Should I stick with Fiverr or hire a dedicated UGC person?

Last week my best performing ad suddenly tanked. Two Fiverr creators delayed their deliveries,again.

So I had to stand in my kitchen at 11pm holding my phone like a wannabe TikTok influencer. That's when I thought maybe the problem is I don’t have anything consistent to rely on. Fiverr has been fine for variety, but the unreliability is killing my creative rotation.

I’ve been seriously debating whether I should just hire someone, part-time, in-house, freelance, whatever. I just need someone who actually delivers on schedule and understands my brand. Someone I can message without sending a whole brief every time. But obviously that costs more, and I’m a small store. Every extra dollar has a role.

So now I’m stuck between: keep gambling on Fiverr and praying for punctual creators, or finally bring someone on board who can produce consistently and save me from filming next to my toaster at midnight.

If you’re also running a small brand: what ended up being the better move for you? Stick with Fiverr? Hire someone committed? Or a mix of both? I’m really curious what actually works long-term.