About Kids’ Music Round:
Company Size: 2+ employees
Where: Ortley Beach, NJ
Client Industry: Music and Education
Joined OnPay: June 2013
HOW IT ALL STARTED
A dream of job flexibility that started with a song
For owner and founder Barbara Lysenko, the inspiration behind Kids’ Music Round comes from a lifelong love of song. “I’ve loved music ever since I was about four years old,” she says. And the programs she’s created reflect that passion. Offering joyful music and movement classes for babies, toddlers, and children up to age seven, each lesson is designed to inspire a lifelong love of music while nurturing strong family and community connections. What began as a small parent–child program has grown into a vibrant network of licensed educators sharing the joy of music across the country. Barbara says:
“I remember wanting to sing, and that desire has never left me. Music and children just light me up, and that’s exactly what happens in our classes.”
Through its unique licensing program, Kids’ Music Round empowers entrepreneurs to create meaningful, flexible careers built around their passion for music and family. Licensees can open classes anywhere in the country, design their own schedules, and rely on Kids’ Music Round’s curriculum, lesson plans, and music library. Many find it to be a fulfilling path that blends creativity, independence, and community impact. As the organization looks ahead, it’s exploring opportunities to expand into preschools and introduce new membership programs.
THE CHALLENGE
Finding a payroll partner that supports small business growth
Having previously worked as a bookkeeper, Barbara knew firsthand how tedious payroll could be — especially in New Jersey, where reporting rules seemed to change overnight. It was confusing, time-consuming, and about as much fun as hearing someone sing out of key. After that experience, she promised herself she’d never handle payroll again.
But when she launched her new business, she once again found the task on her to-do list — and this time around, she was determined to approach it differently.
“Business owners need to decide what’s the best use of their time to grow their business. And me being involved in payroll in any way, shape, or form does not help me build my business. It doesn’t help me write articles on music development. It doesn’t help me create activities for songs. It does none of that. And that’s my joy.”
With that in mind, Barbara began searching for a payroll provider that could lighten the load. Cost, customer service, and flexibility were her top priorities. She wanted to save time, reduce risk, and free up time to focus on what she loved most — music.
She was looking for:
- A way to automate the hard stuff, like tax filings, calculations, and payments
- A set-it-and-forget-it payroll system that could handle paying contract staff
- A payroll service that felt personable, real, and supportive of small businesses
THE SOLUTION
Taking the stress out of payroll with OnPay
When Barbara began exploring her options, OnPay hit all the right notes: it was affordable, built with small businesses in mind, and refreshingly easy to use. From her very first call — where the team’s warmth and willingness to understand her business made the decision easy — she could tell this was a different type of payroll services company. What could have been a stressful switch turned out to be surprisingly smooth.
EDUCATION REVIEW
“We have been using OnPay for many years. Payroll is easy to use, and customer service is always willing to solve any issues. As an owner, filing payroll is not a job I want to sign up for. Happy to have OnPay on the task!”
— Barbara L., Owner, Kids' Music Round
THE RESULTS
Mornings full of song, not spreadsheets
Since choosing OnPay, payroll has truly become set-it-and-forget-it — exactly the way Barbara wants it to be. In fact, what used to be a messy, manual process is now a straightforward, ten-minute task performed twice a month. Taxes are filed automatically, and payments for contract staff are handled seamlessly. With the busywork out of the way, Barbara has gotten time back for growing her business and doing what she loves. Instead of extra admin, her mornings now start with song.
