From my own limited view, I would hazard a guess that the 'ideal' size for a small shop is:
3 trucks- 3 with a journeyman and 2 with a helper;
1 person to answer the phone and do the books; and,
1 person to meet customers, visit City Hall, stand inspections, etc.
We're talking eight people there. You need the trucks to support the 'office' people. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do all you need to do.
You can limp along with a smaller shop - but that's what you do ... limp along, from down time to down time. Even then, scheduling is critical. For example, I know one guy who 'works' Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday- and reserves Wednesday for sales, bookkeeping, etc. I know another 1-man shop that uses the labor pool for helpers when needed, and hires a CPA to do all his bookwork.
