Watch the 5-minute video where Brian Garvey, Jason Azocar, and Rikki Lear share how the most successful HubSpot Partners build scalable contractor networks that actually last.
Building a strong contractor bench is essential for every HubSpot Solutions Partner who wants to scale without over-hiring.
The key? Treat contractors like true teammates, document your systems, and never assume your network is “done.”
Your bench is a living system — it needs ongoing care, process, and trust to stay strong.
In a partner world defined by fluctuating demand, the ability to flex up and down fast is a competitive advantage.
When you rely only on full-time hires, you limit capacity and create risk. A reliable bench of contractors gives you the opposite — flexibility, coverage, and specialized skills when you need them most.
As Brian Garvey put it in this week’s Partner Perspective:
“This is one of the most common questions we get from partners trying to scale. How do I actually build a contractor bench I can rely on?”
Jason Azocar’s answer was simple: every successful partner eventually learns to balance three approaches — network, staffing, and platforms.
Option 1: Start with your existing network
If you already know 20–40 great HubSpot contractors, congratulations — you’ve done the hardest part. But don’t confuse that with being finished.
Contractor networks age quickly. People take full-time jobs, move industries, or get booked for months.
Keep expanding and refreshing your pool before you need it.
Option 2: Work with staffing firms
Traditional staffing agencies can build and manage contractor pipelines for you, often including payroll and contract admin.
This option saves time but comes at a premium — you’re paying for human recruiters, not scalable systems.
It works well for short-term coverage but limits direct relationships and margins.
Option 3: Use Profoundly
Profoundly exists to simplify all of this. The platform connects HubSpot Partners with vetted specialists across every Hub — from developers and CRM architects to strategists and designers.
As Jason said, “This question gets to the heart of why we’re building Profoundly.”
It’s how you can grow your network on demand, with confidence that every expert has already been screened for HubSpot proficiency and delivery quality.
Even if you have your dream list of go-to freelancers, things change fast.
Rikki Lear summed it up clearly:
“You’re only ever one life event away from your bench changing.”
That star developer might get hired full-time elsewhere. Your favorite designer might go on maternity leave. Someone might change careers entirely.
You can’t control that — but you can prepare for it. Keep nurturing relationships, check in with your network, and constantly add new names to the list.
Think of your bench like a CRM — it needs ongoing management, updates, and care.
Once you’ve found the right people, the next step is making sure they can integrate fast and deliver consistently.
Brian emphasized that success depends on the systems you give them:
“Having documented processes, onboarding materials, and cultural guidance can be a huge unlock.”
Create a repeatable framework:
Write short onboarding guides for your way of working — how you communicate, how you manage projects, and what “good” looks like.
Centralize project templates, assets, and workflows so every contractor can slot in fast.
Track performance and feedback after every project to improve the next.
When you treat contractor onboarding like client onboarding — clear, organized, and outcome-focused — you increase quality and speed while reducing miscommunication.
Jason called this out directly: too many agencies treat contractors as second-class team members.
“A great way to build your network is to treat them like they’re part of your team.”
When you include contractors in team wins, Slack conversations, and internal updates, you create loyalty that goes both ways.
Gratitude and inclusion are simple but powerful levers.
The strongest contractor relationships often outlast full-time hires — but only when partners invest in them as people, not just deliverables.
Successful HubSpot Partners create hybrid ecosystems — a core team surrounded by trusted contractors who know the systems, culture, and clients.
They invest in:
Consistent communication channels (Slack or HubSpot Projects)
Shared project standards and QA checklists
A “bench tracker” showing who’s available and skilled for what
Recognition loops — celebrating contractor contributions publicly
This builds a sense of shared purpose. Contractors stop feeling like temporary help and start acting like brand ambassadors.
A contractor bench isn’t a list of names — it’s an operational advantage.
It lets you say “yes” to more work without over-hiring, scale up or down smoothly, and maintain service quality under pressure.
To build and maintain it:
Combine your personal network, staffing support, and Profoundly’s vetted experts.
Document your ways of working so anyone can plug in fast.
Treat contractors like part of the team — because they are.
Keep your bench alive through regular contact and appreciation.
The partners who master this balance will scale faster, deliver better, and stay leaner than those who don’t.
Why is a contractor bench so important for HubSpot Partners?
Because demand fluctuates. Having vetted specialists ready to plug in means you can grow without the risk of permanent hires.
How can I keep my contractor bench active?
Regularly check in, share pipeline visibility, and give small, consistent projects — not just big ones when you’re desperate.
What’s the easiest way to start building one today?
Post a project on Profoundly to connect with pre-vetted HubSpot experts you can trust.
