If you’re reading this, you likely own a Hotworx studio (or two) and have a few questions.
Who is Whirks? What’s the cost of their services? Why Whirks over Paychex? What does a transition look like if I’m an existing owner?
Don’t worry, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled all the frequently asked questions we get from Hotworx owners just like you. But before we get into the details, here’s a quick rundown of who we are and why your franchisor chose us as one of your payroll options.
Who is Whirks?
Whirks is a small business, just like yours.
It’s hard to understand the challenges of running a small business unless you’re living it, and we get it because we are one. We’re an independently owned payroll, HR, and insurance company based in Memphis, TN. We have 35 employees, most of whom are based in our Memphis office. We’ve got a few hybrid and remote folks too, but overall, about 90% of our team is here.
We’ve been around since 2006, and today, we process payroll for 13,000 employees across the U.S., working with about 350 business owners. One of the pros of working with our team is that we are a growing small business ourselves, so we value personal customer service and relationships with our clients. You’ll know the name of the person helping you file payroll taxes—and they’ll know yours. We also have incredibly low employee turnover, so it’s likely you’ll be working with someone who has been here since the early days.
How Whirks Supports Your Business
As we’ve grown, so have our services. We started with payroll but have since expanded to offer outsourced HR and insurance services.
Most Hotworx owners we work with use our Pay-As-You-Go Workers' Compensation Insurance. That means we handle your workers' comp audits and make sure you aren’t overpaying your insurance premiums. This is a complimentary service we offer at no additional fee to you. Learn more about Pay-As-You-Go Workers' Comp here.
If you need additional HR support, we can help there too. Whether it’s crafting an employee handbook, answering HR questions, or providing labor law posters for your studio, our Whirks PEOPLE service has you covered. This package is perfect if you have more than 10 employees or multiple locations. For smaller setups (under 10 employees and one location), our Whirks CORE package might be just what you need. More on that below!
The downside? We operate on central time, Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-5:30 pm. If you’re looking for 24/7 support, then you are better off choosing Paychex as your provider. Our goal is to make sure you have what you need taken care of between those hours, but some employers do consider this a con, so we want to be transparent about our customer service.
What’s the Cost of Service?
We know cost matters, so we’ll outline what each package includes and how much it’ll run you.
At Whirks, we offer three custom service packages with nine add-ons, but for Hotworx owners, there are two packages you’ll want to focus on: Whirks CORE and Whirks PEOPLE.
Whirks CORE: For Single-Location Studios
If you own a single studio with fewer than 10 employees, Whirks CORE is likely your best option. Here’s how the pricing breaks down:
- Monthly Processing Fee: $125 per month, per legal entity (until you have more than 13 employees, at which point the rate changes to $10.25 per employee per month).
- One-Time Implementation Fee: 15% of your annual cost. If you pay $125/month, your fee is $225.
- Year-End Costs: $150 annual tax filing fee, plus $7 per W2 issued.
For the typical one-location Hotworx studio with 5 employees, your first-year cost with Whirks will be around $1,950, and for the second year, about $1,750.
We do suggest the complimentary add-on of Pay-As-You-Go Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If you’re an existing franchisee owner, we can convert your current policy to Whirks and set it up on the pay-go model or we can quote out a new insurance policy for you to review. We are very competitive on workers’ compensation insurance rates and would be happy to review it for you to select the most economical option for you.
The Whirks Core Package includes:
- Electronic Onboarding of New Hires
- Payroll Processing (Direct Deposit, Paycard, and Paycheck options)
- Payroll Tax Filing
- Employee Self-Service Apps
- Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Whirks PEOPLE: For Multi-Location Studios
If you’re managing more than one location or have over 10 employees, the Whirks PEOPLE package is designed for you. Here’s what you can expect:
- Monthly Processing Fee: $250 per month, per legal entity (until you have more than 16 employees, at which point the rate changes to $15.25 per employee per month).
- One-Time Implementation Fee: 15% of your annual cost + $1,500
- Year-End Costs: $150 annual tax filing fee, plus $7 per W2 issued.
The one-time investment to get started in this package is always 15% of the annualized fee + $1,500 which covers a brand-new employee handbook or reviewing your current handbook.
If you have two studios with 15 employees, your first-year cost will be about $4,820. In the second year, with the implementation fee behind you, your cost will drop to around $3,320.
We do suggest the complimentary add-on of Pay-As-You-Go Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If you’re an existing franchisee owner, we can convert your current policy to Whirks and set it up on the pay-go model or we can quote out a new insurance policy for you to review. We are very competitive on workers’ compensation insurance rates and would be happy to review it for you to select the most economical option for you.
Why Whirks Instead of Paychex?
Good question! Both Paychex and Whirks have their benefits, so it’s really about what you need from your provider.
We pride ourselves on being small-business focused, which means more personalized service, fewer call centers, and more direct relationships with our clients. We might not have 24/7 support like Paychex, but our team is here for you Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (central time). So if around-the-clock service is a dealbreaker, Paychex might be your best bet.
But if you value knowing the people on the other end of the line—and a team that knows your business—Whirks could be the perfect fit. Don’t just take our word for it—check out our Google reviews and BBB accreditation to see what other small business owners are saying!
For a more detailed comparison, check out our article: Paychex vs. Whirks: What’s the Difference?
How Do I Transition to Whirks from Paychex?
Already using Paychex but thinking of switching? We make it easy on you by converting all historical data from Paychex into our payroll platform and then scheduling live training with you to teach you how to use our tech tools and how best to interact with our service team.
First things first, schedule a call with our sales team using this link or hit any 'Let's Chat' button you see. When you reach out, have your legal company name, EIN, employee count, and workers’ comp policy handy.
Or, if you prefer, you can contact our sales reps directly – Shelby, JD, Patricio or Chance.
Shelby: shelbyb@whirks.com | 901.300.8208
JD: johns@patrickaccounting.com | 901.347.0354
Patricio: patriciom@whirks.com | 901.446.3338
Chance: chanceb@patrickaccounting.com | 901.308.5113 patriciom@whirks.com | 901.446.3338
Next Steps
Once we put together your service proposal, we’ll request a voided check from your payroll account and a few IRS documents for signature.
After that, we’ll schedule a Kick-off Call with our team to walk you through the next steps.
In general, we recommend allowing 30 days between your kick-off call and your first payroll date. But if you’re in a hurry, let us know—we’ll do our best to work within your timeline.
For more on the process, check out this article: What to Expect During Implementation.
Focus on Fitness, Not Finances
Running a HOTWORX gym should energize, not overwhelm you. If you’re ready to get started or need more information, our team is here to help. Reach out whenever you’re ready—we look forward to working with you!
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