Using a small business payroll service can minimize the amount of work you have to do as a small business owner. Your time is very valuable and limited. Focus your energy on activities which provide direct value to your organization. Processes such as payroll are extremely time-consuming however they do not add a direct benefit your company when performed as an in-house function. Consider outsourcing the services to a third-party or integrate your payroll through software such as QuickBooks. Payroll companies can handle employee related issues along with federal and state regulatory issues as well. It is important to make sure you’re filings are done correctly to minimize penalties and amendments to previous tax forms.
Outsourcing your payroll will also eliminate the necessity for you to become an expert on topics such as withholding amounts, FICA, unemployment insurance and other labor laws. Rules are constantly changing, and it can be challenging to stay on top of all these new regulations while running your core business as well. If you have employees in multiple states, you should consider outsourcing payroll. In addition to federal regulations, each state has their own peculiarities when it comes to filing requirements.
Outsourcing your payroll can also help prevent financial penalties from late filings, underpayments, and incorrect paperwork submissions. Small business payroll services will usually guarantee their services, and pay for any errors which result from their mistakes. Payroll companies work by employing economies of scale. A third-party can do this much more efficiently and at a lower cost. One of the things you should do, is add up your time spent on routine administrative tasks. If you are spending more than 20% of your time doing routine tasks you should deftly consider outsourcing. Time spent on non-value added processes can usually be better off spending on projects which will provide direct value to your company.
When you’re choosing a payroll service you can search online or ask your accountant or banker. Some of the companies which provide online payroll include Intuit, ADP and others. Be sure to choose a service which allows online payroll management. This can save you time by allowing your employees to directly download their pay stubs and statements such as W-2’s at the end of the year. You can also tie this valuable information to an online portal for your employees.