Managed Payroll · Franchise Businesses

Managed Payroll for Franchise Businesses

Multi-location payroll that scales with every unit you add. Franchise owners face a payroll environment that gets more complex with every location added: different state registrations, franchisor payroll requirements, joint-employer liability documentation, and the operational overhead of running payroll across multiple units simultaneously. We manage all of it at $25-$45 per employee per month -- one flat rate regardless of how many locations you operate.

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$25-$45Per employee per month, all-inclusive across all locations

All 50States covered as you expand your territory

No migrationWorks in your existing system

The Franchise Payroll Problem

Three payroll issues that compound with every location you add.

State x locations

Every new location in a different state means a new state payroll registration, withholding setup, and quarterly filing obligation

A franchisee with three locations across two states has three sets of state payroll filings, two state tax accounts, and potentially different minimum wage and overtime rules at each location. Five locations across four states is five times that complexity. Most multi-unit operators underestimate how quickly compliance obligations multiply.

Joint employer

Franchisors that control employment practices can create joint-employer liability for both parties

The NLRB and DOL have both issued and revised joint-employer standards that affect franchise relationships. When a franchisor mandates specific scheduling systems, pay practices, or hiring standards, it can create joint-employer status -- making both the franchisor and franchisee liable for wage and hour violations. Proper payroll documentation and independence in employment decisions is the defense.

Rapid scaling

Adding a new location means standing up payroll infrastructure before the doors open

Every new franchise location requires state registration, FEIN confirmation, unemployment insurance registration, workers comp setup, and new hire reporting -- before the first employee is paid. Multi-unit operators who handle this manually hit bottlenecks every time they sign a new lease.

What We Manage

Payroll built for multi-unit franchise operations

Multi-location payroll

Unified payroll management across all your locations. Employees who work across locations, location-specific pay rates for different state minimum wages, and consolidated reporting -- all in one managed engagement.

New location setup

State registration, UI account setup, workers comp coordination, and new hire reporting for every location you add. We have the infrastructure ready before your first employee is paid.

Franchisor compliance

We maintain payroll documentation that demonstrates your independence in employment decisions -- protecting against joint-employer findings if the franchisor's practices are ever scrutinized.

Variable pay structures

Hourly crews, shift managers, assistant managers, and general managers often have different pay structures, overtime rules, and bonus plans. We handle all of them across every location as part of the flat monthly rate.

How It Works

Three steps to fully managed franchise payroll

Scope review

We map your current locations, state registrations, franchisor payroll requirements, pay structures by role, and planned expansion timeline. You get a fixed monthly cost before we start.

Payroll configuration

We audit and complete your state registrations, configure location-specific pay rules, set up new location workflows, and document the joint-employer defense trail. No migration required.

Ongoing managed service

Every pay cycle across every location, every state filing, every new location setup as you grow, every year-end W-2 -- fully managed by BEG. You sign leases, we handle payroll.

What You Get

Three things most payroll vendors do not offer franchise operators

Bonus 01No migration. We work in your existing system.

Common objection: "Our franchisor may have a preferred payroll system and we cannot always switch."

We do not require you to change platforms. BEG operates as your managed payroll team inside your current system -- whether that is a franchisor-approved platform or one you selected. If you want to move to isolved for a more capable HCM platform, we can manage that -- but it is never a requirement.

Bonus 02One flat rate across all locations.

Common objection: "Payroll companies charge extra for each location and each state, which kills the economics as we scale."

The $25-$45 PEPM rate is per employee -- not per location. Adding a second or fifth location does not trigger a new base fee, a new state setup charge, or a new monthly contract. The rate stays the same per employee regardless of how many rooftops you run.

Bonus 03A dedicated BEG contact who grows with your operation.

Common objection: "We have been through three payroll account managers in two years and have to re-explain our setup every time."

Your BEG payroll specialist is your long-term contact. They know your locations, your pay structures, your franchisor requirements, and your expansion schedule. When you sign a new lease, one message starts the payroll setup for that location -- no explaining your business from scratch.

Getting Started

From scope review to live franchise payroll in 3-5 business days

Day 1

Scope review call

15 minutes. We map your current locations, state registrations, franchisor payroll requirements, and expansion timeline -- and give you a fixed monthly price per employee.

Days 1-2

Onboarding

Agreement signed, system access granted, location roster and pay structures reviewed across all units.

Days 2-4

Configuration

Location-specific pay rules, missing state registrations, and joint-employer documentation configured in your existing system.

Day 5

First live payroll

Your first fully managed multi-location pay run -- BEG executes across all locations, your team approves. One invoice, everything included.

The Math on Waiting

Every location you add without a payroll system that scales is a liability multiplier.

Payroll errors in a single-location business affect one workforce. The same error in a five-location franchise affects five workforces, five state filings, and five times the back wage or penalty exposure. The return on managed payroll scales with every unit you add. Fully managed payroll at $25-$45 PEPM on a 75-person multi-unit operation costs under $34,000 per year -- far less than the labor required to run it in-house across five locations.

Your Next Transition Window

The best time to scale your payroll infrastructure is before you sign the next lease.

Transitions take 30-60 days. If you have a location opening in Q3 or Q4, starting the scope review now means we have your payroll infrastructure ready the day the doors open -- not three months later after scrambling to set up state accounts and run payroll manually.

15 minutes. We scope your locations, state registrations, and franchisor requirements -- and give you a fixed monthly cost per employee across all locations.

FAQ

Common questions from franchise owners and multi-unit operators

Does the $25-$45 PEPM rate apply across all my locations?

Yes. The rate is per employee, not per location. A 75-person operation across five locations pays the same per-employee rate as a 15-person single location. The economics improve as you add locations.

What if my franchisor requires a specific payroll system?

We work inside your franchisor-approved system if one is mandated. If you have flexibility to choose your platform, we can advise on options -- including isolved, which handles multi-location franchise payroll well. Either way, we manage the payroll execution regardless of platform.

How do you handle joint-employer documentation?

We maintain payroll records and documentation that demonstrates your independence as an employer -- separate employment decisions, your own pay practices, your own disciplinary procedures. This documentation is your defense if a franchisor's conduct ever creates a joint-employer inquiry.

How quickly can you set up payroll for a new location?

Once you are onboarded, adding a new location takes 2-3 weeks for state registration and setup -- not 60 days. We have the infrastructure and the relationships with state agencies to move faster than a first-time setup.

What does $25-$45 PEPM include across all locations?

Everything: multi-location payroll processing, state registrations and filings for every location, new location setup as you expand, year-end W-2s for all employees, and BEG support. One invoice, all locations.

What if I operate locations under different franchise brands?

Multi-brand franchise portfolios are managed under a single BEG engagement. Each brand's payroll requirements, franchisor compliance standards, and state registrations are tracked and managed separately within the unified service. The per-employee rate applies across all locations and all brands -- one invoice, one point of contact, everything included regardless of how many concepts you operate.

How does managed payroll handle minimum wage compliance across different states?

State minimum wage rates vary significantly and change regularly -- some states are at $17 or more per hour, others below federal minimum, and many local jurisdictions have their own thresholds above the state rate. We configure location-specific pay rules that automatically apply the correct minimum wage at each location. When a state updates its rate, we update your configuration before the effective date.

How do employees transfer between locations for payroll purposes?

Employees who transfer between locations are moved in the payroll system with the correct effective date, location-specific pay rate, and any state withholding changes if the transfer crosses state lines. We handle the state registration implications of cross-state transfers and make sure no payroll cycles are missed during the transition -- important when transfers happen mid-cycle before a new location opens.