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Ask for a start date and usable capacity
The proposed role needs a named job, a credible start date, training time and cover for existing customers. Count hours available for the relevant work, not every paid hour. The owner should see a dated capacity plan before approving a fixed staffing commitment.
The SBA’s business-management guide describes comparing recurring and one-time costs with benefits. The figures and capacity decisions below are original ELN assumptions, not a U.S. salary quote or prescribed staffing level.
Later capacity cannot deliver an earlier promise
Fictional first year: the existing team has 500 spare service hours, distributed as shown. A new technician starts in quarter 2 and adds 400 usable hours each quarter thereafter. The proposed new customer work totals 1,500 hours.
| Quarter | Existing spare hours | New hire’s usable hours | New work required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 0 | 400 |
| 2 | 100 | 400 | 350 |
| 3 | 150 | 400 | 350 |
| 4 | 150 | 400 | 400 |
| Year total | 500 | 1,200 | 1,500 |
An annual surplus of hours can hide a 300-hour early gap
The combined 1,700 hours exceed the annual requirement, but quarter 1 has only 100 hours for 400 hours of new work. Without agreed rescheduling or appropriate extra cover, 300 hours cannot be delivered when planned. Do not move later staff capacity into that quarter on paper.
Assume each delivered new hour leaves US$75 after its included variable costs, before the extra role. A full-year role cost of US$100,000 is assumed to include all specified employment costs. Starting in quarter 2 costs US$75,000 for nine months, plus US$15,000 of one-time recruitment/training costs: US$90,000 in this example.
| Delivery assumption | Contribution before extra role | Less US$90,000 first-year role cost |
|---|---|---|
| All 1,500 new hours delivered | US$112,500 | US$22,500 left |
| 1,200 hours delivered; 300 lost to the early gap | US$90,000 | US$0 left |
Resolve the gap before approving the plan
Ask management for the customer’s required dates, staffing availability and actual recruitment/training budget. If the customer can move the early work, document the agreed schedule and check later capacity. If temporary cover is proposed, verify its cost and capability separately. Neither change is automatic.
Use the supported annual cost/revenue scenarios in U.S. unit economics, but keep the quarterly capacity calendar and cash commitments beside them. The existing staffing-step control does not prove a person can start on time. Tax, finance and other costs outside the stated comparison remain separate.
Scope
- The hours, contribution and employment costs are fictional. No demand, salary norm, work permission, worker classification or right to reschedule customer/employment commitments is established.
Next step
Approve a dated staffing-and-customer schedule, verify actual role and recruitment costs, and compare only deliverable annual work against the additional cost in U.S. unit economics.
Sources & review notes
U.S. Small Business Administration
Passage, dates and research notes
official-guidance · Manage finances; cost-benefit analysis; buy assets/equipment; marketing and sales
Selected commercial planning sections read. No tax deductions, loan eligibility, worker status or other legal conclusions are adopted.
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