When we’re talking about how to do payroll for small businesses, one of the most integral skills for any entrepreneur who wants to keep up smooth and regulated operations and their team happy is understanding exactly how to conduct the task. 

Today, we’re talking about how to do payroll for small businesses and make sure everyone gets paid accurately and on time. It truly doesn’t matter if you have one employee or seventy-five, the payroll principles will always remain the same. That’s the beauty of math!

Let’s dive right on in!

 

Why Payroll Matters 

 

If you’re about to learn how to do payroll for small business, let’s first jump into just why payroll matters so much. It’s no secret that your employees rely on timely, accurate paychecks, and you foster a sense of trust and reliability when they are confident that they will be handled correctly when it comes to payments. 

Learning how to do payroll for small business can save you a ton of heartache. As you’re conducting your small business setup, you’re also taking active steps to solidify compliance with your state’s regulations. Make sure that you’re handling your organization’s compensation if you want to keep morale and loyalty up. 

 

Steps for How to Do Payroll for a Small Business 

 

Now, we’re on to the meat and potatoes! When it comes to the step-by-step process of how to do payroll for small business, understand that you can break it into easily navigable steps. Let’s dive into your new roadmap!:

  • Gather Employee Information

First up, you’ll want to gather up all the details you’ll need for this process. This would include the wages or salaries, employment status, and any of the benefits or bonuses that should be incorporated. Ultimately, this data would serve as the foundation of your small business payroll setup. That way, you’ll be able to ensure and verify the accurate data for each respective pay period. 

  • Determine Pay Periods 

Next, you need to consider how often you play the employees of your organization, whether it’s weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Essentially, consistency will be key here. Make sure you’re sticking to whatever agreed-upon schedule lines up best with your brand’s cash flow and employee expectations. This part of your small business payroll setup will help your organization establish a predictable timeline of pay periods for your employees. 

  • Calculate Gross Pay

Now, you need to add up all of the earnings. Make sure that you are integrating regular pay as well as any overtime or bonuses that have been accumulated by employees. 

  • Account for Deductions 

Your employees will have various deductions, like their retirement contributions or healthcare premiums. These are amounts that need to be deducted from the gross pay to calculate the net pay. It’s imperative that you are paying very close attention to these details because accurate deductions are one of the most important parts of how to do payroll for small business. 

  • Distribute Payments 

Whether you’re working with direct deposit, checks, or any other methods, now would be the time to start releasing payments. It is important that each and every employee is paid on time. Your morale and employee satisfaction are hinged upon it. 

  • Keep Thorough Records 

Punctilious record keeping will be your best friend. It’s one of the most fundamental and central aspects of how to do payroll for small business. Be sure to keep up with and store pay stubs, any wage summaries, and other relevant documents. The better your record keeping, the better you’ll be able to keep track of your spending, make data-driven decisions, and maintain transparency amongst the organization. 

 

Choosing the Right Tools 

 

While conducting payroll through the use of spreadsheets is absolutely possible, leveraging the power of specialized payroll software is sure the streamline the entire process for you and your business. You can be sure that these automation very quickly take care of any calculations, track any changes in wage rates, and keep hold of important records all in one spot. 

All you have to do is choose a user-friendly one. Find software that integrates seamlessly with your accounting system, delivers reliable customer support solutions, and offers customizable reporting features. These software helpers are an investment, so it’s important to take them seriously, especially if you want to refine how to do payroll for small business. 

 

How Estess CPAs Can Help 

 

Do you have a better understanding of how to do payroll for small business, now? We certainly hope so! If not, the Estess CPA team can still help. We specialize in streamlining all of the payroll operations for small businesses all across New Orleans. 

Our team keeps up with the latest in industry best practices, regulations, and tools so you don’t have to! Are you ready to partner with Estess CPAs? We’ll work with you closely to deliver tailored accounting solutions that are sure to get you on the right fiscal track. 

Click here to speak with the team, and we’ll streamline all of your accounting operations, so you can focus on your business!

Let us handle the numbers.