Small Business

How to Prepare When Switching Payroll Providers


Before you switch, keep these things in mind to prepare. There may come a time when you feel the need to switch payroll providers. Perhaps your current provider is missing the mark or maybe their company is dissolving. Regardless of why you switch, be sure you are completely prepared to make the transition as seamless as possible. Things to Consider When Switching Payroll providers range in price. Before diving...

Do You Know About the Social Security Wage Base?

Determine if you are withholding as much as you should be and when to stop. Social Security tax is a tax that applies to both employees and employers. As an employer, you are required to withhold a certain percentage of each employee’s paycheck and to make a matching contribution. Social Security tax does not change each year (with a few exceptions). However, the case is not the same as...

4 Reasons You Should Not Handle Payroll Alone

A risk not worth taking. Payroll is a vital part of your business but handling it all by yourself could cost you more than you may expect. Here are some of the biggest reasons you should not process payroll solo. Payroll Rules in Different States If you have multiple locations across state lines, you may find yourself facing an in-house nightmare when it comes to payroll rules and trying...

Worker Classification: Consider All Aspects of Your Work Relationship

How to avoid the headaches associated with misclassifying your workers. The Department of Labor makes a big deal out of businesses who misclassify their workers, whether purposefully or accidentally. The IRS stands ready to penalize and fine those who do so. The act of misclassification can also result in a violation of workers’ compensation laws and a liability for unemployment taxes, along with many other issues. To help you...

5 Ways to Simplify Your Small Business Payroll

Eliminate payroll headaches with these tips. Small business owners sometimes struggle with their employees’ payroll. Getting payroll figures worked out and delivering paychecks each pay period is important for your business. Payroll processing is often complex and time consuming for small businesses. To make it less difficult to manage, we have created a few steps to simplify the process. 1. Simplify your policy. Take time to look over your...

Salary vs. Hourly Employees – How should you pay your hired help?

The decision on how to pay your employees can be hard. You not only have to decide how much you will pay them but you must decide whether you will pay them on an hourly or salaried basis. Laws and benefits exist for both ends of the spectrum that you should take into consideration when deciding. Pros and Cons of Paying Salary Wages A benefit of paying employees a...

Strategic Partnerships for Small Business



One of the biggest strengths that small and medium-sized businesses have over their larger corporate competitors is the ability to engage with the local community in truly authentic and personalized ways. This is commonly exemplified quite clearly through the relationships you build with customers and clients. However, an alternative opportunity for community engagement — both incredibly powerful and frequently overlooked — exists in the form of other local organizations....

Surviving Low Cash Flow – 3 tips and tricks to keep your business afloat until better times arrive. 


The holiday season is here, and the official start of Winter is right around the corner. For winter-oriented businesses such as ski resorts and coat/jacket manufacturers, these months probably represent peak season — a time with lots of sales, success, and cash flow. At the same time, summer-oriented businesses such as ice cream shops and water-gear rental facilities are likely dealing with the down season. Relatively few sales are...

Remote Teamwork

There are many benefits to working with remote employees and contractors — from reduced payroll costs to increased efficiency to schedule flexibility and much more. However, challenges such as coordinating teamwork and managing the legal status of your employees can also arise. If you do opt to work on a project with a remote team, then you may find the following 5 tips helpful. • Simplify, clarify, and assign....

Legal Product Laws and How they Affect Your Organization

In 1963, the Equal Pay Act prevented wage discrimination based upon sex across the United States. One year later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 expanded those protections — forbidding any employer from discriminating against workers based on “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” Additional federal laws would eventually protect workers based upon pregnancy status, genetic information, bankruptcy, military service, disabilities, age, and citizen status, as well. State...