You’ve made a decision to outsource the company payroll. Now there’s the task of finding the right partner to handle the job. As you look around for the right payroll service provider near me, keep the following in mind. They will help you narrow the choices and ultimately settle on the one that’s right for you.
Asking For Recommendations
A good way to start is by asking for recommendations from other business owners. Tap into your network and put the question out there. It won’t be long until you have a few responses.
Give priority to responses from business owners who current outsource payroll functions to trusted partners. Ask them about why they make the recommendation and listen closely to the responses. That will help you decide if that partner gets on your list of possibilities.
Check Out Ratings and Comments Online
Once you have a short list of local candidates, start doing some research on each one. Pay particular attention to anything you find at sites that are set up for consumers to share their impressions of each service. While you don’t expect to find perfection, what you hope to see is a consistent pattern of taking care of clients in a timely manner.
Be aware that even an unfavorable review can be helpful. It’s an opportunity to see how the matter is resolved, or if it seems to be ignored. If the latter happens to be the case, that service no longer needs to be on your list.
Visit Each Service Website
With the list now pared down to a few, take the time to visit the website of each remaining candidate. Your goal is to determine when of those providers offer the kind of payroll services you need. There may even be information that indicates the service has experience with companies in your industry, something that may help you be more comfortable.
Look closely at what you can find about a fee schedule. Some services set up monthly fees in return for handling basic payroll functions on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. Others assess fees each time a payroll is completed. Make sure you know what is included in the fee, and what would be considered a special service. This will help to further narrow the options that you want to consider as the ideal payroll service provider near me.
Meet With Representatives and See What You Think
Now that you’ve done your homework, arrange to talk with a representative of each service remaining on your list. The goal is to affirm that what you learned up to this point is accurate, discuss the needs of your company, and observe how the representative responds. If you feel good about how things go, then that service is still in the running.
Should anything in the interview not go well, take that as a sign to concentrate on one of the other services on the list. Even if you can’t pinpoint what makes you uneasy, rely on your gut instinct.
Remember that you want an outsource partner who will get the payroll out on time every time, ensure that all the finances are in order, and can provide help with special needs like issuing bonuses. Once you find the right one, look forward to years of a long and fruitful working relationship.