Compare
How we compare to hiring, an agency and a fractional executive.
Most owners who talk to us are weighing something else: a hire, an agency, a fractional executive, an AI tool, or doing it themselves. Here's how they stack up, honestly, including when another option is the better choice.
We ask the same four things of every option:
| Seven ways to get the work done | The Done-For-You Business Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result Will it get me the result? A business that runs every department properly. | Every department, worked through your signed checklist | Only what you have time for | One department | Every department | Pieces of departments | Usually one department | Senior advice for one area, often a few days a month | Mostly single tasks |
| Likely to work How likely is it to work? Proof, guarantees, and who carries the risk. | Three guarantees on the work; you stop paying if we fall behind. No revenue guarantee | Depends on you | Depends on the hire | Depends on seven hires | Varies by person | Varies; some offer a money-back guarantee, many offer none | Good advice; the doing is usually still yours | You usually check the output |
| Speed How fast? How long until the work is actually being done. | Work starts day one; every department running in 30 days | Now, but only in your spare hours | Weeks to fill, then training | Weeks to fill each role | Fast to start | Varies | Varies | Fast to set up |
| Your effort How much of my time and effort? Who hires, manages, checks and decides. | A weekly call, access, approvals | All of it | You recruit, train and manage | You recruit, train and manage seven | You brief, manage and connect them | You manage the agency and the rest | You or your team usually still do the work | You set it up, run it and check it |
-
The Done-For-You Business Team
- Result
- Every department, worked through your signed checklist
- Likely to work
- Three guarantees on the work; you stop paying if we fall behind. No revenue guarantee
- Speed
- Work starts day one; every department running in 30 days
- Your effort
- A weekly call, access, approvals
-
Do it yourself
- Result
- Only what you have time for
- Likely to work
- Depends on you
- Speed
- Now, but only in your spare hours
- Your effort
- All of it
-
Hire one person
- Result
- One department
- Likely to work
- Depends on the hire
- Speed
- Weeks to fill, then training
- Your effort
- You recruit, train and manage
-
Hire seven people
- Result
- Every department
- Likely to work
- Depends on seven hires
- Speed
- Weeks to fill each role
- Your effort
- You recruit, train and manage seven
-
Freelancers
- Result
- Pieces of departments
- Likely to work
- Varies by person
- Speed
- Fast to start
- Your effort
- You brief, manage and connect them
-
An agency
- Result
- Usually one department
- Likely to work
- Varies; some offer a money-back guarantee, many offer none
- Speed
- Varies
- Your effort
- You manage the agency and the rest
-
A fractional executive
- Result
- Senior advice for one area, often a few days a month
- Likely to work
- Good advice; the doing is usually still yours
- Speed
- Varies
- Your effort
- You or your team usually still do the work
-
AI tools
- Result
- Mostly single tasks
- Likely to work
- You usually check the output
- Speed
- Fast to set up
- Your effort
- You set it up, run it and check it
This comparison is our own view, based on the four questions above and on public information about each kind of option, last reviewed October 2026. It is not a survey of every provider, and your situation may differ.
-
Hiring.
The right person in every seat is the best long-term answer for a big company. For a business with 2 to 49 users, it means seven searches, seven salaries and seven people to manage, and a department can stop when someone leaves. Our specialists are shared across accounts, so you get each specialty without hiring for it.
-
An agency.
Good agencies are strong in their one area. You still run everything else and connect it all yourself. We run all six departments under one account manager: one team and one plan instead of six hand-offs. Paid advertising is a separate service.
-
A fractional executive.
A seasoned leader gives senior judgment, a few days a month. That's real value, and it's different from what we do: we don't sit in your boardroom as an executive, we do the work in every department.
-
Freelancers.
Fast and flexible for one job. You become the manager, the brief-writer and the glue.
-
AI tools.
Useful and cheap for single tasks. You're still the one who sets them up, checks every output and decides. We build AI into your work and a person checks it.
-
Doing it yourself.
It costs nothing on paper. It costs you the business you'd build with the time back.
When we're not the right answer.
- You only need one department done well: a specialist hire or an agency may suit you better.
- You want a senior executive in your leadership meetings: a fractional executive is built for that.
- You need tax filing, audits or legal advice: that's for your accountant and lawyer. We work alongside them.
- You want someone to do your selling: we build the sales system and train your team, but the selling stays with you.
- Your business is under $500,000 a year: start with our free guides. We'll be here when you're ready.
What hiring costs
Hiring these seven roles yourself, at the low end of pay (10th percentile) with employer costs: $31,902 a month. The figure covers statutory employer costs only, so it is a floor, not a full cost. Our specialists work across several accounts, so this is not a like-for-like swap.
Our price: from $5,000 CAD a month for 2 to 25 users, on a 12-month term, plus applicable taxes.
Ready to talk?
Your first discovery call is free. After that, $500.