According to LOGO, over 41 million Americans work as solopreneurs. If you are one of them, you are probably all too familiar with the challenges that come with running a business by yourself. The good news is there are ways you can find help without hiring employees.

1. Arm Yourself with Adobe Acrobat’s PDF Tools

Adobe Acrobat’s PDF creation and editing tools can be invaluable for solopreneurs looking to hire the right help to support their solo business. When it's time to create professional job listings, contracts, and agreements, you can seamlessly go with a PDF tool to ensure documents maintain their formatting across different devices, ensuring clear communication.

Additionally, Adobe Acrobat's electronic signature feature streamlines the hiring process, allowing you to secure legally-binding agreements with ease. By utilizing these tools, you can efficiently manage the hiring process, saving time and resources while ensuring your business runs smoothly with the right talent in place.

2. Identify Jobs You Can Outsource

Many solopreneurs try to run their businesses entirely by themselves. Whether you are doing this to save money or to ensure quality, operating this way can limit how much your business can grow. Outsourcing jobs can free up your time to focus on tasks that require your attention and expand your business.

Start by tracking all of the tasks you spend your time on every day. The tasks you spend the most time on are probably the core areas of your business you should focus on. The remaining tasks are activities you may want to consider outsourcing.

3. Consider Hiring Freelance Workers

Hiring freelance workers has several benefits compared to hiring employees. Hiring freelancers is usually less expensive because you don't have to pay for health insurance, time off, payroll taxes, and other expenses that come with hiring employees.

Hiring freelancers also allows you to access workers with high levels of expertise that you may not need or be able to afford to hire on a full-time basis. Additionally, hiring freelancers comes without the long-term commitment and risk of hiring employees.

4. Find Potential Candidates

In some ways, hiring freelancers is similar to hiring new employees. Freelancer portals, which work similarly to job boards for employees, are a good place to begin your search. There are general boards for all types of work and boards for specific industries and professions.

If you need to find a candidate quickly, consider working with a recruitment agency. Agencies are usually already familiar with some freelancers who may be a good fit for your project. You can also opt to post a job ad and have candidates send you their resumes or portfolios to evaluate.

5. Offer a Test Project

Once you have some candidates to consider, you need to choose the best one for the job. One way to do this is to offer a test project. Either identify a small job that is similar to the larger project you can offer candidates or create a short task that will help you evaluate the candidates' skill levels. 

Provide candidates with clear instructions and a specific time frame to complete the task, and pay them appropriately for their work. You can then evaluate how the candidates perform on the test project and choose the best one.

6. Evaluate Your Business Structure

If you are starting a new business, before you bring help on board, set yourself up for success by choosing the best business structure. Setting up a limited liability company requires less paperwork, is more flexible, and has tax advantages. The regulations vary by state, so make sure you know the rules before you proceed. It may be helpful to consult with a business attorney or use a formation service.

Explore the Benefits of Outsourcing

Giving up complete control of your business can be difficult, but the benefits of outsourcing jobs can be worth it. Remember, you are still in control of who you hire to do which tasks. And if you’re really uncertain about hiring a freelancer, use a test project to see how they do and to determine if they are a good fit. Overall, outsourcing will be a great advantage to your mental health and productivity, so give it a chance!