Debate: Do you fix the broken process yourself or bring in outside help?

Our project management system fell apart two weeks ago during a big campaign for a local retail chain. I spent three days trying to patch it myself, but it kept glitching and we missed a deadline. My partner says we should hire a consultant for $500 to overhaul it, but I think that's throwing money at a problem we can solve with some elbow grease. Has anyone else hit this wall where you gotta decide between DIY fixes and paying an expert?

2 comments

2 Comments

patricia_wright13d ago

...and I was just reading an article about how small businesses waste 6 weeks a year on average fixing broken systems themselves instead of just getting help on day one. That $500 consultant sounds steep but if they can get it sorted in a day or two you're looking at saving way more than that in missed work and frustration. I tried the DIY route with our inventory software last spring and after a week of headaches I paid someone $300 to fix it in two hours. Hourly rates for pros often end up being cheaper than the time you burn spinning your wheels on something you don't fully understand.

the_eric13d ago

Yep been there with our accounting software a couple years back. Thought I could sort it out myself over a weekend and ended up spending three weeks chasing down weird data export errors. Finally called a guy who charged me $600 for a full day and he had everything running smooth by lunchtime. The kicker is I probably wasted way more than $600 in my own time and lost sales while I was buried in that mess. My rule now is if I can't figure it out in two hours I stop and pay someone who actually knows what theyre doing. Saves your sanity too.