Payroll problems show up in your close. Be the firm that fixes them.
Payroll, hiring and spend already show up in your monthly work. Turn them into a recurring advisory service.
What is payroll advisory?
Payroll advisory is a defined service where your firm reviews a client's payroll, hiring and spend data, helps them decide on hiring, payroll controls and operating processes, and coordinates specialists. The client approves changes. Your firm advises within an agreed scope and bills for it as a recurring service.
Begin with the payroll and close process your team already sees. Expand where there is a named owner and a clear client need.
No. You can run payroll operations, advise on a process the client runs, or refer the client to a platform with a defined handoff.
Yes. Review the process and data, advise the client, and bring in specialists for regulated decisions.
Don't call it outsourced HR, legal advice or a compliance guarantee without a separately approved service and specialist.
Price the diagnostic, recurring review, implementation coordination and specialist work as separate scopes, based on your own delivery economics.
Why should you offer it?
Common questions
How can an accounting firm add payroll advisory?
Start with the payroll and close work your team already sees. Offer a scoped workforce operations review, then advise on a recurring cadence, run named payroll tasks, or refer the client to a platform.
Does a firm have to run payroll to offer payroll advisory?
No. You can advise on a process the client runs, run specified payroll tasks yourself, or refer the client to a platform with a defined handoff.
How much can a firm earn from payroll advisory?
The playbook's example is 10 clients at about $400 a month, roughly $48K a year, at 2 to 4 hours a month each, plus up to 20% revenue share from some payroll platforms.
What should a firm not promise?
Don't call it outsourced HR, legal advice or a compliance guarantee unless you have a separately approved service and a specialist for it.