Online payroll bureau with a small team

Small and growing employers, accountancy practices that outsource payroll, and businesses with several staff and regular pay runs.

Monthly fees per client or per employee, with add-ons like pension administration, CIS returns, HR document support and payslip distribution.

• Strong payroll knowledge
• Managing and checking others' work
• Client communication
• Setting up clear processes

• Professional indemnity and cyber insurance, plus employer's liability insurance once you hire
• Data protection duties for holding staff pay data, including ICO registration and secure systems
• Anti-money laundering supervision: check whether you need to register for the services you provide
• Cover for staff absence, since a missed pay run affects many people at once
• Write clear client contracts covering deadlines, fees and responsibility for errors

Startup costs are typically around £2,000 to £10,000, depending on your software, insurance and how large a team you set up. This is an estimate, so check your own costs first.

Monthly revenue is typically around £3,000 to £15,000, depending on your client numbers and fees. This is an estimate, and it starts from about 30 hours a week of work.

Check professional indemnity and cyber insurance, plus employer's liability once you hire. Also check data protection duties including ICO registration, and whether anti-money laundering supervision applies to your services. Write clear client contracts covering deadlines, fees and responsibility for errors.