Online payroll for a niche industry

Employers in your chosen niche, for example hospitality venues, building firms, childcare centres or medical practices, in any state.

Monthly retainer or per-employee fees, often higher because of specialist award knowledge, plus setup and compliance check fees.

• Understanding of awards and enterprise agreements
• Clear written communication
• Comfortable working with cloud software
• Marketing to a niche

• Check whether you need to be a registered BAS agent or tax agent for any tax-related services, via the Tax Practitioners Board
• Professional indemnity and cyber insurance
• Underpayment risk: wrong award interpretation can create liability for your clients, so check Fair Work guidance and be clear on what you are responsible for
• State differences in payroll tax and workers compensation, check each state's revenue office
• Storing employee data securely and checking privacy obligations

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your cloud payroll software, insurance and how you market to your chosen industry.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,500 to $7,500, depending on how many clients you win in your niche and your fees. These figures are revenue, not profit.

Check whether you need to be a registered BAS agent or tax agent via the Tax Practitioners Board. Also check professional indemnity and cyber insurance, award interpretation and underpayment risk with Fair Work, state payroll tax and workers compensation differences, and privacy obligations.