What recession?

[musician/lawnman]

Workers Comp is actually the main reason I use them, I could have been doing the payrol myself & saved money there but the workers comp is insane as an independant. Then most reguar payroll or employee leasing firms want a minumim of 2 employees on the books, & $1000-1,500 a week in payroll! This way was the only fesible way I found to handle keeping all my payroll legit, with the right insurances & have it be (relatively) affordable.
To pay an average Laborer type employee say $8 an hour runs my around $12-$12.50/hr. I just take his # of hours x that rate & send a check. They send his paycheck, cover workerscomp, & handle the w-2's at the end of the year. I don't deal with any of that.

[Steve]

but the workers comp is insane as an independant. Then most reguar payroll or employee leasing firms want a minumim of 2 employees on the books, & $1000-1,500 a week in payroll!

Do they employment leasing firms get a discount on their workers comp because they have more employees? Or do you think they may categorize the work they are doing in a way so as not to be hazardous? Or does that not factor in at all?

Also are you saying you need to hire two employees at least to use them?

[musician/lawnman]

Yeah many of the firms want a minimum of 2 employees on the payroll. But when I hired my 1st guy it was just he & I, I wasn't going on payroll. I handle my taxes & I am workers comp exempt so there is no need to have me on the payroll. My 1 guy (in the beginning) was not EVER going to hit $1,000 a week in payroll. There were times mid summer with 2 helpers on the payroll that I hit a grand, but that was months later & was not a regular thing.

I think they get a better rate just due to the volume of business they give the insurance carrier.

[Steve]

Yeah many of the firms want a minimum of 2 employees on the payroll.

So for others looking to do this and only have 1 employee at first, what advice do you have about how to find a firm that will work with you? Should you team up with another lawn care business somehow? Or no?

[musician/lawnman]

Like I said earlier in he post Steve, I use a Day labor firm not an employee leasing firm.