The first hire changes what you are responsible for
The day you hire someone, you take on obligations you did not have as a one-person business: how you pay them, how you classify them, what you can and cannot ask, what records you have to keep, what happens if they get hurt, and what happens when it does not work out.
Most of this is manageable if it is set up before the first person starts. It becomes expensive when it is reconstructed afterwards — particularly a termination with no written expectations behind it, or a "contractor" who was always really an employee.
What you get in the HR starter kit
An employee handbook written for a small service business, not a 90-page corporate document nobody reads. Offer letter templates that state pay, schedule, role and expectations. Contractor agreements that actually read like contractor agreements, which matters if the classification is ever questioned.
When you hire, we run the new-hire packet: the tax forms, the eligibility paperwork, the handbook acknowledgement, and the payroll setup so the first cheque is right. When someone leaves, we run the offboarding so final pay and records are handled correctly.
This connects straight to payroll — the documents and the pay run are set up together, so what the paperwork says and what the payroll does are the same thing.
Signs you need this
- You are about to hire your first employee.
- Everyone who works for you is on a 1099 and you are not certain that is right.
- You have no written offer letters or job expectations.
- Someone did not work out and you had nothing written down to rely on.
- A crew member got hurt and you were not sure what was covered.
- You are bringing on family and want it handled properly anyway.
If two or more of these sound familiar, take the free business checkup — ten questions, two minutes, and you get the list of gaps either way.
How it works
Build the kit
Handbook, offer letter and contractor agreement templates written for your trade.
Classify correctly
Employee or contractor, decided on how the work actually happens and documented.
Run each hire
New-hire packet, tax and eligibility forms, handbook acknowledgement, payroll setup.
Handle departures
Offboarding paperwork, final pay handled correctly, records kept.
What is included
- Employee handbook built for a small service business
- Offer letter templates
- Contractor agreement templates
- New-hire packets, run for each hire
- Offboarding paperwork when someone leaves
- Employee vs. contractor classification documented with payroll
All of this sits inside one package — the Whitelow Launch + Back Office Partnership — rather than being quoted as a separate service.
Who it is for
- Owners hiring their first employee
- Businesses with crews currently working informally
- Anyone who has had a hire go badly without written expectations
- Owners bringing on family members or long-time helpers
What affects the price
Whitelow sells one package with two ways to pay: $2,497 one-time plus $597 a month, or $0 up front in exchange for a 15% stake in the LLC. Government fees and your QuickBooks subscription are passed through at cost on both. These are the factors that move what this piece of the work involves:
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Headcount | The kit is one-off; new-hire packets are included as you hire within your partnership. |
| How many states you employ in | Employment rules differ by state, so multi-state crews need more than one version of some documents. |
| Whether you need an attorney | A specific dispute, a complicated termination or a claim is attorney work, quoted by them, not by us. |
| Existing paperwork | Reviewing and fixing agreements already in place can take more work than starting clean. |
See both payment options side by side, including what each one costs in year one.
Frequently asked questions
When do I need an employee handbook?
Practically speaking, before your first employee starts. A handbook sets written expectations, which is what you rely on if you ever have to address performance or end someone's employment. Building one after a problem has started is much harder than having one on the shelf.
Can I just hire everyone as a 1099 contractor?
Not if the working relationship is really employment. The classification is decided by how the work actually happens — who controls the schedule, the methods and the tools — not by what the agreement is called. Misclassification is assessed against the business in back taxes and penalties, so we document it properly and tell you plainly which one your situation is.
Does this include HR advice on a specific employee issue?
We handle the documents, the packets and the process. For a specific dispute, a termination with complications, or anything involving a claim, you want an employment attorney, and we will say so and help you get in front of one. We are not a law firm.
What does HR paperwork cost per hire?
New-hire packets and offboarding are part of your partnership rather than a per-hire bill. Bought separately, a starter kit of handbook and templates typically runs several hundred to around $1,500, with per-hire packet costs on top.
Do I need workers compensation insurance?
In most states, yes, once you have employees, and sometimes even with certain contractors. The threshold and the rules differ by state. We flag it as part of your launch and connect you with an insurance partner, but the policy itself is theirs to write.
Can I hire family without all the paperwork?
Family members who work for you are still employees or contractors in the eyes of the state. Doing the paperwork properly protects both of you, and it tends to prevent the kind of disagreement that is much harder to fix inside a family.