1
                                  EXHIBIT 99.4


           [CENTURY BUSINESS SERVICES,INC. PRESS RELEASE LETTERHEAD]


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE               CONTACT: DAN CLARK
                                             Vice President, Corporate Relations
                                             Cleveland, Ohio
                                             (216) 447-9000



               CENTURY BUSINESS SERVICES APPOINTS FRED M. WINKLER
                      PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

                    FORMER FIRST UNION AND CITIBANK EXECUTIVE
                VETERAN OF HIGH-TECH FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRY


Cleveland, Ohio (April 19, 1999)--Century Business Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBIZ)
("Century"), today announced that it has named Fred M. Winkler, 55, as President
and Chief Operating Officer, a newly created position. Mr. Winkler, who
possesses extensive experience directing the rapid growth of high-technology
financial services companies, will be responsible for daily management and
operational assessment of the Company as well as the engineering of operating
and reporting systems to achieve optimal marketing and operational capabilities.
Century also announced the appointment of Mr. Winkler to the Company's Board of
Directors, bringing the number of Directors to seven, five of whom are outside
Directors. Mr. Winkler will begin his duties with the Company immediately.

"We are very pleased to have Fred as President and Chief Operating Officer of
the Company, and I personally look forward to working with him on a daily
basis," stated Michael G. DeGroote, Century's Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer. "Fred's strong leadership experience in large, successful organizations
and his systems and information technology management experience will strengthen
and speed up Century's automation and Internet initiatives, not only for the
Company, but also for the tens of thousands of customers Century serves from its
national platform of professional services and products."

"I am very excited to lead the highly motivated, innovative, and professional
executive team at Century in the building out of its national network of
professional outsourcing business services to small and mid-sized businesses,"
commented Mr. Winkler. "Armed with talent, energy, and a very customer-centered
strategy, Century is uniquely positioned to emerge as one of the country's
leading providers of business outsourcing services."

Throughout the course of his distinguished career, Mr. Winkler has been heavily
involved in advanced technology implementation, Internet strategy, and data
center operation and management. Prior to joining 

                            Exhibit 99.4 Page 1 of 3
   2
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.4


Century, Mr. Winkler served for five years as Chief Executive Officer of First
Union Corporation's Customer Direct Access Division. While at First Union, Mr.
Winkler created one of the country's first robust Internet offerings, managed
the consolidation of operations centers and databases into one integrated
client/server system, and was responsible for the research and development for
all of First Union's electronic banking services.

As Chief Operating Officer of AT&T Universal Card Services Corporation from 1989
to 1993, Mr. Winkler provided management and leadership to AT&T's most
successful start-up. The innovative, co-branded, combined credit and calling
card, which acquired more than 10 million customers in less than 27 months,
provided the first "all-in-one" account statement. In 1992, under Mr. Winkler's
management, AT&T Universal Card Services received the Malcolm Baldridge National
Quality Award for the successful implementation of service quality processes,
which resulted in better than 95% service quality performance in the first nine
months of the company's operation.

Prior to joining AT&T, Mr. Winkler served for four years as Chief Executive
Officer and President of Citibank-South Dakota, N.A., the nation's largest
credit card financial services business. Before joining Citibank in 1982, Mr.
Winkler spent nine years engaged in the practice of law and four years in the
service of the United States Marine Corps.

Mr. DeGroote, the Company's largest shareholder, will remain Century's Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer.

Recently ranked the seventh-largest accounting company in the country by
Accounting Today magazine, Century Business Services, Inc. is a leading provider
of outsourced business services to small and medium-sized companies throughout
the United States. The Company provides integrated services in the following
areas: accounting, advisory, tax, and valuation; benefits administration and
insurance; human resources and payroll; performance consulting; and specialty
insurance. These services are provided throughout a network of more than 200
Company offices in 36 states, as well as through its subsidiary, Century Small
Business Solutions, a franchisor of accounting services with 650 franchisee
offices in 47 states. The Company services approximately 110,000 business
clients, of which approximately 54,000 are serviced through the Century Small
Business Solutions franchisee network. Management estimates that its clients
employ more than 2.4 million employees, including 400,000 employed by clients of
the Century Small Business Solutions network.

Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such risks
and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to
integrate its newly acquired operations effectively with its existing
businesses; the Company's ability to locate and acquire other businesses in
furtherance of its aggressive growth strategy; the Company's ability to
adequately estimate its liability reserves for its insurance businesses; the
possibility of market reverses in its investment portfolios; competitive pricing
pressures; general business and economic conditions; and changes in governmental
regulation affecting its 

                            Exhibit 99.4 Page 2 of 3
   3
                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.4

insurance business or tax law changes affecting its business services
operations, which are described in further detail in the Company's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  For further information regarding CENTURY BUSINESS SERVICES, INC., call our
                  Investor Relations Office at (216) 447-9000.

                            Exhibit 99.4 Page 3 of 3