Robie Ann Ferrer

TriNet HR Plus leads my list of the best payroll services for small businesses, while Gusto, QuickBooks Workforce, Paychex Flex, ADP RUN, and Remote offer stronger fits for specific payroll needs.

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…

I reviewed the best onboarding software for small businesses and found BambooHR offers the strongest mix of automation, usability, and HR depth.

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…

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…

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,…

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…

Payroll system requirements are the core features needed to pay employees accurately, handle taxes, and keep records organized. These functionalities also play a key role during payroll implementation, when the system is set up to handle real payroll scenarios. For small businesses, a payroll system checklist can help organize the functions and capabilities a system…

Paying a nanny isn’t as simple as running a small business payroll. The moment you hire a household employee, you take on a different set of tax and compliance responsibilities. I’ve found that the biggest challenge for household employers isn’t running nanny payroll itself, it’s staying compliant. Missing a filing or misclassifying a worker can…

Payroll services cost can vary widely depending on the provider you choose, the features you need, and how your business runs payroll. While many solutions advertise straightforward pricing—typically around $30–$50 per month plus $4–$6 per employee—the actual cost is often more layered, depending on pricing structures, add-ons, and the level of support included. Many small…