Rikki Lear is Chief Growth Officer at Profoundly. He previously founded and led Digital 22 (later Avidly) to become the world’s largest HubSpot Partner, winning five Global Partner of the Year awards. Today, he helps Solutions Partners scale smarter through fractional HubSpot expertise and flexible growth systems.
Profoundly helps HubSpot Partners access trusted HubSpot experts on demand.
Hire vetted specialists for your projects, expand capacity without over-hiring, and scale confidently with a flexible bench that’s always ready.
The video transcript:
Introduction: Why contractors matter in scaling HubSpot partners
0:00
Welcome back everybody. I'm Brian
0:02
Garvey. I'm here with Jason and Ricky
0:04
from Profoundly for another episode
0:07
where we answer real questions from
0:09
HubSpot solutions partners and
0:10
providers. Real, unscripted, totally
0:13
honest. Here we go.
0:16
Great. Well, I've had an awesome
0:18
question for us. How do you build and
0:20
maintain a reliable contractor bench?
0:22
Any systems or habits that may help?
0:25
Jason, do you want to have a go at that
0:26
one?
0:27
I would love to have a go at this one.
0:29
So, I think there are
0:32
there are three ways you can do it. I
0:35
think the first is you're super
0:37
fortunate to already have an awesome
0:39
network, right? If you're if you're
0:41
listening to this and you you know,
0:42
you're you're managing a solutions
0:44
partner and you're like, I know 40
0:45
awesome contractors, good for you.
0:47
Fantastic. You've already done the work.
0:49
Amazing.
0:49
Yeah.
0:50
You will probably need to expand that
0:52
group at some point. So, it's not like a
0:54
futurep proof thing. That network may
0:56
not age all that well, but you know,
0:58
amazing job. You've already done lots of
1:00
the heavy lifting. Another obvious
1:02
option is work with a staffing
1:04
organization. They can do great work.
1:07
They're not cheap. What you're paying
1:08
for is the experience to have a human
1:11
recruiter go out and help you help you
1:13
build that network. And if what you need
1:15
is the back office support, the payroll
1:18
management, contract management, etc.,
1:21
great. Lots of great staffing companies
1:23
out there that do good work, but that's
1:24
the most expensive option. And the other
1:27
option is look, not to put too fine a
1:29
point on it, but profoundly. I mean,
1:31
this is this is this question gets at
The risks of relying too heavily on contractors
1:33
exactly the heart of why we are building
1:36
profoundly. The point of profoundly is
1:38
to identify and engage with amazing
1:42
contractors, consultants who can join
1:45
your bench, who can join your group of
1:47
like my contractors, my freelancers, the
1:50
people that you can lean on anytime your
1:52
organization needs more bandwidth,
1:54
additional skills, whatever the case may
1:57
be. Like that's the tool by which you
1:58
can build your network.
2:01
Yeah, I would just add like I think
2:03
everything I would echo everything that
2:05
you said. I think that for folks that
2:07
are taking advantage of profoundly or
2:09
however you've gotten there, I think
2:11
having systems to like help those
2:14
contractors and help those uh folks
2:17
scale up on your processes and get to
2:20
know your company and your culture and
2:22
like how you operate. documenting those
2:24
things can be a really uh big unlock for
2:27
folks to to take advantage of of you
2:30
know this army of folks army of experts
2:33
who have come in to help you grow better
2:35
and help your customers grow better.
2:38
I think to drill down on your first
2:39
point as well, Jason, I don't think
2:41
there's a point that you can say this is
2:43
done like to what doubling down in what
2:45
you were going to say. You've got a good
2:47
network. You've got your five
2:48
contractors you use every day. You But
2:51
you're only ever one life event away
2:53
from that change in like
2:54
Exactly.
2:55
We had great developer. We use him every
2:57
week. Oh no, he's got a full-time job or
2:59
he's changed careers or whatever's
3:02
happened. So, I don't think it's
3:03
something you can close the books on.
3:04
either have access to something like
3:06
profoundly where you can get that
3:07
prevetted experts when you want it or
3:09
you or you keep networking and keep them
3:12
alive and nurture those relationships
3:14
and keep putting the hard yards in
3:15
forever.
3:17
Well, relationships is is a super
3:19
important point, you know, and I think
3:20
that there's it's unfortunate that it
3:23
happens, but I think there are some
3:24
organizations that treat contractors
3:26
like a secondass member of the team and
3:30
don't do that. Right? A great way where
3:32
you can build your network and have a
3:33
bunch of amazing nonfull talent is treat
3:36
them like they are members of your team,
3:38
right? Ex extend all the same gratitude
3:42
and and feelings of inclusion that you
How to find the right contractors for your business
3:45
would somebody full-time coming in and
3:46
the fact that they are on paper a
3:48
contractor matters an awful lot less.
3:51
They're they're still a member of your
3:52
team as long as they're working with
3:53
your organization.