How does a software consultancy grow and stay human?
Schwarz Software started the way many Australian businesses do. One person, a laptop and a few customers who trusted Carl to “just make it work”.
Over the years, word spread.
An accounting firm needed better job tracking. A security company needed mobile apps for staff in the field. A manufacturer wanted dashboards that showed orders, stock and deliveries in one place.
Carl kept saying yes, and building what they needed.
As the work grew, so did the responsibility. Deadlines. Clients in different time zones. Contractors and team members coming on board. Super. Tax. Leave. All the parts of running a business that no one starts a consultancy for.
Like many founders, Carl had to juggle:
- Customer projects that paid the bills
- The technical planning only he could do
- Admin tasks that quietly piled up in the background
He did not want a business where his calendar was full of paperwork instead of problem solving.
What makes Schwarz Software different?
Plenty of developers can write code. What makes Schwarz Software stand out is how they work with real people in real businesses.
They design and customise business apps that are:
- Easy to use for everyday staff
- Fast to get from idea to working software
- Connected to the tools businesses already use, like Xero and Google Workspace
- Flexible enough to suit very different industries
From a transport dispatcher checking GPS locations, to a doctor managing appointments, to a tour operator tracking bookings, the common thread is simple. The software should make life easier, not harder.
Carl brings that same attitude to his own operations. He prefers to keep the team lean, tools simple and overheads low.
“Payroller saves me from hiring administration staff!”
That single sentence says a lot about how he thinks. Spend on people and tools that help you serve customers. Strip out the rest.
Growing team, growing admin
As any founder who has hired even one employee knows, the moment you start paying wages, admin changes.
Suddenly you are dealing with:
- Weekly or fortnightly pay runs
- Leave balances and sick days
- Super payments
- Single Touch Payroll reporting to the ATO
For a long time, many owners try to manage this with spreadsheets, manual calculations or leaning heavily on their accountant.
Carl reached the point where the mental load of “Have I done the ATO reporting?” and “Did I calculate those holidays correctly?” was getting in the way of his real work. Payroll was starting to feel like its own little project.
He did not want to:
- Spend nights double-checking leave and super
- Risk getting details wrong for staff
- Hire admin staff just to push payroll paperwork
He looked for a simpler way to handle payroll for a small but busy professional services team.
For other small businesses at that stage, this is often the point where they also start asking questions about payroll for a new business or even how to hire employees without drowning in admin. Carl was in that same boat, just with more code on his screen.
How Payroller helps Schwarz Software
Carl found Payroller and has stuck with it for years. For someone who builds software for a living, that ongoing loyalty says a lot about how simple Payroller feels in everyday use.
He explains it plainly.
“Payroll is simple with Payroller. I do not have to keep track of holidays, sick days, etc. My ATO reporting and superannuation is simplified.” — Carl Schwarz, founder, Schwarz Software
With Payroller, Carl can:
- Run payroll quickly, without wrestling with spreadsheets
- Let Payroller keep track of holidays and sick days
- Handle ATO reporting through Single Touch Payroll
- Simplify superannuation obligations
The result is not just neat records. It is mental space.
Instead of worrying about whether leave balances are right, Carl can focus on:
- Scoping the next custom app
- Talking with clients about what they really need
- Supporting his team’s work across different platforms
For a small consultancy, that time is worth a lot more than the cost of a payroll tool.
“Payroller saves me from hiring administration staff!”
That savings is not only about money. It also means:
- Less time spent training someone on internal processes
- Fewer tools and logins to manage
- A simpler, cleaner operation that suits a nimble software business
Plenty of the businesses Carl works with also run small teams. Many of them ask about managing cash flow, payroll and accounting as they grow. Some turn to services like top accounting support for small businesses or look into payroll for small business tools.
For Carl, Payroller is the quiet engine in the background that means payroll does not need its own staff member. It is just handled.
Try Payroller for free, Australia’s easiest payroll platform for small businesses.
Business: Schwarz Software
Founder: Carl Schwarz
Website: https://schwarzsoftware.com.au
Industry: Professional services