How I Sumar & Co is scaling payroll, deepening client trust and future‑proofing services with Employment Hero

About the partner

Founded in 2012, I Sumar & Co  is a fully cloud-based accountancy practice serving around 200 clients across the UK, spanning multiple industries and business sizes. The firm operates with a lean team of eight long‑standing employees and a service model built on trust, transparency and long-term client relationships.

Despite never investing in traditional marketing, the firm has achieved 100% client retention and generates £1m+ in annual turnover, with 99% of new business coming through referrals. Central to this success is a commitment to using modern, reliable technology that delivers the same high standard of service to both the firm and its clients.

The challenge

As a cloud-first business, the I Sumar & Co team were already using payroll software, but after noticing a lack of transparency with their previous system, they began to feel constrained.

Key challenges with their previous system included: 

• Clients being locked into long-term auto-renewals without clear visibility.
• Increased contract prices out of the blue.
• Growing demand from clients for stronger HR compliance and integrated payroll.
• Lacking flexibility to support remote working.

“We don’t want a better service than our clients get. If we recommend something, it has to be transparent, flexible and genuinely good value for them.”

The solution

When their existing provider announced a move to cloud pricing that no longer made commercial sense, the team made the decision to actively search for a more suitable alternative.

After shortlisting a handful of platforms, Employment Hero’s Accounting Partner Platform came out on top. Not only was this a cheaper option than his previous provider, he could manage unlimited clients and benefit from HMRC‑compliant payroll with full audit trails and automation.

“We wanted something flexible, cloud-based and easy for our team to learn. We love that the system automates so many tasks. That’s a big bonus for us.”

 After moving their client payroll operations onto Employment Hero’s Accounting Partner platform, I Sumar & Co quickly saw the wider value and chose to adopt Employment Hero’s HR platform internally too. What began as a solution for clients became a smarter way to run their own business. With employee data, leave and documentation managed in one system and flowing directly into payroll, the team removed duplication, reduced risk and gained clearer visibility across their people processes.

“One app that does everything. No separate clocking system, no separate leave tool, no duplication. That’s huge for us and for our clients.”

From there, the relationship naturally evolved beyond a traditional vendor model. As the I Sumar & Co team invested time in learning the platform, they built the confidence and capability to support clients facing similar challenges. With many clients well suited to an all‑in‑one HR and payroll solution, formalising the partnership through Employment Hero’s referral programme was a logical next step.

“If we recommend something to our clients, we need to know it inside out. Client satisfaction comes first, so the right system relieves stress and makes our job easier. That’s why we now refer our clients to Employment Hero.”

The ROI

While revenue from referrals is a secondary benefit, the impact on efficiency and client satisfaction are I Sumar & Co’s main drivers. For their internal processes, this means reduced admin through automated HR-to-payroll data flow and less manual input for leave. For their clients, it means improved consistency and compliance across payrolls.

Fast forward to now, I Sumar & Co has:

• Positioned Employment Hero as the default payroll and HR stack for future clients.
• Signed a five‑year partnership agreement, signalling long-term commitment.
• Referred several clients to Employment Hero.
• Begun transitioning 95% of HR clients away from legacy providers.

“The biggest return is far greater than just money. It’s time, clarity and less stress for our clients and our team. Our clients’ views are straightforward: if our accountant says yes, we trust that decision.”

Why it matters

For modern accounting firms, payroll is no longer just a transactional service. Clients expect guidance, compliance, confidence and systems that work seamlessly behind the scenes.

By partnering with Employment Hero, I Sumar & Co has strengthened its role as a trusted advisor as well as a service provider. On top of that, they’ve future‑proofed their payroll offering ahead of growing HR compliance demands, simplified operations for both internal teams and clients and built a scalable foundation for long-term growth.

“We’ve signed a five-year agreement because we believe Employment Hero will be one of the best platforms in the market. This isn’t a short-term decision, it’s a strategic one.”