Home-Based payroll service for small employers

Small business owners with a handful of employees, such as trades, restaurants, clinics, retailers and non-profits, who don't want to do payroll themselves.

A monthly fee per client or a fee per employee per pay run, with extras for setup, year-end slips and Record of Employment (ROE) filing.

• Careful with numbers and deadlines
• Comfortable with payroll software
• Discreet with sensitive pay information
• Clear communication with business owners

• Errors or late remittances can lead to CRA penalties and interest, so check who is liable and set this out in your client contract
• Professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance, and commercial general liability insurance if you want it
• Protecting employee data: check privacy rules for your province and use secure software and storage
• Provincial rules differ on vacation pay, statutory holidays and termination, and Quebec has its own plans (QPP, QPIP) and French-language requirements
• Check whether your municipality requires a home-based business licence and whether you need to register for GST/HST

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $500 to $3,500, depending on the payroll software you choose, your insurance and how you set up your home office. Price your own software and cover before committing.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $500 to $4,000, depending on how many clients you take on and the hours you put in. The estimates start from about 8 hours a week, so growth depends on your client list.

Check who is liable for errors or late remittances that lead to CRA penalties, and set this out in your client contract. Also check errors and omissions insurance, privacy rules for employee data in your province, provincial pay rules, home-based licensing and GST/HST registration.