Hartmann Professional Services
An Accounting Firm’s Unique Business Model and Partnership with IRIS Managed Payroll Services Results in Triple Digit Year-Over-Year Growth
For over a decade, the team at Hartmann Professional Services has worked differently than your average firm. They’ve evolved from providing basic financial services to becoming a collaborative partner with their clients, helping them run efficiently and gain financial success. Their goal is to empower entrepreneurs and business owners with personalized guidance and steps toward long-term success.
The team at Hartmann Professional Services has even changed how they acquire new clients. Because they focus so much on relationships and quality service, they rely 100% on client referrals for growth.
Discover how Hartmann Professional Services has created a collaborative business model with the help of IRIS payroll managed service solutions.
The Problem
For the clients at Hartmann Professional Services, payroll isn’t optional. Whether they are a sole owner or a business with a dozen employees, payroll has to be done correctly to avoid audits and unwanted fees.
Hartmann Professional Services understood this demand, but there was a significant problem. If they provided personal assistance for every client, giving them hands-on, personal support, payroll would have monopolized their entire business. They wouldn’t have the bandwidth to collaborate, educate, partner, or improve their client relationships because those important functions would have had to take a back seat to ensure payroll was completed on time, and accurately, for every client.
The firm needed a payroll solution that would enable them to spend more time educating clients and completing additional projects that demanded the experience and knowledge the team can provide.
The Solution
IRIS Payroll Managed Services went beyond saving the firm time and money; it revolutionized it. The services opened the door to updating the structure of the entire firm, helping them transition from simply providing accounting services to being accounting advisors and partners.
By leveraging IRIS payroll services for more than ten years, Hartmann Professional Services has improved its connection to its clients, while continuing to provide bespoke accounting services.
The Results
With the help of IRIS payroll solutions, Hartmann Professional Services can comfortably service approximately 2,000 clients.
“Payroll has always been a part of our services, but we’re a little different from most people,” said John Hartmann. “We try to teach our clients to do as much as possible. So, when a new client comes on, we evaluate their payroll stability and knowledge. If they need quite a bit of hand-holding, we provide them with direct assistance. At the end of each year, we re-evaluate those clients, and if they are ready, we connect them with IRIS so they can partner directly with the client to do their payroll.” This frees up space for new clients who will be taken under John’s wing for the following year.
“Some new clients don’t need that assistance from us, so we connect them with IRIS right away,” continues John. John appreciates that even if the client works directly with IRIS, he can jump right in if the client needs something. Such as the case when an employee was fired late on a Friday, and the client wanted their last check printed immediately.
“IRIS’s support is amazing. I have a direct contact there that I can call. It is a human being who actually answers the phone! Their pricing is also fabulous.”
The firm’s focus on building lasting relationships with clients has positioned it in the community as a reliable, trustworthy, and caring firm that only wants the best for its clients, resulting in exponential growth.
Hartmann Professional Services never advertises. It doesn’t solicit new clients; in most cases, it will not accept new clients unless they come with a personal referral from an existing client. Because their relationships with their clients are so strong, they can rely entirely on personal referrals to help them gain around 200 to 250 new clients annually.
Working with and referring clients to IRIS Managed Payroll Services is why Hartmann Professional Services can service so many clients. They don’t have to spend time on things such as quarterly reports and W2s with IRIS handling it all, but they still gain revenue from payroll as a referring accounting firm. “We want to give back. By having IRIS Payroll Solutions doing so much, my staff is able to do other things which are more important. This includes running PLS, evaluating, bookkeeping, and teaching, which allows us to service more people. said John.” We’re able to grow and retain staff because we don’t have to do extra payroll work.”
Grow Your Practice with IRIS
Hartmann Professional Services can focus on doing more with their time, becoming a partner and advisor to their clients, because they choose to use IRIS Payroll Managed Services to handle their clients’ payroll.
IRIS puts the CPA firm in control of how their payroll services are offered. Now, they can remain the face of payroll, while IRIS supports payroll functionality in the background.
Some firms don’t want any involvement with payroll, and simply refer their clients to work directly with IRIS to process their employees’ payroll, take on the liability of tax notices, file annual reports, etc. Even when firms eliminate their involvement in payroll, they still receive a revenue share for referring their clients’ to IRIS. Alternatively, firms can take a hybrid approach, like Hartmann Professional Services, where they implement both business models, depending on the client’s needs.
Contact us today and discover how IRIS Payroll Solutions can revolutionize your firm, helping you benefit from involvement in your client’s payroll without the hassle or liability of processing it.
