A lot of business owners hire contractors because it feels easier, safer, and more flexible than hiring employees. The problem is that many don't realize when that setup starts creating legal risk, operational headaches, and long-term instability.

In this episode of The Profit Pillars Show, Parker Stevenson, CEO of Evolved Finance and author of Profit Pillars, breaks down the biggest red flags to watch for when hiring contractors. He explains why full-time contractors are often misclassified, how state employment laws factor into contractor risk, and why the responsibility always falls on the business owner (not the contractor) when things go wrong.

Parker also walks through how leaning too heavily on contractors can increase turnover, slow down internal operations, and make it harder to build a strong company culture. He challenges the assumption that employees are dramatically more expensive and explains why, for core internal work, employees often deliver better long-term value as a business grows.

If you're running a profitable online or modern small business and want fewer compliance surprises, better team stability, and a stronger operational foundation, this episode is for you.

1:04 Why employees often work better for internal operations 1:20 Which roles should remain contractors 2:07 The downside of running a business entirely on contractors 3:00 Why state employment laws matter 4:17 Why California contractor laws increase risk 5:17 The red flag of full-time U.S.-based contractors 6:49 How misclassification leads to audits and back taxes 7:01 Why employees reduce turnover 8:23 Why benefits matter for attracting talent 9:48 The real cost difference between contractors and employees 12:19 Why time zones matter for operations 13:21 Why culture is hard to build with contractors 16:01 Which work should stay project-based

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📘 Resources & Links From This Episode 📘 Profit Pillars Book → https://evolvedfinance.com/book 💼 Learn more about Evolved Finance → https://evolvedfinance.com/services 📚 Finance Tools & Courses → https://evolvedfinance.com/learn

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📌 About the Show The Profit Pillars Show by Evolved Finance gives entrepreneurs the guidance and clarity they wish they had sooner. Each episode delivers actionable advice based on Parker's years of experience helping business owners grow stronger, more profitable businesses.

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🤝 Other Ways to Connect with Us 📸 Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/evolvedfinance/ 💼 LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/company/evolved-finance 🎧 Listen on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/6ggjihbD5VfKhhjkth32pZ