BLOG POST | Nov 13, 2025
Why predictable pricing and built-in compliance are changing how micro-businesses run payroll
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Canada’s smallest businesses are carrying more weight than ever - higher costs, new compliance rules, and fewer hours in the day to handle it all. For owners who wear every hat, from sales to scheduling to CRA filings, payroll shouldn’t be the part that keeps them up at night.
Between inflation, tighter margins, and new CRA digital reporting standards, the smallest employers are feeling the squeeze. They need predictability more than ever — not another system that surprises them with fees or complexity.
At Powerpay, we’ve spent years supporting Canadian businesses of every size. But most payroll software isn’t built for the realities of a five-person shop — it’s built for firms ten times that size, with pricing and features that simply don’t fit.
That’s why we’re introducing a new way forward: a simple, all-in monthly payroll plan designed exclusively for micro-businesses. One predictable cost structure, built-in compliance, and the same trusted Powerpay technology — created for the real backbone of the Canadian economy: small but mighty teams.
Predictability and trust are the foundations of every good business relationship. Payroll should reflect that too.
Unpredictable pricing hurts small businesses
Across Canada, more than half of all employer businesses have five or fewer employees. Yet most payroll platforms are priced as if you’re running a 50-person company.
Traditional payroll models often include a base fee, a per-employee charge, and extra costs for things like ROEs, year-end slips, or support calls. For larger companies, that might make sense. But for small employers, it’s unpredictable and often unfair.
When you’re managing tight cash flow, predictability matters. Powerpay’s all-in pricing — just $25 per month plus $5 per employee — keeps payroll simple and transparent. No hidden fees for ROEs, year-end slips, or add-ons. No surprises — just payroll that works.
Powerpay now offers fit-for-size pricing — simple where it should be, flexible where it matters. Same trusted Powerpay technology, tailored to the size of your team.
Built-in compliance, lasting peace of mind
Payroll compliance doesn’t stand still. CPP2 is now part of the landscape, and every year brings new updates to EI, provincial tax tables, and CRA digital reporting rules. For most small business owners, keeping up manually isn’t realistic and a missed remittance or late filing can mean costly penalties.
Powerpay’s payroll engine automatically applies these changes in the background, so your payroll stays compliant even as regulations evolve. That means fewer corrections, fewer fines, and more confidence that everything’s handled — quietly and correctly.
The truth is, payroll isn’t getting simpler. CRA enforcement is tightening, provincial rules keep shifting, and accuracy has never mattered more. For micro-businesses, that’s not just a convenience, it’s protection.
And that’s why this launch matters. It’s not only a new pricing model; it’s a step toward fairness and transparency — the same values that guides how we operate.
I’ve seen firsthand how small businesses are asked to do the most with the least. If we can take even one administrative burden off their plate, we’ve done something meaningful.
Payroll shouldn’t be your biggest job. It should just work — quietly, reliably, every time.
Because when small businesses spend less time managing payroll, they have more time to build what matters most — their business, their people, and their future.