You're booked solid.

Turning away clients. Working 60-hour weeks. No vacation in two years.

Sounds like success. But also sounds like a trap.

The question every solo practitioner faces: when do you grow?

The two traps

Trap 1: Hiring too early

You're busy for a few months, panic about turning clients away, hire someone... and suddenly you're splitting revenue you needed.

Now you're working the same hours but making less.

Trap 2: Hiring too late

You wait until you're completely burned out. Clients have left because you couldn't fit them in. Your health suffers. You finally hire from desperation—and make a poor choice.

Signs you're actually ready

The numbers check

You've been consistently booked 85%+ for 6+ months
You're turning away 5+ clients per week
Your revenue covers expenses + your salary + 20% cushion

The demand check

Clients are asking for times you can't offer
You have a mental list of "people I should follow up with"
New client inquiries go unanswered for days

The capacity check

You can't physically work more hours without quality suffering
You've optimized your schedule—gaps are minimal
Adding services isn't possible with your current bandwidth

If all three check out: it's time.

The financial reality

Before hiring, do this math:

What you need to know	Why it matters
Your average revenue per week	Baseline to measure growth
Cost of an employee (wages + taxes + insurance)	The real number, not just hourly rate
How much new revenue they need to generate	Break-even calculation
How long until they're fully booked	Realistic ramp-up period

Rule of thumb: A new hire should generate 3x their cost within 6 months. If the math doesn't work, wait.

Booth rent vs. employee: the decision

Booth rent / chair rental:

✅ Lower risk—they pay you regardless
✅ Less management overhead
❌ Less control over client experience
❌ They might leave and take clients

W-2 Employee:

✅ Full control over training and standards
✅ They represent your brand
❌ Higher financial commitment
❌ More legal/HR complexity

Commission split:

✅ Aligned incentives
✅ Lower base cost
❌ Can create competition for clients
❌ Top performers may leave for booth rent

There's no universal right answer. It depends on your vision, your market, and your risk tolerance.

The systems you need before hiring

Don't hire until you have:

1. A scheduling system that handles multiple staff

Your paper book or single-person calendar won't cut it. You need to see everyone's availability at once, assign the right person to the right client, and prevent conflicts.

2. Clear service definitions and pricing

What exactly does "men's cut" include? How long? What price? Document it. Your new hire needs to deliver consistently.

3. A way to track performance

How will you know if they're succeeding? Revenue generated, rebooking rate, client feedback—pick your metrics.

4. Basic HR foundations

Payroll, contracts, insurance. Not glamorous, but essential.

The first hire: what to look for

Skills can be taught. These can't:

Reliability (do they show up on time?)
Client rapport (do people like being around them?)
Coachability (do they take feedback well?)
Work ethic (will they put in effort when you're not watching?)

The trial period is real. Don't commit fully until you've seen them work for 30-60 days.

Common mistakes first-time employers make

❌ Hiring a friend → Friendship rarely survives employment disagreements

❌ Not setting clear expectations → "I thought you'd know" is a management failure

❌ Avoiding hard conversations → Small issues become big issues

❌ No onboarding process → Day 1 chaos sets the tone

❌ Treating them like you → They're not as invested (yet). That's normal.

The mindset shift

As a solo practitioner, your job is to do great work.

As an employer, your job changes: build systems that help others do great work.

You're still behind the chair. But you're also managing schedules, tracking metrics, handling client distribution, maintaining quality.

It's a different game.

Is it worth it?

Growing a team means:

More revenue potential
More complexity
More responsibility
Less direct control

Some people grow to 10 chairs and love it. Others go back to solo and find peace.

Neither is wrong. But go in with open eyes.

Ready to grow? Get your systems right first

The jump from solo to team is exciting. But it's also where many talented practitioners stumble.

The difference usually isn't skill—it's systems.

👉 Vinci 26 handles multi-staff scheduling, role management, and team analytics—so you can focus on building your team, not wrestling with spreadsheets.

Build something that's truly yours.

From Solo Chair to Full Team: When It's Time to Grow