1. as you said take it slow
2. be careful hiring someone you know directly ie. family or long time buddy [made that mistake]
3. don't pirate someone away intentionally from another company, they then think you owe them cause they left their last job for you [there right now]
4. don't be afraid to reprimand for big errors, or lots of little things, even if you just talk to them about the problem, do not let it fester.
5. compliment them if they do a really good job, and let them know when the customers say the same.
6. STAY ON TOP OF PAPERWORK!!!!! Failing in this area can be the death of your business, espically with employees. Employees equals instant overhead, like payroll taxes, unemployent insurance any benifits, etc.. one paperwork screwup and you can watch that 25k turn right into 2k right before your eyes.
All this said, employees can be a real benifit, you just need to do double duty as an electrician and manager.
Good luck
