If you’re running a growing Colorado company, you’re likely spending more time on HR, payroll, and compliance than you’d like, and probably more on employee benefits than larger competitors are paying per employee. A Professional Employer Organization (PEO) can change that.
Through economies of scale, a PEO gives your team access to enterprise-level benefits and an integrated HR infrastructure, often at 15 to 30% less than what you’re paying now.
With more than 500 PEO providers in the U.S., picking the right one is the hard part. We shop the market, negotiate on your behalf, and deliver an independent recommendation tailored to your Colorado business, at no cost to you.
What Is a PEO?
A Professional Employer Organization is a company that partners with you through a co-employment arrangement. You keep full control over hiring, firing, daily operations, and the direction of your business. The PEO becomes the employer of record for tax and benefits purposes, which is what makes the savings and risk protection possible.
Because the PEO pools your employees together with hundreds or thousands of other client employees, it can negotiate group rates for health insurance, dental, vision, 401(k), workers’ compensation, and other benefits that a single small or mid-sized company could never get on its own.
Why Colorado Businesses Choose PEOs
Colorado has a competitive labor market and a steadily expanding set of state employment laws, including paid family leave (FAMLI), the Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, equal pay reporting, retirement plan mandates, and more. Staying compliant takes real time and expertise, and the penalties for getting it wrong are significant.
A PEO gives your business:
- Better benefits to recruit and retain talent against larger Colorado employers
- Compliance support for Colorado and federal labor law, which is especially helpful if you have employees in more than one state
- A dedicated HR platform with payroll, onboarding, time tracking, and reporting all in one place
- Workers’ compensation coverage at group rates, often with built-in safety and claims management
- Risk transfer so you’re not carrying the full weight of employment liability on your own
What’s Included With a PEO
Most PEOs bundle services together, and bundling typically gives you the best value. Here’s what’s usually on the menu:
Human Resources
- Online onboarding and employee self-service portal
- Employee handbooks customized by company and state
- Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)
- FMLA, PTO, and leave management
- HR compliance updates and notifications
- Performance management and training resources
Benefits Administration
- Health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
- 401(k) plan setup and administration
- Section 125 plan administration
- Voluntary benefits and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)
- Online open enrollment and carrier invoice reconciliation
Payroll
- Payroll processing on your preferred cycle (weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly)
- Payroll tax filing
- W-2, W-4, and 1099 administration
- Direct deposit and time and attendance integration
- Garnishment, levy, and child support administration
Risk Management
- Workers’ compensation coverage and administration
- Accident prevention and safety training
- OSHA assistance
- Federal and Colorado state employment law compliance
Recruitment
- Applicant Tracking System (ATS)
- Background screening and E-Verify
- New hire reporting
- Behavioral and skills assessments
PEO vs. ASO: What’s the Difference?
You’ll sometimes hear about Administrative Services Organizations (ASOs) as an alternative. The difference matters:
- A PEO uses co-employment. The PEO absorbs a significant portion of employer liability, files payroll taxes under its own EIN, and gives you access to its master health and workers’ compensation policies.
- An ASO provides similar HR services but without co-employment. You keep all the employer liability, file taxes under your own EIN, and don’t benefit from the PEO’s group buying power on insurance.
ASOs cost less month-to-month, but for most growing Colorado companies, the broader risk protection and benefits leverage of a PEO is the stronger fit. We’ll help you decide which model is right for your situation.
The Numbers Behind PEOs
Research from the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO) consistently shows that businesses using PEOs:
- Grow 7 to 9% faster than comparable businesses that don’t
- Are 50% less likely to fail
- Have 23 to 32% less employee turnover
- Save 15 to 30% on HR-related administrative costs
Who Benefits Most From a PEO
PEO partnerships tend to work best for:
- Growing Colorado companies with 20 to 75 employees, where HR complexity is outpacing in-house capacity
- Startups that want to offer competitive benefits from day one
- Multi-state or multi-site businesses that need integrated payroll and compliance across jurisdictions
- Companies in talent-competitive industries where benefits are a real recruiting and retention advantage
- Owners who’d rather focus on running the business than managing HR vendors and compliance updates
How We Help
Choosing the wrong PEO is expensive. Switching providers is disruptive, and not every PEO is a fit for every industry or workforce. With more than 20 years in the Colorado employee benefits market, we know which PEOs deliver and which ones underperform.
Here’s how our process works:
- Free consultation. We learn about your company, employees, current benefits, pain points, and growth plans.
- Market comparison. We shop 10+ PEOs, including the major national providers, and identify the ones that fit your industry, employee count, and budget.
- Negotiation. We negotiate rates and contract terms on your behalf.
- Recommendation. You get a clear side-by-side comparison and a single recommendation explaining why.
- Implementation support. We stay involved through onboarding and serve as your ongoing advocate.
BEST PRICE GUARANTEE
Our PEO brokerage service is 100% FREE. Our compensation comes from the PEO you select, not from you. With us, you also get a full market comparison, negotiated pricing, and an independent recommendation, so you can rest assured you’re getting the best fit and often at below market rates.
Request a Free PEO Consultation
One conversation can save your Colorado business thousands of dollars a year and give you back the time you’ve been spending on HR and compliance. There’s no obligation, and our service is free.