Outsourcing Payroll Duties??

[SquarePeg]

If I had a web business with freelancers around the world working for me, is there a company that will automate payroll services for me?

[Acting Like Godot]

You would not want to automate payrolls for freelancers.

That's because unlike regular full-time employees, you probably don't pay the freelancers a fixed sum every month anyway. Freelancers come and go, and charge for exactly whatever they do for you.

[Peterw]

I think GetFriday do payroll/accounting. Otherwise you could look for a cheap accountant? Are you running a LTD?

[SquarePeg]

Originally Posted by Acting Like Godot

You would not want to automate payrolls for freelancers.

That's because unlike regular full-time employees, you probably don't pay the freelancers a fixed sum every month anyway. Freelancers come and go, and charge for exactly whatever they do for you.

Sorry, I didn't mean mindless automate, as in just sending them a check all the time. But do you mean to suggest that I'd just have to mail everyone a check or something, "by hand??" How do affiliate programs work, then? Surely there's a lot of turnover to be dealt with there, too....

Thanks for the reminder about freelancers coming and going, though. I'd had in mind long-term "independent contractor" types of freelancers, not the "temp" kind of freelancers....

[SquarePeg]

Originally Posted by Peterw

I think GetFriday do payroll/accounting. Otherwise you could look for a cheap accountant? Are you running a LTD?

No, just brainstorming here, trying to get into an entrepreneurial mindset and tackling hypothetical issues -- with your kind assistance!

Yes, something like GetFriday, a virtual assistant service, only as regards payroll.

[VinceG]

I have one of my clients pay me with PayPal. They take a small piece, like 5%, but it's worth it rather than deal with international money wires and the like.

[Acting Like Godot]

Originally Posted by SquarePeg

But do you mean to suggest that I'd just have to mail everyone a check or something, "by hand??"

Banks actually offer a wide variety of payment services.

The simplest versions are generally offered to the mass retail crowd; the more sophisticated versions are enabled for small businesses; and the most sophisticated versions are for large corporations.

For instance, I know of banks which offer a service like this:

1. You do an initial set-up, and let them know who your freelancers are, and what their addresses are etc.

2. Then you can give the bank instructions via your online banking (eg you tell the bank to pay a certain freelancer $X by a certain date. Or you can give a standing instruction, eg pay him $1,000 on the 15th of each month).

3. The bank does the rest. Debit your account; issue a cashier's order; mails it to the customer.