Lesson 1
Should You Hire, or Subcontract?
Steady, predictable demand favors an employee — you're paying for reliability and the ability to train someone into your way of doing things. Lumpy, seasonal, or specialized demand often favors a subcontractor relationship instead.
The tax and liability line between the two is real, not just paperwork — misclassifying a worker is one of the more expensive mistakes a growing business can make. When in doubt, a short call with an accountant is worth it before the first payment, not after.
Lesson 2
Onboarding That Actually Sticks
A new hire's first week determines more about their long-term performance than most owners expect. Vague instructions on day one turn into repeated mistakes for months.
- Shadow on a real job before working one solo, even for someone experienced
- A short written checklist of "how we do things here" — even ten items beats nothing
- A specific check-in at 30 days, not just an open door
Lesson 3
Delegating Without Losing Quality
The fear behind not delegating is usually quality, not trust — "nobody does it exactly like I would." That's true, and also not the actual bar that matters.
A checklist for what "done right" looks like on a given job type, plus a photo at completion, replaces the owner's presence as the quality check. It's not as good as being there personally — but it scales, and personally being on every job doesn't.