Can your studio afford the next hire without squeezing every other project?
Can the studio afford the next hire? The answer starts with payroll, pensions and real project profit.
A hire made from turnover alone can leave tax, pension costs and quieter project months fighting for the same cash.
Or read on to see how it works.
The hiring decision often starts with the busiest month
- Large project lands
- Workload feels permanent
- Salary looks manageable
- Pension cost gets added
- Invoices arrive late
- Margin carries the gap
The hire looks affordable while the studio is busy.
Turnover can cover a salary on paper while pensions, late invoices and tax squeeze the same cash. The gap comes from the studio.
The questions that expose whether the new salary really fits
These questions decide whether the role supports the studio or drains the margin.
- Can the studio afford the next hire?
- Can the studio afford the next hire when a project slips?
- Which projects are paying for the extra salary?
- What happens when a client pays late?
- How much profit remains after tax is set aside?
Without those answers, every decision downstream gets harder.
A monthly profit view changes the hiring conversation
Each month uses current books, with payroll, pensions and project costs included.
The studio sees what remains after staff costs, tax and late payments before making the offer.
- £Profit after payroll
- Add pension costs
- Test quieter months
- Set tax aside
- Hire within the margin
The offer rests on a margin that survives an unusually quiet month.
The first three months show whether the plan holds
The first quarter turns the hiring plan into a monthly check.
- Before day one
Know the full employment cost
We include salary, employer costs and pension contributions before the offer is made.
- Day 30
See project profit monthly
Project billing and staff costs show which work is carrying the team.
- Day 60
Run payroll without a scramble
Payslips, PAYE and pensions move off the studio owner’s desk.
- Day 90
Make the hiring call
The monthly profit view shows whether the new role still fits.
The fee is agreed in writing before we start
Answer a few quick questions first. If it fits, Ryan explains what HMRC expects this year and puts the fixed monthly fee in writing.
A plain recommendation comes first.
The recommendation covers what is due, what you still handle and how the hire changes cash.
The fee is agreed in writing before any work starts, with no monthly tie in.
It works best when the studio will use the answer
The right fit is a project-based studio willing to keep its books current.
A good fit
- The studio is a limited company, or the owner is ready to incorporate.
- You run an architecture practice, design studio or creative agency with a small team.
- Work is billed by project or service, without stock and tills.
- You will use FreeAgent or Xero and reply when something is due.
- You want payroll, VAT and annual filings covered by one fixed monthly fee.
Probably not a fit
- The business relies on stock, tills or heavy retail bookkeeping.
- You want bookkeeping on its own.
- You want One Abacus to sign off work it did not prepare.
- You expect daily help with personal admin outside accountancy.
- The company is insolvent, leaving tax unpaid or unwilling to take advice.
A few quick questions. If it fits, Ryan talks it through by phone or video.
Before the next offer goes out, settle the money question
- Payroll ready each month
- Pensions included in cost
- Project profit checked monthly
- Accountant answers the phone
One Abacus handles these jobs each month, so the hiring decision is not based on one busy spell.
Want a plain answer on what the studio can afford?
Start the studio reviewA plain recommendation comes first, followed by a free review with Ryan if there is a fit.
Answer a few quick questions for a fixed monthly fee
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