Description

Planning to Hire? Don’t Make a £10,000 Mistake

You’re busy. Work’s coming in. You’re turning down jobs because you can’t keep up.

Everyone’s telling you: “Just get someone in to help.”

So you’re thinking about it. Maybe you’ve even started looking at CVs or asking around.

But here’s the thing nobody tells you:

Hiring the wrong person – or hiring at the wrong time – can cripple your business.

The Real Cost of Getting It Wrong

Let’s say you hire a labourer at £12/hour, 40 hours a week.

Here’s what you’re actually paying:

• Wages: £24,960/year
• Employer’s NI: £2,100/year
• Pension contributions: £750/year
• Tools/uniform/setup: £500-1,000
• Training time (your time): £1,500+
• Total: £29,000+ in Year 1

And that’s if everything goes well.

If they’re not the right fit? If they leave after 3 months? If they can’t do the work unsupervised?

You’ve just spent £7,000+ for nothing. Plus the stress, the disruption, and starting the whole process again.

The Questions You Should Be Asking (But Probably Aren’t)

Before you hire, you need to know:

• What tasks will they actually handle day-to-day?
• How much training time will it take (and can you afford that dip in productivity)?
• What does success look like in 3 months? 6 months? 12 months?
• What’s the real cost – not just wages, but NI, pension, setup, training?
• Can your business financially sustain this hire right now?
• Should you hire an employee, use a subcontractor, or outsource instead?

Most people skip these questions. They hire on gut feel, cross their fingers, and hope it works out.

Sometimes it does. Often it doesn’t.

Introducing: The Hiring Planning Pack

This is the workbook you fill out before you post that job advert.

It walks you through every decision, every cost, and every scenario so you can hire with confidence – or realise you’re not quite ready yet (which is just as valuable).

What’s Inside

Section 1: Role Clarity Define exactly what this person will do, what skills they need, and why you’re hiring them. No vague “general labourer” nonsense – actual, specific responsibilities.

Section 2: Short-Term Impact (First 3 Months) Work out training time, setup costs, and the productivity dip you’ll experience while getting them up to speed. This is where most people underestimate the real impact.

Section 3: Long-Term Planning (6-12 Months) Map out what success looks like at each stage. What should they be confident in by Month 6? What opportunities does this hire open up by Month 12?

Section 4: Financial Reality Check Calculate the true cost of employment – wages, NI, pension, setup, training. See if your business can actually sustain this right now.

Section 5: Decision Summary Bring everything together. Clear checkpoints. Confident decision: hire now, delay, outsource, or reassess.

Who This Is For

Construction & motor trade business owners who:

• Are considering their first hire
• Want to expand their team but aren’t sure if it’s the right time
• Have been burnt by a bad hire before
• Need to plan properly before committing to wages

This pack is for you if:

• You’re doing well enough to consider hiring
• You want to make a smart, informed decision
• You don’t want to wing it and hope for the best
• You’d rather spend an hour planning than £10k on a mistake

What You Get

✓ 6-page structured workbook (fillable PDF) ✓ Step-by-step planning framework ✓ Cost calculator templates ✓ Reflection prompts to uncover blind spots ✓ Decision checkpoints ✓ Instant download

This Could Save You Thousands

One bad hire costs:

• £7,000+ in wasted wages (3-month hire that doesn’t work out)
• £1,500+ in your training time
• £500-1,000 in setup costs
• Countless hours of stress and disruption

This workbook costs £15.

Work through it properly and it’ll either:

1. Give you confidence to hire the right person at the right time, or
2. Show you you’re not quite ready yet (saving you from an expensive mistake)

Either way, you win.

What People Are Saying

“I was about to post a job advert when I worked through this pack. Realised I actually needed a subcontractor for 6 months, not a full employee. Saved myself a load of hassle and money.” — Electrician, Edinburgh

“Wish I’d had this before my first hire. Would’ve avoided so many headaches. Using it now for hire number two and feeling way more confident.” — Joiner, Fife

“Really made me think about what I actually needed and whether I could afford it. Turns out I could – and now I’ve got a solid plan for the first year.” — Garage owner, Dundee

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is this just for first-time hirers? A: No. It’s for anyone making a hiring decision – whether it’s your first employee or your fifth. The planning framework applies every time.

Q: What if I’ve already decided to hire? A: Even better. Use this to plan the onboarding, set clear expectations, and map out what success looks like. Makes the hire way more likely to work out.

Q: Is this specific to construction/trades? A: Yes. It’s designed by Accurex specifically for construction and motor trade businesses. The examples, costs, and scenarios are all trades-focused.

Q: Can I use this for subcontractors vs employees? A: Absolutely. One of the key sections helps you figure out what type of hire makes sense – employee, subcontractor, or outsourcing.

Q: What format is it? A: Fillable PDF. You can type directly into it or print it out and fill it by hand. Whatever works for you.

Q: Do I need an accountant to use this? A: No. It’s written in plain English for business owners to work through themselves. But if you want to discuss your plan afterwards, we offer [Discovery Calls].