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Aug 29 2010

Is Hiring A Payroll Service Provider Right For Your Business?

Is Hiring A Payroll Service Providers Right for Your Business?

Read more articles at Bookkeeping Services of Charlotte, NC

              

outsourcing particular business tasks can enable you to free up resources and energy to focus on your core competencies. Payroll is an important function and in all likelihood it makes sense to outsource payroll administration rather than hire in-house resources and dedicate them Solely to the function. Payroll companies help you organize your payroll, adhere to policies and procedures, and employees get paid on time.

To stay on top of your tax obligations is reason enough for your company to consider using a payroll provider. Payroll administration warrants attention to detail and even the smallest indiscretion can attract heavy penalties from the tax authority of your country. In the U.S., the IRS has a history of levying heavy fines on small businesses for even the smallest transgression. Recently released statistics show that one out of every three small businesses is penalized in some way for not complying with tax laws.

Why should you outsource payroll processing?

If you company is large enough, you may choose to conduct payroll functions in-house but be prepared to hire at least a couple of employees dedicated to this function. You will also have to allocate resources to continuously train staff in use of your payroll and accounting software to keep up with the frequently shifting state and federal tax laws. So if you are a growing company that is continuously adding new employees, teams and locations, managing payroll is going to be quite a challenge. Do you really want to get distracted from the core functions of your business by administering payroll yourself?

Payroll service providers are experts in what they do and have economies of scale since they administer payroll for many other companies. More than likely, they will deliver to your company payroll services cheaper and more efficiently that what you can do yourself.

What Companies Provide Payroll Services Thurs

Payroll companies provide various services. The following are the most common:

* Calculating pay checks for each employee
* Addressing tax obligations on a local, state, and federal level
* Printing and delivering checks
* Providing management reports
* Tracking employee benefits information
* Automatic check signatures
* Providing direct deposit
* Processing W-2 forms
* Processing 401k plans and mutual fund
* Addressing needs for your company tax and providing tax preparation

How to choose a payroll service?

Ask for quotes from several companies before making a final decision. An easy way marketplace to request quotes from multiple providers is to go to a B2B. Keep the following in mind as you decide on the provider.

* Can they provide accurate payroll service without any mistakes in employee’s pay or providing tax information to the government? Ask for history of efficiency.

* An occasional mistake is acceptable but how quickly can they correct it. If the payroll service provider is overstretched, they may not have the resources to quickly provide the remedy.

* Is the payroll system providers and software compatible with your own operating systems? Would it be possible to transfer data to and from your business easily?

* Are the references flawless? Excellent customer service to business owners and its employees is important.

* How many clients is the payroll provider serving? Large number of clients may indicate a successful service but attrition in the past few months may indicate deteriorating quality. Does the provider have adequate resources to serve your business?

* Is the pricing competitive? Some companies may bait you with low basic fees and charge heavily for extras. Ask for an all inclusive package to compare prices.

Once you decide on a payroll provider, scrutinize the contract very carefully for any hidden fees or charges that may kick in after a few months of service.

Check the first few pay checks very carefully for any mistakes. It is better to uncover the issues early enough before they get compounded and more difficult to fix.

Hiring a payroll provider is an important decision for your business. It is tough to easily switch a payroll provider if you make the wrong decision. Make sure you adequately research all possibilities before making a final decision.

This article was published at Bookkeeping Services of Charlotte, NC

Jun 27 2010

Things to Consider While Hiring a Financial Collection Agency

Things to Consider While Hiring a Financial Collection Agency

Read more articles at Bookkeeping Services of Charlotte, NC

“Why do I need to hire the services of a collection agency to handle my accounts?” is a question that arises in the minds of most owners of small and medium scale businesses. Most entrepreneurs are firm in their opinion that these agencies only add to already overflowing cup of woes. But the fact of the matter is that these groups enable you to channelize all your energies in propelling your business forward, while they concentrate on the not-so-pleasant job recovering the mountain of bad debts.

Hire With Caution

Since there is so much ambiguity about financial collection agencies, the deluge of questions about their need and functioning is not so unfathomable. While there is a section of the business community that opines these outfits would not serve small enterprises with the kind of zeal and enthusiasm that’s normally reserved for the big players; many others look askance at their integrity and dedication to service.

Here are five priceless tips that would help you make a very prudent choice:

Make thorough enquiries before you allow them to handle your outstanding accounts. Checking with the references provided is a great idea; a quick glance at the listings in the Better Business Bureau pertaining to your area is sure to yield reliable results. Since it is highly plausible that a company of repute may not find a place in these listings, you may also like to examine, rather closely, their past business records. Checking the record of complaints filed against the particular agency also deserves earnest consideration. You must be absolutely clear about the purview of their work – can they recover money from defaulters beyond a certain local or national area? Be specific about their nature of work, especially if you deal with commercial accounts, in which case, they will be expected to function as a commercial collection agency.  Will their services cause a drain on your finances? In other words, other than recovering outstanding dues, will they also charge you for additional services like tracing debtors and the like? Remember, there are several aspects connected to the very intricate subject of bad debt collection, so make sure everything is mentioned in black and white. Read the fine print mentioned in the contract, always.  Keeping you posted about the progress made in the collection of outstanding debts is extremely crucial, so you must insist on periodic, real-time reports that reflect these developments. How often you would like to view these details is entirely your prerogative, although a couple of reports every week is pretty reasonable. Things get simplified even further if they are submitted online. The presence of attorneys for valuable advice is definitely a plus.

Are you still dithering about hiring these agencies? I’m sure a lot of your concerns surrounding them have vanished, quite like those untraceable debtors.

This article was published at Bookkeeping Services of Charlotte, NC

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