“I love getting my paycheck late every week,” said no one ever. No matter who you talk to, getting paid on time is a big a deal, as is getting paid the right amount. The problem is that the payroll “specialist” at your small business is likely wearing more hats than he or she has fingers. Let’s face it, payroll is a time consuming, tedious and often complicated undertaking. Business owners who want to spend more time making money and less time mailing checks are turning to payroll companies for support. But before you jump right into hiring one, here’s what you should expect from payroll companies.
First and foremost, a great payroll company should provide exceptional customer service, after all, they are handling your hard earn money and distributing it to your employees. With those responsibilities, you should be able to call or email in and get a quick and clear answer. Also, when you make that phone call, you should already know the person you’re talking with because the best customer service comes from a personal account manager; we’re talking about someone that knows the payroll side of your business inside and out. You don’t want your food passed around the hands of every person sitting at your dinner table and you shouldn’t want your payroll services to be either. Go with a payroll company that gives you direct access to the person managing your account. Any company that promises less is not worth your time.
Anyone who has ever managed payroll knows that tracking hours, wages, paid time off, and tax withholdings are not only painstaking but often frustrating. Are you managing hourly or salaried employees? Are they exempt or nonexempt? Is this a personal day, sick day, or vacation day? Is payroll processed weekly, biweekly, bimonthly? It’s enough to make your head spin. A professional payroll company should level the confusion with easy-to-follow payroll schedules, in-depth records of employee contracts, and a dedicated team member to track each facet of payroll. Above all, payroll companies should issue accurate payments on time, every time.
Like it or not tax laws change year to year. Keeping up with them is a full-time job. You should expect payroll companies to track these changes for you. They should also let you know how these laws affect your business, and further, should make sure that your business isn’t in jeopardy of violating any of the new tax codes.
Payroll companies may also offer more in-depth tax services like year-round business and personal tax consultation, year-end planning to maximize tax savings, QuickBooks setup and training, tax return preparation, and more. If you are considering a payroll company that doesn’t offer these services, our advice is to look elsewhere. You want a payroll company that is versed not just on payroll but taxes and HR as well. Why? The three are so integrated that it’s near impossible to offer superior service in one without being knowledgeable about the other two.
Lastly, the best payroll companies offer smart solutions for the 21st Century. Enough with the snail-mail paper statements and the hand calculation of time cards. What you want is a company that offers things like convenient paperless payroll reporting, easy to use time and labor management technology, and seamless QuickBooks integration.
You need more time to work your business: figuring out new strategies to attract clients, training staff to be customer service oriented, adapting to new advances in technology. What you don’t have time for is wasting precious hours processing the minutia that comes with payroll. That’s where PayTech comes in. We provide superior service to our clients. Our personal account managers take the time to know your business inside and out. They are well versed in payroll so they can handle any question you throw at them. They also know the importance of processing each transaction with extreme accuracy, that’s why we have so many raving fans. What’s more, our personal account managers can give advice based on your needs and make sure you comply the ever-changing tax laws. Let payroll issues be issues no more with PayTech. Call or visit us online today.
