Robie Ann Ferrer

A cheap payroll service is only a good deal if it reduces the work and risk that make payroll expensive in the first place. A low monthly fee can lose its shine fast if you have to pay extra for time tracking, multi-state pay runs, HR support, tax help, or basic workforce management tools. To…

The best free payroll software for small business owners can calculate pay for hourly and salary workers, handle tax calculations and deductions, and print checks and pay stubs. Some of the systems even file taxes and offer direct deposits. In this guide, I evaluated six free payroll software and narrowed them down to my top…

Intuit QuickBooks Workforce (formerly QuickBooks Payroll) is an add-on payroll and workforce management module for QuickBooks Online users. Its three plans are Workforce Payroll, Workforce Premium, and Workforce Elite. These replace the former Payroll Core, Payroll Premium, and Payroll Elite plan names. All three offer full-service payroll with tax filing and payment services, employee self-service…

Small businesses need more than a basic punch clock. The best time clock systems help prevent time theft, improve payroll accuracy, control labor costs, flag overtime risks, and give managers better visibility into employee hours. To find the best options, I evaluated leading time clock and time tracking systems based on pricing, clock-in flexibility, security…

The best payroll software for small businesses should make payroll easier to run, not just calculate wages. I found Gusto to be the best overall option because it combines full-service payroll, tax filing, benefits, basic HR tools, and employee self-service in one approachable platform. That said, the right choice depends on how your business pays…

Free HR software can help small businesses manage essential HR tasks, such as storing employee records, tracking time, scheduling shifts, onboarding new hires, and managing performance reviews. However, free plans often come with limits, such as employee caps, location restrictions, paid-only payroll tools, or fewer customization options. To find the best options, we reviewed 14…

Church payroll is not just small business payroll with a few ministry-specific settings added. Churches often have to manage clergy tax, housing allowances, contractor payments, part-time staff, and volunteers who become paid workers. The right church payroll software should reduce administrative work and lower the risk of payroll errors that can create tax reporting issues…

Human resources (HR) outsourcing lets small businesses delegate HR tasks to an external provider, helping improve operations, reduce compliance risk, and avoid hiring an in-house HR manager too soon. For this guide, I reviewed seven HR outsourcing companies and narrowed the list to my top five based on the types of support small businesses need,…

If you are an employer with hourly workers, it can be challenging to calculate wages if they work only a fraction of an hour. Payroll minutes conversion helps you turn minutes into a decimal format, allowing you to pay employees who worked partial hours. This minute conversation for payroll may seem like a small step,…

Payroll gets complicated fast once you factor in tax filings, garnishments, and state compliance. The best payroll services for small businesses help ensure employees are paid accurately and on time while also handling tax filings and other compliance tasks. In reviewing payroll providers for this guide, I found that not all payroll service providers offer…

Hiring internationally can help businesses expand faster, but it also adds payroll, tax, benefits, and compliance responsibilities that vary by country. If you don’t have in-country HR support, handling those requirements internally can get complicated quickly. That’s where an employer of record (EOR) can help. It lets you hire and pay workers in other countries…

One of the first common payroll questions I get is: What is payroll tax, and what does it cover? Put simply, these are the taxes employers must withhold and pay based on employee wages. These taxes are sent to government agencies and generally include Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment taxes. For business owners, understanding the…