Let’s be honest, no one starts a business because they love handling it. This is a job most people have to do, even if it doesn’t make them happy. When your team grows, you start to find it more complicated: you have more employees, more pay rates, different working hours and lots more to handle.
Why not have someone else handle most of that for you? What if it didn’t have to be stressful, manual, or time-consuming? That’s when today’s technology comes into play.
Why Do Growing Teams Struggle?
When you start your company, you may only need to cut a check or transfer funds to your first few employees. But after just a few months, you’ll probably end up with a collection of full-time, freelance and remote workers, all from different states.
Sound familiar? That’s when it gets complicated:
- Is your company paying extra hours the correct way?
- What about taxes in different locations?
- Is everyone on your team getting their pay stubs and W-2s by the due date?
You’ll find soon enough that spreadsheets aren’t effective any longer.
What Should Tools Do for You?
Before you dive into software comparisons, ask yourself this: what would your ideal experience look like?
- Would it remind you what time of year it is for taxes?
- Would it run payroll automatically every two weeks?
- Do you think your employees could find their own information and access forms on their own?
That’s not a fantasy, that’s what today’s best tools are designed to do.
Features That Make It Simple
If you head up a startup or an agency with 20 staff, these four core features are critical for your success.
- Set automated runs and forget it. Tools like Gusto and OnPay can run it on a schedule, calculate taxes, and file everything automatically.
- Your team uses Employee Self-Service to change their information, view their payment stubs and get tax forms whenever they like. More people find it easier to get their work done without waiting so long for others to respond.
- Great for teams with employees who are paid per hour. You shouldn’t have to worry about doing calculations by hand anymore.
- When hiring remote team members, it’s important to meet your tax requirements in multiple states. You require a software solution capable of dealing with taxes all over the US, as well as internationally in some cases.
Are you giving employees health coverage or helping them with retirement savings? Look for software that syncs with your benefits provider.
Top Tools for Growing Teams
Many business owners choosing to scale their teams enjoy these strategies:
- Gusto – Simple to use, won’t cost your business a fortune and has many useful features. It’s a good fit for both startups and small businesses.
- OnPay — Solve the challenges of contractors and hourly workers at the same time, using OnPay, a platform that is clean and simple.
- Rippling – If you’re looking for more (like device management or app provisioning), Rippling acts as an all-in-one HR platform.
- Patriot Software – Budget-friendly and ideal for small teams who want reliable payroll without the bloat.
- ADP RUN — works well for companies hoping for scalability, compliance and extra benefits from add-ons.
It’s not always easy to know what to select.
Priorities should be the first thing you deal with. Is cost the main thing you consider? Is it easy for me to use the system? Integrations? Customer support? Looking at these points will allow you to decide what’s just right for you.
Security and Compliance: A Must-Have
Because employee data like Social Security numbers, bank details and tax information can be misused, it’s absolutely necessary to ensure security. A solid tool should offer end-to-end encryption, secure cloud storage, and role-based access so only the right people see the right info.
Curious if your business is compliant? Many platforms take care of keeping you updated on tax changes and new legal rules that could affect your business. There’s no need to worry, because it’s all there in the software. So, wouldn’t you want to build up your team instead of worrying about IRS rules or protecting your info from a data attack? Make sure your home is safe as much as it is convenient.
Bonus Tip: Integration Matters
If you rely on QuickBooks, Slack or Asana, you’ll love this new tool. Look for tools that connect with your existing systems. Repeating yourself in tools or tasks takes away your time for advancement.
As a result, Gusto can link with accounting software, tools for managing time and your hiring process. That makes your company’s back office operate smoothly.
Final Thoughts
As your business grows, the systems you use need to grow with you, and that includes how you manage it.
Don’t leave all your budgeting for the panic that comes with thinking about payday. Choosing the proper tool today will save all of you time, cut down on mistakes and ensure your team gets the secure experience they can depend on. See more.
So, what’s holding you back from automating it today?