Signs It is the Time for Payroll Outsourcing

adele lim
3 min readSep 9, 2021

--

When you start the business, processing payroll could seem like a straightforward task. Many people think that writing paychecks for a few employees is not hard. However, over time you might realise that running the payroll could eat up the huge time that you might have expected.

According to some research, it takes nearly 20 hours a month for small business owners to run the payroll. For such business owners, outsourcing the payroll could save a good amount of time as well as money. In case you are confused if your business requires payroll outsourcing services, here are the key signs

Cash Flow Issues

Even successful small businesses scuffle with cash flow. It might be due to seasonal ebbs & flows or might be one-time expenses that could throw the operating budget off-kilter. No matter, what the issue is the reputed payroll service could help in managing the cash in numerous ways

✔ Good aggregate payroll data to make better cash flow forecasts.

✔ Withholding payroll taxes that your company owes every pay run so that you need to come up with all funds at once.

✔ Integrating with accounting software so you could see the complete financial picture.

Data Entry Errors

Overpaying or underpaying employees is not a good idea. However, business owners overwhelmed by paperwork they need to deal with results in mistakes. You need to pay employees timely; but you also need to deduct the right amount, enter the number of hours worked correctly and set the right number of allowances.

When you get any number wrong, it means you need to correct the previous payroll. This means the tax filings would also have mistakes in case you do not find them in time. Moreover, paying contractors or employees too little could result in major friction with the team. Outsourcing payroll would reduce the input errors by minimising the number of steps you need to take.

Running Payroll Late

When it comes to personal finances, the employees do not have the wiggle room. Being late on the pay run could mean you are messing with the employee’s lives. It could cause dissatisfaction among the staff and could lower the loyalty quotient that would affect the organisation adversely.

In case the bank holidays throw off your timings on a regular basis or payroll slips off the radar, consider having a comprehensive payroll service. That would remind you to get the paychecks out or do that for you.

Software Issues

There is no denial that payroll software provides numerous benefits. Programs that fit the description could manage employee calendars, help with tax management, create payslips and save a good amount of time. However, issues come up with the software. Some glitches or errors come into the play. In case you face issues with the software, outsourcing payroll is the best solution.

Apart from these, another common sign is missing tax deadlines. Getting payroll-related tax filings processed on time is crucial for business owners. It is worth noting that making late filings could be costly. However, reliable with payroll services, you could rest assured about timely filings and avoid late deposits.

--

--