Finding payroll and HR clients among new employers
Payroll is one of those jobs nobody wants to do themselves once they've done it twice. The hard part for a bureau or HR consultancy isn't convincing a new employer they need help. It's being in front of them in the short window between "we're hiring" and "we've sorted it".
The deadlines every new employer hits
A new company that takes on staff has a few fixed obligations, and they arrive fast:
- Register as an employer with HMRC before the first payday, to get a PAYE reference. It can't register more than two months before it starts paying people.
- Report pay to HMRC through payroll software every time staff are paid, on or before payday.
- Workplace pension duties start the day the first member of staff starts work. Staff aged 22 to State Pension age, earning at least £10,000 a year and normally working in the UK, must be enrolled.
- Contracts and right to work checks, plus employers' liability insurance from day one.
That's a lot for someone who registered a company three weeks ago to open a café. It's also a very natural opening for you: "your first payday is coming, here's what has to be in place by then".
Which new companies hire early
Most new limited companies are one person with no plans to employ anyone. Write to all of them and you'll get very little back. The ones that take on staff in their first weeks are fairly predictable:
| Sector | Why they need payroll early |
|---|---|
| Home care and care providers | Carers on variable hours, travel time, holiday pay. Hard from week one. |
| Security firms | Shift patterns and contracts that start on a fixed date. |
| Restaurants, cafés and pubs | Part-time and casual staff, tips, rotas that change every week. |
| Cleaning companies | Lots of part-time operatives, often across several sites. |
| Dental and medical practices | Clinical and reception staff from opening day. |
| Landscaping and seasonal trades | Seasonal staff who come and go. |
Consultancies, IT contractors and online shops sit at the other end. They're usually just the director, and rarely hire in their first year.
What to say
Keep the first message about their situation, not your software. Something like: "You've just set up a care company. Before your first payday you'll need a PAYE reference, and your pension duties start the day your first carer does. We can set up payroll, pensions and contracts for a fixed fee this month."
A fixed setup fee and a clear monthly price per employee is easier for a new owner to agree to than a call to "discuss your needs".
Finding them
Every new company is on the Companies House register with its SIC codes, so you can filter by sector and incorporation date yourself. The directors are listed too, so you can write to a named person.
Or let our payroll and HR lens do it: every new company in your area each morning, with care, security, venues and cleaning scored highest, one-person companies scored down, and the director named on each lead.
Questions people ask
When does a new employer have to register for PAYE?
Before the first payday, and not more than two months before it starts paying people, according to GOV.UK.
Who has to be enrolled in a workplace pension?
Staff aged between 22 and State Pension age, earning at least £10,000 a year and normally working in the UK. Duties start the day the first member of staff starts work.