HomeSwerv Pro · Solo to Operator

Know the Number.
Then plan the leap.

Three tools in one. Find your real break-even rate, run your first hire scenario, and see exactly what it costs to go from doing it all yourself to running the operation.

Mode 01

Am I Covering My Costs?

Find your real break-even hourly rate

Mode 02

What If I Add Someone?

Run the hiring scenario before you commit

Mode 03

Day Worker vs Employee

Compare the try-before-you-buy path

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What You Need to Earn

Your real salary — what you actually want to take home, not what's left over.

Target Annual Salary iWhat you want to pay yourself — not what you currently make. Be honest. This is your number.

Health Insurance (monthly) iMonthly premium for yourself and family if applicable. This is a real business cost most solo ops forget to include.

Self-Employment Tax Rate iSE tax is 15.3% on net earnings. Add your income tax bracket on top. Solo operators typically budget 28-35% total.

30%

Retirement Savings (annual) iA Solo 401k lets self-employed people contribute up to $66k/year. Even $3,000/year is a real cost that has to come from your hourly rate.

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Annual Business Expenses

Everything you pay to keep the business running — whether you work or not.

Vehicle (payments + fuel + insurance)

Monthly truck payment + avg fuel + insurance × 12

Tools & Equipment

Annual replacement, repairs, and new purchases

Business Insurance

General liability + contractors policy. Most trades need $1,200–$2,400/year minimum.

Phone, Software & Admin

Phone, scheduling, accounting, subscriptions

Marketing & Advertising

Industry standard is 8–12% of gross revenue. Most contractors budget 2–3% and wonder why the phone stops ringing in slow season.

Other Overhead

Storage, professional fees, licenses, etc.

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Your Real Hours

Billable hours only — not the full week. Every hour you're not billing is overhead.

Weeks Worked Per Year i52 minus vacation, sick days, slow season, holidays. Be realistic. Most solo contractors work 44-48 productive weeks.

Billable Hours Per Week iHours actually on the job generating revenue. Not driving, quoting, admin, or shopping for materials. Most solo ops bill 25-32 hours of a 45-hour week.

Typical range: 25–32 hours of a 45-hour week.

Current Hourly Rate iWhat you currently charge per hour — or your average effective rate (total revenue ÷ total hours worked). We'll show you the gap.

$ /hr

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This isn't a hiring decision. It's a math exercise.

Run the numbers on adding one person before you make any decisions. Most contractors who are afraid to hire discover the math is more forgiving than they thought. Some discover it isn't — and that's equally valuable to know.

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Your Current Operation

We need your baseline before we can model the addition. Fill in your numbers from Mode 1 or adjust here.

Your Annual Revenue Target

What you need to earn to cover your costs + salary

Your Billable Hours / Year

Weeks worked × billable hours/week

Your Effective Hourly Rate

$ /hr

Unbilled Hours Per Week iHours you work but don't bill — admin, quoting, supply runs, driving. This is the time a helper could free up for you to take more billable jobs.

hrs/wk

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The Helper Scenario

One person. What would they cost — and what could they free up?

Helper Hourly Wage

$ /hr

Hours Per Week

hrs/wk

Labor Burden Rate iPayroll taxes, workers comp, unemployment insurance. Typically 25-35% on top of wages. Day workers have zero burden — that's the comparison Mode 3 shows you.

30%

Hours Freed Up For You iIf this person handles supply runs, cleanup, and prep — how many extra billable hours could you take on per week? Even 4-6 hours can change the math significantly.

hrs/wk

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Try before you buy.

A skilled day worker from the HomeSwerv job board costs you their hourly rate and nothing else. No payroll taxes, no workers comp, no benefits, no commitment. Run one job with a helper. If it works, run it again. Build your SOP while you do it. When you've done it ten times, the step to a part-time hire is a much smaller leap than it looks today.

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Side-by-Side Comparison

Same job. Same person. Two very different cost structures.

Hourly Rate (both scenarios)

$ /hr

Hours Per Week

hrs/wk

Weeks Per Year

Employee Benefits (monthly) iHealth insurance contribution, PTO accrual cost, any other benefits. Day workers receive none of these.

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Your numbers are ready.

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