When should I consider hiring?
For solo operators growing toward a first hire, what was the job volume that finally made it make sense?
Forum Discussion
For me, it wasn't a specific revenue number or job count, it was when I realized I was becoming the bottleneck.
If you're consistently booked several weeks out, turning down profitable work, working nights and weekends just to keep up on estimates, scheduling, and invoicing, it's probably time to start planning for help.
I'd also make sure the work is consistent enough to support payroll beyond just a busy month. It's much easier to hire when recurring work is paying the bills rather than hoping the next job comes in.
My advice is to hire because your business has a repeatable workload, not because you're simply overwhelmed for a few weeks. A good first hire should create capacity to grow, not add financial stress.
What type of work are you doing now? Residential, commercial, or a mix?
I do a mix of both, mostly residential though. I like this answer because my first thought was to have a consistent revenue goal before considering hiring, but this makes more since looking back at the month I have just been really busy. What does being the bottleneck look like?
