Your first hire: employee or subcontractor?

Taking on your first extra pair of hands is one of the biggest steps a trade business makes. Done well, it lets you take on more work and occasionally get off the tools. Done badly, it adds stress and cost. Here is how to think it through.

Signs you are ready

You are turning down work, quoting late because you are on the tools all day, or missing the office side entirely. If demand is steady rather than a one-off spike, it may be time to bring someone on.

Employee or subcontractor?

Both are common in the trades and they suit different situations. An employee gives you more control over how and when work is done and builds long-term capacity, but comes with more obligations and fixed cost. A subcontractor gives you flexibility for variable workloads, but less control and usually a higher hourly rate. The right answer depends on how steady your work is and how much control you need.

The line between the two is also a legal and tax question, and it varies by country. Getting it wrong can be expensive, so check your local rules and talk to your accountant before you decide. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Get the paperwork right

Whichever you choose, put the basics in writing: the rate, the scope, who supplies what, insurance and health-and-safety responsibilities. Clear expectations up front prevent most disputes later.

Onboard them onto your tools

A new person is only productive once they can see their work. Getting them onto your scheduling and job management tool on day one, with the app on their phone, means they pick up jobs, notes and safety checks without you relaying everything by phone.

Keep everyone on the same schedule

The whole point of hiring is leverage, and you lose it if you become the human dispatcher routing every job by text. Put everyone on one board so the new hire can see their day, you can see the whole team, and the work flows without you in the middle of every message.