You're booked solid for the next three months. You're turning down work. Customers are asking you, "Can you come next week?" and you're saying no because you're swamped.
That's good. That means you've built a solid reputation. But it's also a ceiling. You can't scale past one pair of hands. The money's capped. The stress is constant.
So you think about hiring. Maybe an apprentice. Maybe an employee. Someone to handle the van work while you bid bigger contracts. Someone who could actually make you money instead of just swallowing your time.
But the second you start thinking about hiring, the doubts kick in. What if they're rubbish? What if they damage the business? What if I have to fire them and there's a massive legal issue? What if I can't afford them? What do I even pay someone?
Most tradespeople stay solo because the unknown of hiring is scarier than the known ceiling of self-employment. That's a mistake. Hiring is learnable. It's not as risky as you think. And done right, it changes everything.
Why You're Ready to Hire (And How to Know)
Before you hire, be honest with yourself. Are you actually ready? Not "I'm busy" ready. Busy is a state. Ready is something different.
You're ready to hire when: You're genuinely turning down work on a regular basis. You've been doing the job for at least five years. You have systems for how work gets done. You know exactly what the role will be. You can afford to pay someone for at least six months even if business dips. You have the energy to teach someone.
If you're missing any of these, you're not ready yet. Hiring the wrong person at the wrong time is expensive. Hiring the right person at the wrong time is exhausting.
The honest truth: if you can't afford to pay someone £22,000 a year for the next six months without it hurting, don't hire. You need that buffer. People are a commitment, not an expense you can flick on and off like a light switch.
Apprentice vs Employee: What's the Difference?
People use the words interchangeably. They shouldn't. The difference matters for money, legally, and for your business.
An Apprentice is someone learning the trade, usually aged 16-24, though older apprentices exist. As of 2026, the UK minimum wage for apprentices is around £6.28 per hour (for under 19s or first year). You're paying them to learn, not mainly to produce work. In return, you get government support via apprenticeship grants and subsidies. Training is a legal requirement, not optional.
An Employee is someone who's competent and productive. They get the national living wage, which for those 21 and over is around £12.27 per hour as of 2026. They're there to do the job, not learn it. No special subsidies. Full employment rights. You can't fire them without proper process.
A Subcontractor is technically neither. They're self-employed. You pay them per job, no employment rights apply, minimal legal burden. But HMRC watches this carefully. If they work exclusively for you, use your van, follow your direction, they're likely an employee in disguise. The tax man takes a dim view of that.
For your first hire, I'd recommend either a full apprenticeship (if you want to build someone from scratch and want subsidies) or a part-time employee initially (less financial risk, test the relationship, then go full-time if it works).
How to Find Someone Worth Hiring
The worst hiring mistakes aren't people who are bad at the trade. They're people who are unreliable, untrustworthy, or can't take direction. Skills can be taught. Attitude is baked in.
Apprenticeships: Contact your local college or training provider. Many run formal apprenticeship schemes. They vet candidates, handle the paperwork, and you get subsidies. It's easier than hiring directly. The downside: you're locked in for the program duration (usually 12-24 months) and you can't be selective about who they send you.
Personal Networks: The best hire is always someone recommended by someone you trust. "My mate's son is looking to get into plumbing" beats advertising every time. You get social proof. You know the reference. You can ask proper questions.
Local Trade Groups: Facebook groups, trade forums, WhatsApp groups with other plumbers, electricians, builders. Post the role. People looking to move jobs keep their ear to the ground. You'll get quality referrals this way.
Direct Advertising: As a last resort. Jobs sites, local classified, your own website. You'll get more applications but need to screen harder. Meet people in person. Check references. Ask to do a trial job together.
The trial period that isn't: A probation period isn't optional paperwork. It's how you both test the fit. Three months minimum. Make clear what you're assessing: reliability, attitude, technical competence, communication. At the end, you decide. They decide. Either you all move forward or you part ways. Done properly, probation protects both of you.
What to Actually Pay Someone
This scares everyone. "What if I pay too much? What if I can't afford it? What if they're worth more?"
Here's the math. As of 2026, the national living wage is roughly £12.27 per hour for those 21+. An apprentice is £6.28. You need to cover employer's national insurance (around 10% on top of wages), holidays (20 days minimum), and sick pay if you want to keep good people.
A part-time employee at 25 hours per week costs you roughly £160 per week in wages plus £16 in national insurance. That's £176 per week, or £9,152 per year. Full-time (40 hours) is around £14,600 per year all-in with the employment costs.
