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HubSpot is one of the most intuitive business software solutions on the planet, but even the most competent users need help at times. Whether you’re scaling your business, trying to free up time to focus on other tasks, or simply looking to get your data under control, having a HubSpot specialist on hand is a compelling proposition for many companies.
When it comes to finding the right person, there are two main avenues for sourcing that talent: hiring an in-house specialist (either full- or part-time) or hiring an agency.
Let’s start by acknowledging the obvious conflict of interests: Hypha is a HubSpot Partner Agency. We have a team of employees—including former HubSpot employees—who can do pretty much everything with the platform.
As such, we’re not unbiased.
But we do acknowledge that we’re not the right solution for every company—and that there are times when it will make more sense for a business to hire a full-time employee. With that in mind, here are a few factors you should consider:
The Wallet Issue
It might not be polite, but let’s start by talking about money. Hiring someone on a full-time basis means committing to a salary and benefits, plus any number of additional expenses (you don’t want the person who runs your company’s operating system doing it with tech that’s on its third or fourth not-so-careful owner).
On the flip side, that person might have a role that touches other parts of the business (maybe they also do sales?), different tech platforms, and so on—which changes the budget scenario entirely. Ultimately, it comes down to your needs vs. what you’re comfortable paying to meet them.
Scope & Scale of Projects
Speaking of needs, take a long look at your business and consider all of the ways that HubSpot can or could touch it—now and in the future.
- Are you a small business or do you exist closer to the enterprise scale?
- Do you have lots of marketing campaigns in the pipeline?
- Are you running your sales or service operations out of HubSpot? Do you want to?
- Do all of your teams have access to each others’ data—and do they need it?
- Do you need to be able to integrate with other piece of your tech stack?
Ultimately, the size of your business and the complexity of your operations will have a major impact on how you set up HubSpot, and will directly impact the level of support you'll need to be able to maximize the value of your investment in the software.
Level of Expertise Required
From basic CRM functionality to website hosting, running your marketing, sales and service operations, and even leveraging custom integrations with additional parts of your tech stack, there are many different ways to use HubSpot.
That places a ton of importance on the level of expertise and range of skills needed from the person or team you bring in to manage it. The last thing any business wants is to hire “someone with HubSpot experience” only to find that the experience doesn’t quite match what the company is looking to do.
While an agency might offer a wider array of specialized skills and experience in different areas, an in-house specialist will have in-depth knowledge specific to your business but may have a narrower skill set.
As such, it pays to identify as many of your company’s specific use cases for HubSpot as possible before advertising your post or beginning the agency vetting process.
Long-Term Strategic Goals
Reflect on your long-term strategic goals. For example, if building an internal marketing team aligns with your strategic vision, investing in a full-time employee makes sense. However, if flexibility and diverse expertise are more critical for your long-term plans, partnering with an agency could be more beneficial.
Putting each of these considerations together, we created a matrix to help you visualize your needs, based on the size of your company, the number of hubs you have, and your specific use cases. Download it below—it's completely free (we don't even ask for an email address, so no fears on being spammed with email!).
Should I hire an Agency or HubSpot Specialist?
Download our free matrix to help you make your decision today!
So: Do You Hire a HubSpot Agency or an In-House Specialist?
I’d love to end this post by saying something to the effect of “Whichever route you choose, you can’t go wrong.”
But that’s really not true.
While HubSpot is hands-down the most intuitive business operating system on the market at the moment, it still requires a degree of expertise to get the most out of the tool. That can be as basic as ensuring that you and your team are fully set up for success—from basic reporting and email connection—to coding out custom integrations with critical pieces of your company’s tech infrastructure.
With that in mind, the decision you make can mean the difference between powering your company to new heights or finding yourself tangled in inefficiencies and missed opportunities. The key is to carefully assess your unique needs, resources, and long-term goals. Whether you choose to cultivate your own in-house HubSpot expertise or partner with a skilled agency like Hypha, it's about finding the right fit for your company’s ecosystem.
Remember, HubSpot is a powerful tool, but its true potential is unlocked when it's in the hands of those who know how to wield it effectively.
So, take the time to weigh your options, consider the scope and scale of your projects, and decide which path aligns best with your vision. Whichever route you choose, it's not just about making HubSpot work; it's about leveraging it to take your business to new heights.
