If you don't have a degree in accounting, you shouldn't do it yourself. Similarly, you want to work with a studio that has a solid track record and decades of experience. The hourly rate of studio personnel is, in fact, inexpensive in comparison to the value.
One cartoon costs the same as creating, printing, and mailing postcards, but our work will never be destroyed and will reach millions of people. A decent litmus test for a studio's worth is to view a whiteboard animation video production company in CA, Los Angeles, and see what you recall afterward. It's not about how many things they show you. It's about imprinting an image in the mind of the viewer and then encouraging the person to act.