Questions owners ask
before signing anything.

No. You still hire, fire, set pay, and run the day-to-day. The PEO becomes the employer of record for payroll taxes, workers' comp, and benefits admin. Nobody at a PEO tells your people how to do their jobs.

It gets replaced by coverage through the PEO. Cornerstone's comp program runs with no down payments and no year-end audits, and premium is collected with each payroll run based on actual wages. Your old policy cancels and the old bills stop.

Yes. It's a contract with terms you agree to before anything starts, including how either side walks away. This is why starting with payroll and HR admin only is smart. You test the relationship before handing over the full stack.

Typically a per-employee-per-month admin fee or a percentage of payroll. Workers' comp and benefits are priced on top of that, at their own rates. Anyone who quotes one blended number without showing the parts is selling, not explaining. The full breakdown is here.

No. Plenty of clients start with payroll, payroll taxes, and HR basics. You add comp and benefits when the business is ready for them. Every size has a lane.

Not if admin is eating your week. A payroll and HR lane handles the filings and paperwork without the full PEO stack. Small shops are a normal part of the book.

A payroll company processes payroll. A PEO does that too, then becomes the employer of record for taxes and insurance, which is what lets it offer workers' comp, group benefits, and HR compliance under one roof. If all you need is payroll done right, keep the payroll company. Full comparison here.

Usually the opposite. Cornerstone offers benefits through national carriers at group scale, the same kind of plans large companies get, plus retirement options. Most small businesses can't buy that on their own.

A few weeks from signed paperwork to first payroll is typical. It depends on how clean your records are. Once I see the business, I'll give you a straight timeline.