| Metric | Value |
|---|
| Working days/month | 20 |
| Installation days/month | 12-14 |
| Admin/sales days/month | 6-8 |
| Max projects/month | 3-4 (IRVE only) or 1-2 (integrated) |
| Max annual revenue | ~€120-150K |
- All client calls and villa audits
- All proposals and contract negotiations
- All installations (IRVE + KNX)
- Consuel paperwork and subsidy filings
- Marketing content creation
- Accounting (with help of comptable)
| Function | Provider | Cost |
|---|
| Accounting | Expert-comptable (auto-entrepreneur) | €50-100/month |
| Website | Already built (Astro/Starlight) | €0 |
| Logo/design | Already done | €0 |
| Legal | Legalstart or CMA templates | One-time €200 |
The constraint is installation days. Admin/sales can happen evenings. But once installation days are maxed at 14/month, growth stops without hiring.
| Trigger | Threshold | Signal |
|---|
| Monthly revenue | >€12K for 3 consecutive months | Revenue supports a salary |
| Project backlog | >6 weeks wait time | Losing clients to competitors |
| Upsell conversion | >30% IRVE→smart home | Demand for integration exceeds solo capacity |
| Referral rate | >25% of new clients | Growth engine outpacing delivery |
| Personal burnout | Working >55h/week consistently | Unsustainable |
Option A: Apprentice Electrician (recommended)
| Factor | Details |
|---|
| Profile | CAP/BEP holder, 18-25, from CFA BTP 06 |
| Contract | Contrat d’apprentissage (1-2 years) |
| Cost | ~€800-1,200/month (state-subsidized) |
| State aid | Up to €6,000/year (aide unique embauche apprenti) |
| What they do | Assist on installations, handle simple IRVE solo, cable work |
| What they learn | KNX programming, client interaction, luxury service standards |
| Growth path | After 2 years → compagnon, can run own projects |
Option B: Experienced Electrician (subcontract first)
| Factor | Details |
|---|
| Profile | Qualified electrician with IRVE cert, 30-45 |
| Contract | Start as auto-entrepreneur subcontractor → CDD → CDI |
| Cost | €180-250/day as subcontractor, or €2,500-3,000/month CDI |
| What they do | Run IRVE installations independently while founder focuses on KNX + sales |
| Risk | As subcontractor: must have multiple clients (otherwise risque de requalification) |
Recommended path: Hire apprentice at Month 18, subcontract for overflow before that.
| Role | Count | Focus |
|---|
| Founder/CEO | 1 | Sales, client relations, KNX design, strategy |
| Electrician (compagnon) | 1 | IRVE installations, electrical work |
| Apprentice | 1 | Assistance, learning, simple tasks |
| Admin (part-time) | 0.5 | Invoicing, scheduling, ADVENIR paperwork |
Total team: 3.5 FTE
Revenue capacity: €250-350K/year
Salary costs: ~€80-100K/year (including charges)
| Team Size | Revenue | Rev/Employee |
|---|
| 1 (solo) | €120K | €120K |
| 2.5 | €200K | €80K |
| 3.5 | €300K | €86K |
Target: maintain >€80K revenue per FTE.
| Phase | Status | Why | Revenue Cap |
|---|
| Year 1 | Auto-Entrepreneur | Zero risk, minimal admin, ACRE exemption | €77,700 (services) |
| Year 1.5 | Transition to EURL | Approaching AE ceiling, need TVA récupération | Unlimited |
| Year 3+ | SARL (if partner) | Employee hiring, growth, potential partner | Unlimited |
Switch when:
- Revenue approaches €77,700 ceiling (2 consecutive quarters on pace)
- Equipment purchases need TVA deduction (>€5K/year in equipment)
- First employee hire (AE can’t have employees)
- ✅ Number of installations per month
- ✅ Average project value (through KNX upsell)
- ✅ Recurring revenue (maintenance contracts)
- ✅ Geographic reach (within 1-hour zone)
- ❌ Client segments (stay luxury-only)
- ❌ Service types (stay IRVE + KNX only, don’t add plumbing/painting)
- ❌ Geography (don’t expand beyond Côte d’Azur in first 3 years)
- ❌ Team size beyond 5 (stay artisan, don’t become corporate)