The wrong question searchers ask when hiring their first operator

Most searchers think hiring their first operator comes down to whether they can afford it. That's the wrong question. My partner Nathan has run HVAC and home services businesses, done 4 acquisitions, and scaled a P&L from $5M to $220M. The real question is whether you're ready to let go. Owner-operators can usually get to $1.5M on their own. The $2-4M range is where the business outgrows you. Profit dips before it climbs. Most owners decide it's not worth it. The ones who make it through hire before they need to, define the role before they post it, and get to the new normal fast. I'm Brad Wade, Founding Partner at Smooth Operators Search. I'm a career headhunter who works alongside an operator who runs the same kinds of businesses our clients are buying. That's not something most headhunting firms can say. We place operators, functional executives, and sales leaders into SMBs, owner-operated businesses, and PE/VC-backed companies across construction, HVAC, home services, logistics, defense, and manufacturing. 500+ placements over my career, 70+ at Smooth Operators. Happy to connect with anyone navigating that first hire or building out a leadership team post-close. redacted