The rule that works: Hire someone whose output (work value) is worth at least double their cost. If they cost you £15,000 per year, they need to bring in £30,000 of value in increased turnover or time freed up for you to bid bigger contracts.
Start conservatively. Hire part-time. Hire an apprentice with subsidies (cheaper and you get grants). Hire someone junio before you hire someone experienced. You can always increase hours or increase pay if it's working.
The Legal Bits (That Matter)
This is where most tradespeople panic. It doesn't need to be complicated.
Employment contracts: You need one. It doesn't need to be fancy. It needs to state: hours, pay, holidays, notice period, what happens if they're dismissed for misconduct. Use a template from ACAS (free) or get a solicitor to draft one (around £200-300). Worth it. Protects you both.
National Insurance and Tax: Register as an employer with HMRC immediately. You'll pay employer's national insurance. They'll pay employee income tax and their national insurance. You handle this via payroll software. Xero, Sage, or FreeAgent. Costs £10-20 per month. Critical: get this right or you face penalties.
Right to Work: Check they have the right to work in the UK before they start. British passport, visa, settled status. Not optional, and HMRC checks this randomly.
Health and Safety: You're legally responsible for their safety. Make sure your equipment is maintained, your site practices are safe, and they're trained on anything dangerous. Sounds obvious. Many tradespeople skip this. Don't.
Dismissal: You can't just sack someone without a reason. Discipline process has to be fair. If it goes wrong, they can take you to tribunal. Follow ACAS guidance. Get it in writing. Follow the process. If you're nervous, call ACAS (free advice line). They'll walk you through it.
The probation period protection: In the first two years of employment, there's less legal protection for the employee. But "probation" doesn't mean you can do anything. You still need a fair reason. Still need to follow process. The main difference is they have fewer grounds to claim unfair dismissal. Don't abuse this window.
Making the First Hire Actually Work
Most first hiring fails not because the person can't do the job. It fails because the business owner wasn't ready to manage someone.
You've been the only person for years. You know exactly how you work, what standards you have, how jobs should be done. Now you have to teach someone. That takes patience. That takes time. That takes clarity.
Day One: Not starting on a job. Starting in the workshop with a tour, your standards, how you do things. Tell them what good looks like. Show them what bad looks like. Be boring and explicit about it.
First Month: Work alongside them. Every job together. You're watching, they're learning. You're not trying to be productive yet. You're building competence and relationship. This is where you find out if they're reliable and teachable.
Ongoing: Regular check-ins. Not formal meetings. Quick conversations. "How you getting on? Any questions? Anything you need?" People need feedback, especially when learning. Annual pay review. Make clear what progression looks like if they stay.
Communication: Be direct. If something's not right, say it immediately. Not in a horrible way. But don't hint. Don't let small problems fester thinking they'll sort themselves. They won't. One quiet chat early beats a big confrontation later.
The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid
Hiring too fast. You need someone now, so you hire the first person who applies. Six months in, you're managing a disaster. Slow down. Wait for the right person. Hiring the right person late beats hiring the wrong person early.
Not being clear about the role. "You'll help with jobs" is not a job description. "You'll handle all plumbing work on new builds under supervision, learn to manage a job site by month six, and handle invoicing by year one" is clear. Know what you're hiring for.
Paying below minimum wage or cash-in-hand. Don't. It's illegal, it's unfair, and HMRC is cracking down. The admin isn't hard. The cost isn't that much more. Just do it properly.
Treating an employee like a subcontractor. If someone's working for you exclusively, using your van and tools, following your direction, they're an employee. Act like it. Pay them properly. Give them rights. The tax man knows the difference.
Expecting them to know your standards without telling them. You've been in the game for years. They haven't. What's obvious to you is invisible to them. Tell them. Show them. Repeat. Patient teaching works. Frustrated hints don't.
The Real Timeline
Be honest with yourself about how long this takes.
First three months: You're at full productivity because you're working alongside them. They're learning. You're teaching. You're not getting ahead.
Months four to six: They're getting independent on standard jobs. You're starting to see time savings. But you're still supervising closely.
Months nine to twelve: They're competent. You can send them out with confidence. You're now getting genuine help and time back.
Year two: They're productive. This is when you see the return on the investment. This is when hiring was worth it.
Expect the first year to break even at best. Don't hire expecting to be richer immediately. You'll be better positioned for growth, and that's the real win.
When to Hire Your Second Person
Once the first hire works, the second is easier. You have systems now. You know how to manage someone. You know what works.
Hire the second person when the first is fully productive and you're booked solid again. Same process. Same care. But faster because you've done it before.
That's when you've actually built a business instead of just a job for yourself.