Buying Local Podcast · March 20, 2026 · 25 min
Simplifying Payroll: Why Smart Contractors Are Turning to PEOs | Buying Local #69
In this episode of Buying Local, Mike Nelson sits down with Nick Schkrioba of Peoplease to break down how Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs) help businesses simplify payroll, workers’ compensation, compliance, and HR operations. Nick explains how outsourcing back-office tasks allows business owners to focus on growth while gaining access to better insurance rates, risk mitigation, and nationwide support. Learn more about Nick and Peoplease at Peoplease.com . 0:00 Introduction 0:27 Meet Nick Schkrioba and Peoplease 1:08 What a Professional Employer Organization Does 1:53 Why Peoplease Focuses on Blue and Gray Collar Industries 2:37 Nick’s Career Journey and Returning to New York 3:58 Breaking Down the Core Services of a PEO 5:00 Why Compliance Is Harder Than Ever for Business Owners 6:00 The Rise of Outsourcing Back-Office Operations 06:38 The Limits of Traditional HR Departments 7:27 The Buying Power Advantage of a PEO 8:53 How Employee Pools Lower Insurance Costs 10:11 Nationwide Coverage for Multi-State Businesses 11:08 Clearing Up the Employee Ownership Misconception 13:46 Do PEOs Help With Hiring and HR Strategy? 15:14 How Risk Mitigation and Workers’ Comp Savings Work 17:12 Keeping Contracts with a Better Workers’ Comp Mod 20:04 Payroll, Compliance, and Safety Training Support 24:20 How to Connect With Nick and Peoplease