Posted by u/solo_shop_owner_84
How do I know when to hire my first employee?
Answered by Ask a Shop Owner ·
I have been running solo for two years. Turning down work most weeks. Every time I think about hiring I freeze because the extra payroll feels terrifying.
How did you know it was time?
u/askashopowner Owner-operator advisor
Top answer
The signal is not feelings, it is math. Look at the last eight weeks. If you are turning down more revenue than one full-time wage plus payroll tax and a helper's tools, you already paid for the hire out of lost work. You are just paying it to nobody.
The second signal is what breaks first. If it is quality and callbacks, you need a helper before another sale. If it is quoting and follow-up, you need admin help, not a tech. Owners lose a year hiring the wrong seat because they hired the one that felt safest.
Start with a 90 day trial period, written down, with two check-ins. Rate slightly under market, room to raise at 60 days if they hit the bar. That structure protects both of you.
u/hvac_owner_tx10 yr operator
This. I waited 14 months too long. The month I hired, revenue went up 40 percent because I stopped saying no.
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