Start with the work, not the solution
List the admin that currently waits for you for two weeks: what it is, how often it happens and how long it takes. Put a value on those hours with the admin time calculator. The answer depends far more on the kind of work than on which option sounds modern.
When a person is the better answer
Hire or outsource when the work is mostly judgement, relationships or physical tasks: handling upset customers, negotiating, chasing things in person, or making calls that depend on reading a situation.
A person also makes sense when the process is still changing week to week. Automating a process nobody has settled yet just produces faster confusion.
When AI automation is the better answer
Automate when the work repeats with clear inputs and a known standard: proposal and quote drafts, follow-ups, reports, recurring internal questions and research. The knowledge is written down once and used every time, so it does not walk out of the door when someone leaves.
An assistant still needs your knowledge to do the job well. A system built from that knowledge can draft in seconds what used to wait for you, with a person reviewing it.
Compare the full cost
For a hire, include salary, recruitment, onboarding and the management time it takes. For outsourcing, include the fee, the briefing and the rework. For automation, include setup, software subscriptions, usage charges and the time spent reviewing output.
Our automation cost guide lists the drivers of an automation quote. Compare like with like, and treat estimated savings as estimates until you have measured them.
The usual answer is both
Most owner-led businesses end up with a mix: systems that take the repetitive drafting, and people who review, decide and handle exceptions. That combination takes the founder out of the loop without removing human judgement from it.