Mike Andes says don't hire a manager until you have 8 to 10 field workers. Before that, fix inefficiencies and use pay-for-performance to boost accountability. Once you scale, split the work: a command center handles backend tasks while the manager focuses on estimates, sales, and hiring.
What is the right time to get a manager? In my opinion, you should not need a manager until you're above eight employees. If you're getting a manager before that, it's likely that you have some inefficiencies in the business and you need P4P to keep your employees more accountable for their own work. That's why we like that 8, 10 field worker employees per location at Augusta because one person can manage them. Have command center in the background running the back end, and then that manager is doing estimates, sales, hiring all the other admin work outside of answering the phone, doing clerical work that command center can handle.
