Your first team member: a practical setup checklist
By the DaySync team. Drafted with Lissa, our AI writing assistant.
Adding a team member means coordinating two people's work. Before their first appointment, agree on their schedule, set up their access and settle how their pay will be calculated. A clear setup prevents small misunderstandings from becoming recurring problems.
Before the first appointment, check five things together: working hours, services, account access, pay terms and a test booking. Review the setup again after the first week.
Start with the work you need covered
Look at the appointments you cannot currently take and the days when help would be useful. A busy Saturday does not necessarily justify a full week of additional hours. Plan a schedule around actual demand and leave time for training.
Write down the services the new person will provide, who supplies the materials and who answers client questions. Agree what happens when either of you is away.
Set up their calendar before day one
Add their working hours and bookable services. Check that appointment lengths suit the time they need, rather than automatically copying your own pace. Review breaks and preparation time.
Walk through a test booking together. Check that it goes to the intended person and that both of you know how to find, move and cancel it. Remove the test when you finish.
Before the first client: invitation accepted; access checked; hours checked; services assigned; test booking checked; pay terms recorded; review date agreed.
Give each person their own access
Use individual accounts instead of sharing the owner's login. In DaySync, role-based access and permissions come with Business, with three roles: team member, receptionist and admin. Choose the role that fits the job, then check the actual screens and permissions together. Changing what each role can do is also part of Business; see DaySync's team roles and access options.
A receptionist may need to manage bookings across the team. Someone providing services needs access appropriate to their appointments. Give broader administrative access only when the work requires it. Review access when responsibilities change or someone leaves.
Agree pay terms in writing
A percentage, fixed payment or combination may suit your arrangement. Before the first pay period, specify:
- Which services or sales count toward commission
- How discounts, refunds and tips are treated
- The pay period and payment date
- Who checks corrections and resolves questions
For illustration, 40% of $1,000 in eligible service revenue is $400. This is a calculation example, not a recommended commission rate or a statement of total pay owed. Other contractual and legal requirements may apply.
Commission is a way of calculating pay, not a separate employment status. In the US, classification depends on the working relationship, including control and independence. IRS guidance explains the federal tax distinction; use the rules applicable where your business operates.
On DaySync Business, Payroll calculates each person's commission and tips for each pay period from the work on the calendar. Review the numbers, pay the person through your usual payment method, then mark the pay period as paid. Those records do not replace your employment agreement, tax reporting or the payment itself.
Budget beyond the subscription
Include materials, training time and any employment-related costs that apply to your business. Allow for time you will spend supervising instead of taking your own appointments.
DaySync Free covers up to 2 people, including the owner, so your first team member fits on Free. Pro covers up to 5 people for $12 per month or $120 per year, and Business has no limit for $25 per month or $250 per year, with no per-seat fee. Pro and Business start with 14 days free; starting a trial needs a payment method. See current plan details.
Make the first review simple
At the end of the first week, review the calendar, client questions and pay records together. Ask what took longer than expected and which responsibilities were unclear. Adjust the setup before repeating the same issues next week.
