first.
Remember, removing yourself as the bottleneck isn't just about reclaiming your time—it's about creating the foundation for an agency that can truly scale without burning you out in the process.
Let’s Stay Connected
If you’re ready to get out of the doing in your online business, and ready to begin exploring the possibilities of an online agency model, I have lots of good resources to help you on your journey. I encourage you to check out my How She Did That podcast, and my Shop full of mini-courses and trainings!
Send me a DM on Instagram with any questions you have about agency ownership! @thetashabooth
- Tasha Booth, Agency Coach & Owner of The Launch Guild
Tasha Booth is an agency owner, podcaster, coach. She is the Founder & CEO of The Launch Guild - a full service launch support agency working with established coaches and course creators with Course & Podcast Launches. Her team works together to support their clients in being able to focus back onto their zones of genius.
She is passionate about helping women build profitable and sustainable agencies that they love, so they can fully step into the CEO role and create a life they dream of - one where naps are ALWAYS encouraged.