Running a successful business today requires focus. Focus on customers, employees, systems, and growth.
Payroll processing is a complex, time-consuming task that takes business owners’ attention away from their core goals. In today’s world, outsourcing payroll just makes practical and financial sense.
Payroll Processing Is More Than Just Paying Employees
Payroll seems simple on the surface. You have employees, you pay them. But modern payroll involves much more. Payroll teams oversee:
- Payroll processing
- Direct deposits
- Tax payments (FICA, FICO, state, federal)
- Tax reporting
- Time tracking
- Payroll reports
- Retirement accounts (401ks)
- Workers compensation
- Unemployment claims
- Vacation/PTO tracking
That’s a huge list of critical tasks. It’s work that requires focus, organization, and accuracy. Work that takes time away from core business goals like serving customers and growing the business.
Calculating The True Cost of DIY Payroll
To determine if outsourcing payroll makes sense, first calculate how much time is spent on payroll tasks.
- Tally time spent each week or month.
- Multiply for the year.
- Compare that total time to time spent building your business.
This reveals the true cost of doing payroll yourself. The time expenditure means less time growing your business. Studies show businesses spend 3+ weeks a year just handling federal payroll taxes. Tack on all the other payroll tasks and it’s easy to see why DIY payroll has a major opportunity cost.
Signs It’s Time To Outsource Payroll
Here are key signals that your business is ready to outsource payroll:
- Payroll is taking too much time away from higher priorities.
- Your business and employee count is growing. Payroll workload is ballooning.
- Payroll mistakes resulting in costly IRS penalties are increasing.
- Payroll dominates your time, limiting critical time to manage and grow the business.
If this sounds familiar, outsourcing payroll makes sense. The monthly fees, while not cheap, are affordable for most businesses. And they unlock valuable time and energy to focus where it matters most.
Outsourcing Payroll Helps You Focus on Growth
Handling payroll in house increasingly hampers growing businesses. Outsourcing solves several key problems:
It Saves Time
Payroll processing companies handle the long list of payroll tasks for you. This time saving lets you focus on customers, systems, and business growth.
It Reduces Costly Mistakes
Payroll professionals handle complex payroll tasks daily. They know how to avoid mistakes that lead to IRS fines and penalties. Their expertise saves you money.
It Allows Focus on the Core Business
You started your business to fulfill a vision and meet customer needs. Payroll processing is a distraction from that mission. Outsourcing it allows you to keep your vision front and center.
It Provides Access to Expertise
Payroll regulations and tax codes evolve constantly. Keeping up with changes requires dedicating limited time or hiring expert staff. Outsourcing provides ongoing access to that expertise.
Making the Switch to Outsourcing
If outsourcing makes sense for your business, here are tips for making a smooth transition:
- Research multiple providers to find the best fit. Compare services, reviews, security, support, and costs.
- Develop a transition timeline to avoid payroll disruptions. Get payroll data to new provider in a timely manner.
- Communicate changes to employees so they know when and how paychecks will be handled going forward.
- Validate first few pay periods to ensure accuracy. Then spot check periodically.
- Review service level agreements and contracts closely. Understand outsourcing arrangement completely.
Outsource Today!
Payroll processing is a complex thicket of tax codes, regulations, calculations, and reporting. It’s time consuming but mandatory. Like bookkeeping or HR, it’s important but not central to most business’s mission and growth.
Outsourcing these functions just makes practical sense. It saves money. It reduces mistakes. Most importantly, it allows attention and energy to be focused on core business goals.
For most businesses today, handling payroll in house just doesn’t make sense. The benefits of outsourcing it to experts are too compelling.
